A postgraduate course in Mathematics and Statistics.

This course is based on Applied Complex Variables by J. W. Dettman (reprinted by Dover, 1984), and will appeal to scientists and engineers as well as to mathematicians. Complex variable theory pervades a wide variety of important subjects and this course teaches topics that are both useful in the theoretical sciences and of interest in their own right.

Register for the course

This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees and financial support may vary by country.

What you will study

M828 deals with subjects that seem to be a natural outgrowth of the study of analytical functions of one complex variable, for example potential theory, the theory of ordinary linear differential equations, Fourier and Laplace transforms and asymptotic expansions.

You will learn

Successful study of this course should enhance your skills in understanding complex mathematical texts, constructing solutions to problems logically and communicating mathematical ideas clearly.

Entry

You must declare the MSc in Mathematics (or another qualification towards which the course can count) as your qualification intention. You must normally pass at least one of the entry modules Calculus of variations and advanced calculus (M820) or Analytic number theory I (M823) before studying this module. For this module you should have a sound knowledge of real analysis and complex analysis. An adequate preparation would be our undergraduate-level courses Pure mathematics (M208) (or the discontinued M203) and Complex analysis (M337) (or the discontinued M231 and M332). 

All teaching is in English and your proficiency in the English language should be adequate for the level of study you wish to take. We strongly recommend that students have achieved an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score of at least 7. To assess your English language skills in relation to your proposed studies you can visit the IELTS website.

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

Qualifications

M828 is an optional module in our:

• Postgraduate Certificate in Mathematics (C90)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Mathematics (E23)
• MSc in Mathematics (F04)

Some postgraduate qualifications allow study to be chosen from other subject areas. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this module can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Module Regulations and the Student Regulations which are available on our Essential documents website.

If you have a disability

The material contains small print and diagrams, which may cause problems if you find reading text difficult.

Study materials

What's included

Course notes, other printed materials.

You will need

We recommend that you have access to the internet at least once a week during the course and would like to point out that vital material, such as your assignments, will be delivered online.

Computing requirements

You will need a computer with internet access to study this course as it includes online activities, which you can access using a web browser.

• If you have purchased a new desktop or laptop computer since 2007 you should have no problems completing the online activities.
• If you’ve got a netbook, tablet or other mobile computing device check our Technical requirements section.
• If you use an Apple Mac you will need OS X 10.6 or later.

You can also visit the Technical requirements section for further computing information including the details of the support we provide.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.

Assessment

The assessment details can be found in the facts box above.

You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online using a special maths eTMA processor, which is used in place of the main eTMA system, unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.

You will, however, be granted the option of submitting on paper if typesetting electronically or merging scanned images of your answers to produce an electronic TMA would take you an unacceptably long time.

Future availability

The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2013. We expect it to then be available in October 2013 and October 2014.

How to register

To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button.

Student Reviews

Distance learning

The Open University is the world’s leading provider of flexible, high quality distance learning. Unlike other universities we are not campus based. You will study in a flexible way that works for you whether you’re at home, at work or on the move. As an OU student you’ll be supported throughout your studies – your tutor or study adviser will guide and advise you, offer detailed feedback on your assignments, and help with any study issues. Tuition might be in face-to-face groups, via online tutorials, or by phone.

For more information about distance learning at the OU read Study explained.

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