Dr. Susanne Bellmer

Lectures

Mathematics for Computer Science

Computational Mathematics

Accompanying events

Maths Café (see below for explanation)

Maths revision course (see below for explanation)

Preliminary and bridge courses

Preliminary maths course (see below for explanation)

Mathematics for computer science

Computational Mathematics

Both lectures are compulsory and comprise 4 SWS.

Further information can be found in the guidelines for students.

Brief definition

The Maths Café is a mathematical practical course that is offered in the first three semesters of the Bachelor's programme.

Why does the Maths Café exist?

In recent years, maths has not exactly been one of the strengths of many students. At the same time, it has often not been possible to close the gaps in understanding, because:

1. Asking questions in lectures or to the professors was associated with the fear of making a fool of oneself.
2. The question could not be formulated in concrete terms.
3. Gaps were often not noticed.
4. No thought was given to what mathematical understanding is. Mere calculation is not understanding, nor is it only the production of a result that is important. Instead, understanding means grasping all relationships, concepts and structures.
5. It was mistakenly thought that maths would not be needed later on.
6. Solutions to exercises were obtained digitally, e.g. via forums, passive listening to YouTube videos, online calculators, ChatGPT - but no effort was made to understand at the same time.
7. Learning alone is not good. If you don't talk enough about the maths, it has negative consequences that are noticeable at university and at companies.
8. You haven't yet experienced that approaches that differ from those of the professor are not just tedious and exhausting, but on the contrary create the structures in the brain that are necessary for understanding

The consequence was failing the exam.

What are the highest principles?

Not knowing is not a disgrace!

Asking questions is good!

Admitting uncertainty is not a weakness! You deserve recognition for this courage!

Nobody is exposed.

And: We teachers are human too and have made many mistakes ourselves.

How does the Maths Café work?

Questions about the lecture will be

• Questions about the lecture are answered
• Uncertainties about the subject matter are clarified
• Developed the ability to solve problems
• Questions about exercises are answered
• Material is repeated
• Gaps closed
• Created an overview
• Further exercises and applications carried out to promote understanding
• individual help and guidance provided
• enabled and supported independent work
• Group work encouraged and supported where necessary

Mathematical "tummy ache", so to speak, can also be "treated".

What can I do myself?

• Come prepared, i.e. be able to name anything that is unclear
• have all the documents with you
• Don't be afraid to ask questions or be afraid of embarrassment

Does the Maths Café work?

Yes! In previous years, everyone who has regularly and actively participated has been able to pass the exam.

Do you have to take part?

No, everything is voluntary.

However, it would be highly recommended for people who want to get a better grasp of the subject matter or have questions.

In addition, many people have only realised how much more they can understand by talking about the content and looking at it from different and completely different angles when they attend the Maths Café. There is more to learn than you think!

I want to go, but because I'm a repeater, I can't make the regular date.

Talk to me. We'll find a solution.

Workshops in the Maths Café

Sometimes you think you know, but then you realise you didn't..

Unfortunately, many students have had this experience when they look at the results of their mid-term test or graded maths exercises in the middle of the semester. You could have recognised the warning signs, but you thought...

This is where the afterburner "Workshops" can help. In the second half of the semester, there is the opportunity to attend workshops on specific key topics from the maths lecture of the semester in question. The basics are reviewed, questions clarified, gaps closed and exercises solved. Whether there is a need will be clarified in the current situation.

The maths revision course takes place during the first semester. It serves to practise basic maths skills. It is aimed specifically at students who have weaknesses in this area. You will find out whether you should attend the revision course and what else is important during the first semester welcome.

Why do we emphasise the importance of mastering these basics?

In recent years, it has regularly happened that students have not been able to solve problems in regular maths lectures or pass tests and the actual exam because they have not mastered the basics. They didn't get to the actual problems because, for example, they failed at fractional terms or calculating powers. As a result, people failed the exam.

Experience shows that students who have regularly and actively taken part in the maths revision course end up with a much better command of the necessary basic skills.

In the preliminary maths course, a cross-section of the basic content of school maths is repeated. This is particularly important for computer science students in these cases:

• Maths was not one of the strengths at school.
• Maths was the big Achilles heel and it is believed that computer science only has to do with computers and not with maths. (This is a misconception)
• After school, you have done an apprenticeship and possibly also worked for a while, so that a lot of maths has been forgotten.

In these cases, it is good to repeat or refresh maths. Gaps can also be closed. Furthermore, areas that are sometimes no longer covered at school but are assumed to be known at university, such as logarithms, are topics of the preliminary course.

Important:

The topics of the preliminary course are assumed to be known and used in later lectures.

There are also arguments in favour of attending the preliminary mathematics course:

• Learning at university is different from learning at school. You can get used to the new style in the preliminary course.
• Those who have already been working for some time are usually no longer used to listening and learning in a concentrated manner over a longer period of time. The preliminary course offers the opportunity to practise both skills again.
• You get to know your fellow students, can socialise and form study groups.

The courses take place in February and September. Registration for the preliminary courses takes place via a special portal. You can find the link here: https://vorbereitungskurse.ostfalia.de/seminare.php (external link, opens in a new window)

Recommended reading

Gellrich: Mathematics and Exercise Book Volume 1, published by Harri Deutsch

This book is available in the library and contains many exercises and solutions.

Further books on the pre-course topics are available in the library.

Documents

Current documents are made available here while the preliminary course is in progress.

University teaching and didactics

The teaching of mathematics faces a number of challenges.

These consist in particular in the fact that abstract content has to be taught.

Furthermore, students do not have a history in maths and learning style - this can be helpful, but also a hindrance.

It is important for teachers to have a realistic picture of the status quo in order to be able to address the problems with suitable methods.

The following small compilation of documents is intended to provide an insight into this topic.

Evaluations

Study on the problems of students studying computer science (available on request)

Publications and lectures

Workshop "Mathematical Education of First-Year Engineering Students", TU Berlin, 6-7 April 2009:

Presentation "Typical mistakes students make in mathematics - reasons and possilble ways out" :

text version of the main points of the presentation

Proceedings of the Mathematics Work's Group Seminar by SEFI, Wismar, 20-23 June 2010:

"Cognitive structures and student's understanding of mathematics"

Literature

General topics

Manfred Spitzer: "Digital dementia", published by Droemer/Knaur

Mathematics

Mathematics pre-course

- Gellrich: Mathematics - A text and exercise book, Volume 1, Harri Deutsch publishing house

- E. Cramer, J. Neslehova: Vorkurs Mathematik - Arbeitsbuch zum Studienbeginn, 5th edition, Verlag Springer

- M. Knorrenschild: Vorkurs Mathematik - Ein Übungsbuch für Fachhochschulen,

carl Hanser GmbH & Co KG publishing house

- Lehr- und Übungsbuch, Volume 1, Harri Deutsch publishing house

University mathematics

- G. and S. Teschl: Mathematics for Computer Scientists, Volumes 1 and 2, Springer-Verlag

- Peter Hartmann: Mathematics for Computer Scientists, 6th edition, Springer-Verlag

- Thomas Westermann: Mathematics for Engineers, 5th edition, Springer-Verlag

- T. Arens, F. Hettlich, Ch. Karpfinger, U. Kockelhorn, K. Lichtenegger, H. Stachel: Mathematik,

2nd edition, Spektrum Akademischer Verlag Heidelberg 2012

- Sonia Taylor: Business Statistics for Non-Mathematicians, second edition, Palgrave 2007