Resources
If you need to brush up on some of your maths skills (for example in algebra, calculus or trigonometry) before your course starts, you might like to try some of the resources on the following sites. We should point out, however, that the Open University is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed and that these may change without warning.
Quick revision notes and exercises
This is a resource developed by BBC Scotland for students studying for the Scottish Higher Examination in Mathematics. It covers algebra, trigonometry and elementary calculus.
This site has teach-yourself booklets, summary sheets, revision booklets, on-line exercises and video tutorials on a wide range of topics to help you develop the mathematical skills needed for university study.
This is an interactive site with examples on algebra, calculus, linear algebra, abstract algebra and number theory.
Learning with the Open University
When you have registered for your course, you will also be able to access the University's websites. This one contains a lot of useful advice on studying such as managing your time, getting used to distance learning and tackling assignments.
This is a website associated with the book 'Success with Mathematics' edited by Heather Cooke (Routledge ISBN 0-415-29861) which is a good general resource on studying mathematics.
Finding your own resources
There is an enormous amount of mathematics on the web!
For example, if I type "Taylor Polynomial" into a search engine, I get about 114,000 hits including sites with animations, notes, exercises and so on. Being able to find useful and relevant information quickly is therefore a skill well worth developing!
