Math Bridge course

In the winter semester, the O-Week program is expanded to include a mathematics bridge course. It lasts one week and takes place before the O-Week section on computer introduction. This results in a total of two O-Weeks.

Why take a math course before starting your studies?

Among many other things, starting a degree in mathematics or computer science also changes the way mathematics is taught. Accordingly, the course could more accurately be titled “Introduction to University Mathematics.”

Most of the problems in school could always be solved using a formula learned in class. For example, if the extrema of a function were sought, the diligent student knew immediately that the values were determined by the first derivative and the type by the second derivative.

In the courses offered at FIM, this approach to mathematics based on formulas is increasingly giving way to a process of solving problems through creative thinking. This means that students are presented with tools (in the form of theorems, lemmas, etc.) and must independently select the appropriate means to address the problem at hand. In addition, there is the critical examination of prerequisites (whether the selected theorem can actually be applied to the situation at hand) and a formalism that is indispensable in higher mathematics.

Since many first-year students find it very difficult to adjust to this change overnight, the bridge course aims to clarify some of the concepts that are particularly important in the first semester in advance, including logical conclusions, sets, and functions. Students gain an initial overview of the methods available for mastering definitions and theorems that may initially seem cryptic.

In addition to providing a new perspective on mathematics, this bridge course also offers a great opportunity to get to know future fellow students.