18.02  Multivariable Calculus

Some of the TAs are leaving town tomorrow, so the procedure for viewing your exam has changed a little.

If your TA is Gorin or Lagrange, then your exam is with Romain Lagrange.

If your TA is Levin or Shan or Yun, then your exam is with me.  I will hold office hours on the day after the Memorial Day weekend, Tuesday May 28 from 2 to 4pm in my office 2-244 and those of you who want to see your exam may come then.  If it is all the same to you, I suggest that you come at a time during these two hours according to the lexicographic position of your last name (e.g., if your last name start with Y, come during the last 15 minutes, if possible).

Note that graded final exams may not be copied or removed from the room; all you can do is look it over for a few minutes.  I'd suggest that if you are coming, read the solutions on Stellar in advance.

Best,
Bjorn Poonen

Solutions to the final exam are now posted in the Materials section of Stellar.

Final exam grades and letter grades will not be sent by email, so don't email me or your TA asking about them!  Instead please look for these on Stellar and WebSIS in a few days.  If you want to see your graded exam, please visit your TA sometime after Friday afternoon; you won't be allowed to take it with you or to make a copy, but you may examine it.

Good luck on your remaining exams, and have a great summer!

There are lots of ways to study; here are a few possibilities.  In general, I think that actively doing problems is the best strategy.

• Read through the lecture notes (which I have been improving each time I have taught 18.02 over the years), and my extra notes on non-independent variables.  Wherever you see a problem or example, cover up the solution, and see if you can work it out on your own.  As you are going along, make a list of topics or problem types that you personally would like more practice with, and ask at the review sessions to have them discussed.
  
• Try the two practice finals on Stellar.  Even if you solve a problem, compare your method to the one in the solution.
• Try the exams on the 18.02 OCW site.
• For more problems on any topic, see the unassigned problems in the supplementary notes or in the textbook.
• Perhaps spend some of your study time meeting with a group, in which you can try the same problem and then discuss the differences in your approaches.  I personally find that when I have to explain some math to somebody, I learn it much better than if I were just doing problems on my own.

It's been a pleasure teaching a hardworking group of students like you!  See you all at the final!  Also, I'll be teaching 18.03 in Spring 2014 (MIT's biggest math subject), so maybe I'll see some of you there too.

Best wishes,
Bjorn Poonen

Next week, instead of usual office hours, I and the recitation leaders will hold additional office hours/review sessions during the following 2-hour periods.  Any 18.02 student may come to any or all of these.  All of these will be held in room 2-190.

Fri May 17, 1-3pm Levin

Sun May 19, 8-10pm Poonen

Mon May 20, 4-6pm Gorin
Mon May 20, 7-9pm Yun

Tues May 21, 1-3pm Lagrange
Tues May 21, 4-6pm Shan