Intro to Formal Math (Fall 2010)

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Welcome

Welcome to the course wiki for the Fall 2010 manifestation of MA2000: Introduction to Formal Mathematics at Plymouth State University. This wiki is viewable by anyone, but content can only be added and edited by authorized users, which basically means students registered in the class.

For more details, see the syllabus.

Using the Wiki

In the Web2.0 world, more and more of reading, writing, and communicating mathematics occurs online. What is a wiki, you ask? According to Wikipedia, the world's largest wiki site:

A Wiki ([ˈwiː.kiː] <wee-kee> or [ˈwɪ.kiː] <wick-ey>) is a type of website that allows users to add, remove, or otherwise edit and change most content very quickly and easily.

As a part of the Wikidot.com network, this site is a customizable piece of the internet where users can edit content, upload files, communicate and collaborate. Using the wiki will provide an opportunity for you (as students) to collaborate together, and for me (the instructor) to provide feedback visible to all.

During the first week of classes, I will send you an invite to join the wiki. To join, you will need to sign up for a free Wikidot account. Please use your real name when signing up. (As a Wikidot member, you can create your own free wiki or web page.)

Getting Help

There are many resources available to get help. First, I recommend that you work on homework in groups as much as possible, and to come see me whenever necessary. Also, you are strongly encouraged to ask questions in the course forum, as I will post comments there for all to benefit from.

To effectively post to the course forum, you will need to learn the basics of LaTeX, the standard language for typesetting in the mathematics community. See the quick LaTeX guide for help with $\LaTeX$. If you need additional help with $\LaTeX$ or editing/posting content to the wiki, post a question in the course forum.

There are substantial resources available online to help you learn the Wikidot markup, which is quite simple. I regularly consult Wikidot's Wiki Syntax page and Wikidot's Quick Reference Guide. Lastly, you can always contact me.