courSe LOG Problem Solving Entry

We were asked to solve a mathematic problem in groups on the Friday of week 3. The problem is: folding a paper strip several times, try to predict how many creases point vertex up and how many creases point vertex down.
This is how me and my partner solve the problem:
Firstly, we planned to specify our rules. I am responsible for folding the paper strip and read the direction of the crease to my partner. On the other hand, my partner is responsible for writing the pattern of the direction of the crease down to keep track. After recording about 4 to 5 times, we planned to brainstorm about the solution.
Then, we carried out our plan. I folded the paper strip 4 times and my partner recorded the pattern.
Next, it is our brainstorming section. We initially spent a lot of time thinking about it. Even after the professor let us see the hint, we still had nothing. All we found is that the central crease always point vertex down. Suddenly, my partner came up with the pattern. The pattern is: copy the previous line to the right side of the central vertex down arrow, then every crease on the left side of the central vertex down arrow is opposite of the crease that to the central vertex down arrow with the same distance. Now we were able to write the pattern of the crease of a paper strip folded any times.
Finally, we checked our solution. We predicted the pattern of the strip after five times of folding and wrote it down. We tried really hard to fold the paper strip the five times, and read the pattern of crease. It is the same as our prediction.
Overall, we solved the problem successfully by following the steps of solving mathematical problem given by G. Polya.

courSe LOG Entry 10

This week only has two lectures and has no tutorial. We started a new chapter about computable materials. As usual, it is hard for me to understand. I also tried to understand the course note after the lecture but still not get the hang of it.

Fortunately, I found two teammates for assignment 3 this week. The deadline of this course's assignment and the deadline of CSC108's deadline is close. I really need to squeeze my time for the two works.

courSe LOG Entry 9

This week, we learned more about proving big-Oh and big-Omega. We learned about proving if a function is in the set of big-Oh that equations are not given. I can understand most of the part of the proof process. However, I still cannot fully understand the definition of big-Oh notation. I don't really understand the quantifiers when applying them into real problem. We are going to have a two day break next week so that it will be a great chance of reviewing the stuff we learned recently.

In this week's quiz, the question is really similar to the sample questions in the problem set. The instruction taught in tutorial section is more detailed than the material in the lecture. It is helpful as usual.

What is going to be challenging is the third assignment. My former teammate seems to not be willing to form a group with me again since my understanding of the course is not strong. I fear I may get a bad mark for this assignment. I am having trouble accessing course website right now. I hope I can view the assignment as soon as possible so that I can be prepared.

I think I did terribly in the second term test. I got a lot of marks off for question 1 and 3, which I am confident about and I know what the solution is. I think my problem for these two questions is that the proof format is not neat. I really should have written an aid sheet in advance. If it is not allowed, I don't need pull it out. If it is allowed, it would be really helpful. I am going to get my test next week and to see my problems.

courSe LOG Entry 8

This week's class, we learned about prove whether a function belongs to big-Oh set, and we learned about proving big-Oh by using limit techniques in Friday's lecture. On Fridays lecture, Danny had to write notes on the blackboard for some technological problems. Surprisingly, this is better for my understanding. His writing on the blackboard is much more clear than the writing on the powerpoint. He used to throw his notes all over one slide when using powerpoint for lecture. In contrast, on the blackboard, the notes are more organized. I am glad that I can take notes without obstacles. Better handwriting does help understand the course material.

The tutorial this week is helpful as usual. TA needs to spend more than an hour on explaining only two questions. That is the reason why the explanation and the analysis is clear and easy to understand.

The biggest challenge this week is the second term test. I was very frustrated last week when I heard about it because I was totally not prepared for it. I treated as the most important task in this week's study. However, I should have written an aid sheet before the test so that my format of proof may be better. We are not told if we are allowed to bring aid sheet so that I did not prepare one. The characteristic of this course is that material in the lecture is harder than the questions in the test. I did alright in the test. I am pretty sure the first and the last question is correct. I did not know how to solve the second question. I did not prove the negation. I proved the statement directly to show it is a contradiction. I am not sure if it is correct. I always have trouble understanding the statement when the statement has a lot of quantifiers.

courSe LOG Entry 7

In this week's lecture, we learned about the formal definition of big O notation and the worst case analysis of two algorithms. I was absent-minded when Danny talks about counting the steps of  insertion sort. The following analysis was based on the counting step. So, I have to have a look of Larry's note for compensation since Danny's handwriting is hard to recognize and I personally think Larry's note is more organized. I have to admit that I am still not used to Danny's teaching method. I found the lecture does not bring me help. I need to spend a lot of time studying on my own. I think Danny really should teach from basic and clarify and point out what is example and what is important concept etc.

The assignment goes pretty good. We spent more than 2 hours last Friday working on it and we came up solutions for all the questions. Then we put the answers together. I believe in my teammates since I am not that really good at this course.

I just realized that the term next is on next Wednesday. That is frustrating. I am not prepared for the test and the time lasts so little. I have a economic quiz due on Wednesday and I have to read through a whole boring and hard-to-understand chapter in order to be able to do the quiz. I don't have enough time. So, I am going to be really efficient this week. I hope I can do well in the second term test.

courSe LOG Entry 6

We finished course material about proof and started sorting algorithms this week. We learned about inferences related to proof and learned insertion sort and selection sort, which are two basics sorting algorithms. I did not catch up what is being taught at the end of proof. I learned about sorting algorithm in my grade 12 computer science class. I hope this can help me understand the material we are going to learn in the future.
This week's tutorial is the key for me to understand the course material of proof. Before the tutorial, I did not know what to start to prove a statement. Instead, I only know how to write the structure of a proof. During this week's tutorial, the TA made us work on the problem for an hour and ten minutes on the 3 problem set questions. Since there are so much time, I at least tried to start doing some proof. After the TA taking up the questions, I think I was more confident about proof. I think I did the quiz right because it is really similar to the question I just did.
Assignment 2 is going to due very soon, I found two teammates this week. Hope I can do well in assignment because it weighs a lot.

courSe LOG Entry 5

We continued learning about proof in this week's class. Danny helped us solve some sample questions. In Friday's lecture, we learned about proof that needs to discuss in different case.

I found that I need to concentrate every minute in this class. In Friday's lecture, I was unable to catch up what is being taught after just picking up my eraser from the ground. Maybe it is just that I missed the key point coincidentally. It is really hard to distinguish what is course material and what is irrelevant from Danny's lecture because some of his joke is weird and his voice is not that clear. So, the best way is to learn is to try to concentrate on the lecture. In addition, I still find that some of his writing is not recognizable. For example, in Friday's lecture, when proving n^2+n is even number, Danny writes something like "N closed under +, *", and then the problem is solved. It doesn't make any sense to me. I probably need to go to his office hour to ask him about it.

The mark of our first test came out this week. I got 2 marks wrong for the first question, which is my most confident part of the test. I could not make it for this week's Danny's office hour so that I did not get the test. I am going to get the test next week and look at it carefully to see what my question is. I am satisfied with the test since I was not confident at all for this class and treated it as the hardest class this semester before the test, but I also feel bad about not getting full mark. The first question is the easiest and I should do it right completely. Just be careful in the next test and listen carefully during the lecture.