Mailed on 18 May 2017.

Preface

The fourth quartile has started by now, summer is near and the outside air is very appealing, but that should not withhold the students from studying. Just a little more and we can enjoy summer so much more.

Besides this general preface, I would like to add that I think it is a good thing that you, the reader, are reading this newsletter. Through this newsletter you do not only get to know about what the teachers do with the evaluations, but also certain important information that is not published anywhere else easy for students to come accross.

Have fun reading and I hope that you will gain useful knowledge.

Steven Horstink, officer Educational Affairs W.S.G. Abacus

Introduction

In this newsletter, we look back on Modules two and six. Apologies for the late appearance of the newsletter. Indeed, we are already midway the fourth. This, however, gives me the opportunity to draw your attention to the National Student Survey (NSE, Nationale Studentenenquête). The results of the survey just became available. It appears that about half of the AM students have participated and the appreciation of the different aspects is quite good. Thank you all for providing so much feedback. The results of the NSE are public from May 19th on.

Last but not least, at the end of the newsletter we included a short comment on what to do if your minor contains parts of the Math Line.

Jan Willem Polderman

Maternity leave of Stefanie: Jitske Rijken replaces Stefanie

Stefanie is on maternity leave and will return to office by October. I am very glad to announce that Jitske Rijken replaces Stefanie during her absence.

Hello, my name is Jitske Rijken. I am the 'new' bachelor coordinator during the period that Stefanie Kraanen is on maternity leave. I am Dutch but lived most of my life abroad, in various countries in East and Southern Africa. I went to international schools there but came back to Netherlands for my studies and to be honest also get to know my roots. I did a degree in development studies at Wageningen University, enjoyed my time very much in Wageningen but left back for Africa soon after I finished to enjoy a working life initially managing a water programme. 13 years, a few jobs (from the health sector to the flower industry) and a years travelling later I am back in Holland again. I came back this time with my own family and have managed to find a new international setting, UT, to feel at home at, working and learning from the diverse cultures and knowledge field of the staff and students. I look forward to this new challenge within the applied mathematics department and as they would say in Swahili: karibu sana to room 1026!

Module 2: Mathematical Proof Techniques

Module 2 is about abstraction and formal reasoning. The main subjects are analysis, linear structures, and linear optimization. The connecting element is the "ProofLab". In the project part of ProofLab, students delve into a mathematical topic, write a report, and give a presentation about it. The focus is on mathematical proofs.

The most obvious change in the module compared to previous years is that the module team has changed. Linear optimization has been taught this year by Jasper de Jong. Analysis has been taught this year by Brigit Geveling.

There were two major points of criticisms in the previous year: Linear Optimization is too difficult, and the coherence of the module does not become clear. To address these points, we aimed in particular at better integrating Linear Optimization with Linear Structures 2. This seems to have solved the problems partially: The criticism about Linear Optimization is now essentially only about the book used for this part of the module. We consider switching books for the next year, and we are right now evaluating different books about linear optimization.

To further address coherence of the module, we have approached Maria van der Blij of CELT for a partial redesign of the module for next year.

This has been the first time that this module has been taught in English. As far as I am aware, this did not cause any severe problems, neither on the side of the students nor on the side of the teachers.

Bodo Manthey

Module 6: Dynamical Systems

This year, the module Dynamical Systems went smoothly as always. Most students passed the whole module without problems; Perhaps the questions were too easy this year? At the Som van de Week we noticed a few original, more general answers, that was nice.

What changed was the start of the modelling. The past years we noticed the need for an introduction to the Euler-Lagrange formalism. So we did that during a lecture and then for this year, I had prepared a few additional exercises for a modelling session afterwards. Just a few minutes before the session I decided the students could very well read my notes and instead work on the modelling exercises straightaway. That proved to be way more stimulating.

Then the project topics were as varied as always, ranging from running to skating to walking the stairs. And this year again students work their through more advanced topics, e.g. Poincaré maps and controllers with multiple inputs, because they want it for their model. The double-major students TN and the more applied engineering minor students had a nice enriching component to the various project groups. Walking through the Educafe I encountered many project groups working hard, but together through January.

Due to illness I missed the final presentations, probably the best part, but I still have the posters.

Hil Meijer

Minor with redundant mathematics

If your minor contains part of the Math Line, then the following procedure applies. The first option is to contact the coordinator of the organizing programme to see if there is an appropriate part of one of their other modules or master’s programme that fits in the minor. The second possibility is to contact the programme director of Atlas to discuss the possibility to follow part of their programme. The latter requires that you formulate your own learning goals before you discuss with the Atlas management whether this can be realized within Atlas. Of course, you can always contact Stefanie, or Jitske for the coming while, about issues like this.