Mathematics Support Center (MSC)

MSC is a Zoom Meeting! Closed for the Summer

Bulletin Board:

Announcement!: The [MSC Stories] video is released!

• Q: Where?
• A: MSC Stories .

The time was Wed, 28 Jul 2021 22:55:43 GMT (=Ithaca Time+4hrs) when you last loaded/refreshed this page in your browser.
MSC Scheduled hours

MSC Zoom Meetings
Protip: Also a place to find a study buddy!:

Please visit during priority hours if you can.

You may want to: Log in with Cornell Zoom at https://cornell.zoom.us/signin

Other Goodies

Want to give us FeedBack? What works? What doesn't? Have a concern?

• We very much appreciate any feedback you may have, so we can be more supportive and helpful in these weird times! To do that, you can:
  1. talk to any of the tutors in the Zoom meeting
  2. email Henrique (hcz5) or Cissy (yh383) or Dick (ref2)
  3. use this anonymous form: https://forms.gle/jAchmvfzrhEHB1Lp8
• If you'd like to keep updated on changes to the MSC hours during Spring 2021, enter your preferred email here: https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9N7OYSjJceA5bVz
• If you have any concerns, especially on circumstances that may prevent you from getting the help you need, please make sure to email Henrique (hcz5) or Cissy (yh383) or Dick (ref2) about it (else, it'll be harder for us to get back to you and figure something out!)

[ MSC Stories ] Overview

In short, I'm collecting stories about the MSC including its transition to a virtual presence in response to COVID-19. For the moment, the push is for video clips, but written text is also welcome. Further Details

Favorite Mathematicians

Contribute to our list of Favorite Mathematicians! Famous or obscure, some are largely unknown because they were women, engineers, surveyors or some combination of less recognized groups. Check out the list. You can add to the list if you have a Cornell login. In most cases, the name in the list corresponds to the primary Wikipedia page for that person so you can readily learn more. We draw from this list to name Breakout Rooms in the MSC Zoom Meeting.

Zoom Configuration Tips

Use internet audio if you can. To avoid audio feedback issues, when you enter the meeting your settings default to audio only, with your audio muted.
You can elect to turn on your audio as desired.
The links http://www.math.cornell.edu/msc and http://msc.ref2.net redirect to the MSC home page

Zoom Skilz

For tips, tricks, and Gotchas about Zoom, check out ZoomSkilz.ref2.net . We are supporting people in time zones around the planet and are trying to keep the General Math Support Center Zoom Meeting alive 24/7. You can join the General Math Support Center Zoom Meeting at any time, with tutors available according to the published schedule. Someone may be in the Meeting at other times. Our schedule will adapt as we learn what you need.

Tutor Schedule

The MSC is a Zoom Meeting Room

Find us at: http://math.cornell.edu/msc and this schedule at the short link: when.ref2.net
The schedule below is the schedule as of Wed, 26 May 2021 19:50:05 GMT (=Ithaca Time+4 Hours).
Do well on your Exams and final projects! Be sure to get plenty of rest!

Last updated: Wed, 26 May 2021 19:50:05 GMT All times shown are "Ithaca Time" which is currently EDT (4 hours earlier than GMT) indicates the Early Morning time slots especially for international time zones
Closed for the Summer

Longform Goodies

Some COVID-19 references:

• COVID-19 Status in Ithaca:
  • https://ithacavoice.com/covid-19-dashboard/
• Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resources
  • https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/ Overview
  • https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data Tracking
• COVID-19 Data, Visualizations, web coding strategies for private personalized results and more:
  • http://91-divoc.com/
• For further reading: Fine journalism with most COVID-19 articles no longer behind a paywall:
  What You Need to Know About the Coronavirus - The Atlantic
  • Overview page
    https://www.theatlantic.com/category/what-you-need-know-coronavirus/
  • How the Pandemic Will End:
    https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/03/how-will-coronavirus-end/608719/
  • Our Pandemic Summer,
    https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/04/pandemic-summer-coronavirus-reopening-back-normal/609940/
• Empowering Talk: COVID-19 - Dr. David Price - Pulmonary & Critical Care at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City.
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwx3JMRTz8U 10m34s COVID-19 - Dr. David Price’s Empowering Talk with Friends and Family (ABBREVIATED)
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcKTzefEJFM 57m06s Protecting Families During COVID-19 Pandemic - Dr. David Price -New York City
• Still further Reading: From Wired Magazine, also no longer behind their paywall:
  • https://www.wired.com/tag/coronavirus/
• Face Masks: Further links and commentary
  • https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vKoKwtxTAXFQe8UC7I8Tg3PtOTF4EWe2gyLOBk_YjyU/edit
• Data for you: Ongoing contributions in data collection, curation, analysis and visualization surrounding COVID-19
  • https://wolfr.am/coronavirus From the community associated with Wolfram Alpha and Mathematica
  • http://www.healthdata.org The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is an independent global health research center at the University of Washington.
• Models and visualizations:
  • https://junkcharts.typepad.com/numbersruleyourworld/2020/03/note-about-fitting-and-visualizing-exponential-models.html

Disclaimer: My daughter-in Law, Sarah Laskow, is a senior editor at The Atlantic, where she oversees the Science section.

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Worried about math? Whether you are studying for a prelim or brushing up on forgotten algebra, we can relieve your math anxiety. For best results seek help early and often!

Other worries? Here are:

• Cornell's resource about the executive order on immigration.
• Statement from President Martha E. Pollack on White House Rescission of DACA Program

Tutoring daily (except Saturdays) when classes are in session during the school year, through Finals until the last Math Final Exam. Experienced tutors are available at no charge for individual and small-group tutoring. We work on a Walk-In basis.

• Our Main Office 256 Malott
  • Weekdays 10:00am - 4:30pm
  • Sunday Evenings 7:30pm - 10:00pm Use upper entrance opposite Bailey Hall
• North Campus Room 3331 at the Tatkon Center
  • Tuesday 7:30-9:30pm
  • Wednesday 7:30-9:30pm
• Tutor Schedule

While tutors in the Math Support Center have varying areas of expertise, we have found that:

any tutor may be helpful in any subject

either because your tutor:

• directly knows the material.
• can help you to think about it.
• can get you started and refer you to another tutor who may be more facile with the kind of help you need.

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The MSC operates on the premise that you will learn mathematical concepts best by doing problems and practicing regularly. Study capsules and tutoring assist in refreshing your memory, filling gaps in your math background, reinforcing class work, helping on difficult topics, or reviewing for exams. MSC services are available weekdays and Sundays throughout the semester.

Free Tutoring: Experienced tutors are available for FREE individual and small-group tutoring. We work primarily on a walk-in basis. A schedule of our hours and who is on duty is shown below and is also posted outside 256 Malott Hall.
Review sessions are held at the start of the semester for students wanting to review some pre-calculus topics.
Independent Study Capsules address topics from pre-calculus to calculus and allow students to work at their own pace. Most are now available on line.
A small library of math texts helps students to broaden their understanding of mathematical concepts.
Our Survival Kit is filled with suggestions for succeeding in a Cornell math class.

• We work on a walk-in basis, so stop on by!

Prelim/Finals Schedule:

• http://pi.math.cornell.edu/ADMIN/Teaching/schedules.html
  • Fall 2020
• http://pi.math.cornell.edu/m/ADMIN/Teaching/fall-final-exams
• http://pi.math.cornell.edu/m/ADMIN/Teaching/spring-final-exams

Due dates for Final Projects, Final Papers, and Take-Home Exams are set by the university based on class meeting times.

• https://registrar.cornell.edu/exams/final-exam-policies

Private Tutoring

Want a private tutor? Please start by using our free tutoring service. You may be able to get your questions answered right in the MSC. If you decide you really want private tutoring, you can ask among the tutors you have found helpful in the MSC. If none are available for private tutoring, leave your contact information with:

• For Mathematics courses: Heather Peterson in the Math Department office. Heather maintains a list of graduate students who might be available to tutor you. This is a paid service (not free) and the rate for tutoring usually starts at around $30 an hour. You can then make arrangements privately.
• For Statistics courses: Barbara Oh in the LSC.

Library:

• A small library of math texts helps students to broaden their understanding of mathematical concepts.
• Our Survival Kit is filled with suggestions for succeeding in a Cornell math class.

Contact:

Director: Marie MacDonald, Malott Hall, Room 216.

Cornell University Department of Mathematics web links in:
Math Department > MSC

Learning Strategies Center:

The Learning Strategies Center is the central academic support unit at Cornell University that provides undergraduate students with tutoring, supplemental courses, and facilitated study groups for Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Mathematics and Physics. Assistance in improving general study skills is available through semester long courses, workshops, individual consultations, and web site resources.

• http://lsc.cornell.edu/
• Notes and Worksheets from the Learning Strategies Center Mathematics Branch support courses:
  • MATH 1005, 1006, 1011, and 1012 which meet weekly to supplement lecture material, answer questions, and provide tips for effectively learning the material in MATH 1105, 1106, 1110, and 1120. Students who enroll in a support course receive one transcript credit (depending on college) and tutoring services. There are no exams or homework assignments. Students receive S/U grades determined by attendance only. Students who do not wish to enroll are invited to attend the classes but cannot utilize the tutoring services.

Other Resources

Anti Stress Kit
As featured on the central pillar in the MSC!

• Try this! Don't take notes. Pay Attention!

• Check out this free PDF book about Math Tutoring with ideas for both tutors and tutees.

Math Related

On-Line Videos on various math topics

• http://www.khanacademy.org/

On-Line graphing Calculator

• https://www.desmos.com/calculator

Computer Recreations

• Quotes
  • Quotes about Computers http://www.thecorememory.com/html/selected_quotes.html
• Programming Languages Exploration
  • 99 Bottles of Beer coded in over 300 different programming languages https://rosettacode.org/wiki/99_bottles_of_beer
  • "Hello World" programs through history https://medium.com/javarevisited/70-years-of-hello-world-with-50-programming-languages-2400de893a97
  • List of Hello World Programs in 200 Programming Languages https://www.scriptol.com/programming/hello-world.php
  • Hello World In Different Programming Language https://www.geekstrick.com/different-programming-language/

Applications for Smart Phones and Computers:

• Wolfram Alpha Mobile App https://products.wolframalpha.com/mobile/ -- provides a delightful front end to www.WolframAlpha.com (see below for more about Wolfram Alpha). Modest cost, but provides access to many of the features of Wolfram Alpha Pro.
• GeoGebra https://www.geogebra.org/ has an assortment of software available at no charge with versions for nearly every computational device imaginable.

Other generally useful math resources:

• A search on a math topic will usually return links to material on Wikipedia and Mathworld, both of which are generally excellent.
  • http://en.wikipedia.org
  • http://mathworld.wolfram.com
• Excellent Blog written by Timothy Gowers, Editor of The Princeton Companion to Mathematics
  • http://gowers.wordpress.com/
• Another amazing blog by Terence Tao, prolific mathematician, and Fields Medalist
  • http://terrytao.wordpress.com/
• Yet another blog by a guy who has done a lot of illustrations for Wikipedia
  • http://1ucasvb.tumblr.com/
• Great collection of sites with special emphasis on teaching. As you become a more independent learner, the distinction between teacher and student becomes less useful.
  • http://onlinemathdegrees.org/leading-sites-for-teachers/
• Wolfram Alpha actually performs various mathematical operations and volunteers a bunch of related information. Used wisely, you can learn an incredible amount exploring the further information it provides.
  • http://www.wolframalpha.com
  • http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=x^2
  • http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=apple+orange
  • http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=china/usa+population
  • http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=24
  • http://www.wolframalpha.com/tour1.html

We're Hiring! MSC Jobs Information and application below.

• http://math.cornell.edu/undergraduate-employment

Recent Changes:

MSC Wiki Utilities:

- advanced search

Uses: TutorExpertise MscCapsules AlgebraAndTrigReviews TutorSchedule HoursOpen