Frequently Asked Questions in NetGeometry
16may12\begin{document} \maketitle
\section{Technical Issues}
Q. How to use LaTex in Moodle? \\\\
A. Remember Moodle does not accept all LaTex syntax.
It only accepts basic LaTex symbols such as integral, sin, pi, superscript, and so on.
Use double dollar signs in the beginning and the end of each math symbol.\\
Q. I have some texWins issues with the preamble.
A. Have you checked the following links?
Here are links to the advise page with the pdf of what the correct preamble looks like as well as the LaTex code for it.
http://new.math.uiuc.edu/netgeom/advice/latex/
Preambles are tricky.
That is why in the original form we hid this feature from the users of texWins.
The current texWins requires a proper preamble.
There are many times you *should* google tex.
Say you come across a nifty function but it does not work for you.
Google the function, and chances are some kind soul will tell you what LaTeX package you need to add to the preamble.
Other times, you just forget the LaTeX code. \\
Q. I entered one homework problem into moodle to try uploading and was successful.
However, now it says that my uploading is complete and I cannot upload anything else.
Did anyone else have that problem?
A. You might have hit the "Submit assignment for grading" (or whatever it is called) button.
We disabled this option, so please let us know if you are able to upload more files now.\\
Q. My webbrowser cannot properly load symbols.
A. Use Firefox.
Chome, Internet Explorer, Safari, and so on do not work properly.
However, if you ARE using Firefox and symbols are not loading properly, then please take a screen shot of
what you see that does not look like LaTeX. I may have to fix something else.\\
Q. Do I need to use both texPad and texWins?
A. If you are online often, then you are not required to use texPad.
Remember that texPad is good for offline and may use some different character inputs from texWins.
Remember, texWins is very strict about correct LaTeX syntax.
And texPad is more lenient, but not as smart.
For instance, $\mbox{ \and }$ is proper LaTeX. It typesets $\wedge$
the same as $\mbox{ \wedge }$, but texPad only knows the second. So if
$\mbox{\and, \or, \implies, \not }$ don't work or look wrong, try their
mothers, $\mbox{\wedge, \vee, \Rightarrow, \neg}$.
See the Advice for more advice on texPad.\\
Q. Getting images into texWins
A. Refer http://new.math.uiuc.edu/netgeom/advice/latex/images/texwins.png
\begin{enumerate}
\item Create image file using KSEG/GEX, depending on which course you are in.
\item In texWins, click on upload file at the top of the screen.
\item Browse to find the image file you want to upload.
\item Click send file.
\item Insert the following text into your program wherever you want the image
called "foobar.png" located.Suppose it is located in folder named "images"
as is the case on texWins. Since LaTeX won't guarantee where the image will
appear, be sure to use an appropriate caption.
\item Make sure that you replace "foobar" with the name of your picture,
and write a mathematical caption..
\end{enumerate}
Q. I would like to see more samples of LaTex.
A. All of my newer lessons in the class notes are composed in a variant of MathML called "the Pudding".
These have valid LaTeX code in them.
You can always read the source of a webpage with a CONTROL-CLICK and choosing to look at the source.
From the source, you can copy and paste.
The Pudding was created by some students of mine some years ago, partly for this purpose.
Some of the really old lessons are LaTeX .pdf files, and I often keep their source .tex files in the same directory.
For example, if you just opened up sillymath.pdf, then tack /sillymath.tex onto the url, and you might find the LaTeX source.
There are also many examples on the web. \\
\section{General Questions about the course}
Q. What is Moodle Forum for?
A. Moodle forum is for the students to discuss questions about the course.
Please post related questions under an identifying subject header.
Ask subsequent questions related to the header in that thread.
Do not ask more than one question under the same header. \\
Q. I updated my assignment, can you regrade it?
A. Homework grade is merely bookeeping score and has no effect on the final grade (unless you do not submit anything).
It is for you to learn and give you feedback.
So there is no point in devoting valuable resources to "regrade" such assignments. \\
Q. What needs to be submitted for this course?
A.
\begin{enumerate}
\item There are assignments/labs to be submitted on the Moodle.
\item Some, but not all lessons have so-called filecard questions embedded in them.
You should answer these as you study the lesson.
If a student falls far behind on these, then I must infer that the student is not keeping up with the course.
\item Midterm/Final.
\end{enumerate}
Q. How to find stuff not explicity linked.
A. Yes, there are some lessons that are not explicitly linked on syllabus.
Go to the main page http://new.math.uiuc.edu/math402/public/ and navigate lessons there. \\
Q. Will we get homework solutions?
A. My policy in advanced math courses is not to post complete solutions.
The reasons are these:
there are only a limited number of problems available, and posting solutions, especially on the WWW, violates the copyrights of the textbook author.
It also ruins the problems for those instructors who give serious grades for the homework.
So, to make sure the student arrives at a correct solution, I am very liberal on giving hints, partial solutions, and, on occasion, even a sketch of the complete solution. \\
Q. I missed homework deadlines.
Will I get penalized for late submission?
A. The only purpose for asking for the homework by a certain due date is to stage tasks in a sensible manner.
If, for example, the grader gets a semester's worth of homework all in the last week of the course, it is just not going to get all looked at.
That said, however, in an extramural course I do not enforce deadlines.
I will nag you, threaten you, but I do not "take off points".
If the work comes in on time, or if there is a valid excuse for being late, like the weather, sick kids, and so on, then you can expect to have it all looked at.
Otherwise, we will do what we can. \\
Q. I was too worried about the due date and submitted poor quality homework.
Now I can produce ones of better quality, and in the format you prefer.
Would you like me to resubmit?
Or would you just like my next submission to show my improvements?
A. I do not see any point in redoing homework.
If you understand the geometry, which is half of it, and can demonstrate that you do (that is the other half), then I would prefer you work on the next homework. \\
Q. How do we get feedbacks?
How are you "handing" back the work?
A. For homework, what gets "handed" back is comments and corrections.
The grader will put comments in your file and return it to you via Moodle.
In the filecards, the response is next to the submitted, but short, answer.\\
Q. How is the grading done in this course?
A. Homework grades are just for bookkeeping and checking if you are doing okay.
The actual letter grade will be based mostly on the midterm and final.
We will also "curve" and "weight" everything in the end.
Think of the final grade this way: Every one of you has a current "expected" grade, starting with a B (my average grade in these courses) at the beginning of the course.
It takes a lot of work to actually fail this course. (Or to get anything less than that.)\\
Q. When can I take a midterm?
What should I do to take a midterm?
A. Each of you needs to contact your proctor and work out a good time to take the test.
Write me the email of your proctor and I will tell the proctor what to expect.
The test is 2 hours long.
It will take the proctor another bit of time to print out the emailed .pdf for you before, and to scan your papers and email them to me afterwards.
Any time you and your proctor can arrange for a 2 hour exam it OK. \\
Q. How much is homework worth?
A. The purpose of homework is for you to learn.
Still, you need to complete all homework in order for us to give you the midterm and final. \\
Q. I do not know what to study for midterm.
Are there any sections/topics that you could recommend I pay particular attention to as I study?
A. In 402, the midterm is comprehensive from the lesson on Greek Geometry through the lessons on Cartesian Geometry.
There will be a question on each topic.
You may have your journal with you while taking the midterm, so I would say you update your journal. \\
Q. What is Elluminate session?
How do we use it?
A. You can think of it as online office hours.
There will be regular sessions by the TA and the Professor.
Feel free to set up a time and have a session by students. \\
Q. What is covered in the final?
A. The final exam covers the entire course.
Upon request, we can reexamine topics that most students did not understand well enough.
There is also a 1 hour essay chosen from a set of topics that I will publish, so you can prepare for it.
You can use the syllabus as a study guide.
As for proportions: 1/3 on Transformations, the remainder is on a selection from all other topics. \\
\section{Axiomatic Systems}
Q. Is producing the model for these exercises a sufficient proof?
Or are you expecting accompanying text?
A. A picture by itself is rarely a proof (though not never).
A description of the picture, however, can be a complete proof present purposes.
I accept an accurate picture correctly labeled as a substitute when a student forgets to state all the hypotheses, which happens.\\
Q. I have difficulties with Exterior Angle Lab Construction.
I was trying to double the median BE to EF.
I made certain that the lengths of BE and EF were equal by measuring and moving point F.
When I wiggled point C, BF no longer appeared like an extension of median BE, but instead were 2 segments, BE and EF.
A. The figure may be made to look correct without it being a valid construction.
You measured a particular triangle.
So when you wiggled it, the triangle was a different triangle and the length of the median changed.
Yet, you did not repeat the measurement.
Hence this experimental theorem was no longer true.
You need to mark the vector BE and translate by BE.
In that case, even after you wiggle the triangle, EF will be the same vector as BE. \\
\section{Moebius Transformation}
Q. Is the Mobius transformation, by definition, the function f(z) = (az+b)/(cz+d)?
How does the ad-bc=1 work with this (and why do our lecture notes make that = 1 and Hvidsten does not)?
A. A Moebius transformation is one thing, but has many definitions.
Hvidsten spends half of his time here just showing their equivalence.
The purpose of having many definitions is that when you apply either as hypothesis or conclusion, you have a choice.
Expressed as in the *fractional-linear* form you can demand that (ad-bc) !=0 or =1.
This is because any nonzero common factor of a,b,c,d cancells out in the fraction and the value of f at z remains unchanged.
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