You should keep in mind that the sample final is quite similar to the actual final (I wrote both at the same time), but, if anything, the questions on the sample final should, by and large, be slightly harder the the questions on the actual final (this is because, if I had a very elegant problem and a slightly less elegant problem covering the same concept, I tended to save the more elegant problem for the final and used the slightly less elegant one for the sample exam).
Of course, just because something is not on the sample final does not necessarily mean it won’t show up on the final, but, in general, the concepts covered in both are quite similar.
In both cases, I had a batch of 15 problems and then used a pseudo-random generator (in this case, on my calculator) to produce a “random” ordering of those 15 problems. That is to say, the ordering of the problems on both exams is as random as I could make it, so you shouldn’t expect that, say, easier problems are at the beginning and harder at the end or that similar problems will be grouped together.
Also, I’ll be posting an optional homework assignment for the material covered in class on Monday and Tuesday. That material is fair game for the final, so I strongly recommend doing the optional assignment, but I will not be collecting it.
Finally, class on Wednesday will be a review session. I’m open to suggestions, but, unless people have strong feelings to the contrary, I plan to simply answer any and all questions for the full 2 hours during that time, so please do come prepared to ask questions on Wednesday. Since I’ll be holding a review session during class, I won’t have one on Wednesday evening, but I will be holding extended office hours (12:30 - 2:30) on Wednesday afternoon.
Solutions to the homework due Tuesday and the quiz have already been written and will be posted after class on Tuesday. Also, expect a solution guide to the optional homework to be posted sometime Tuesday afternoon or evening.
If you have any questions, please do send me an email.
Clay
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