The course will be offered exclusively online:

Video Lectures

Lectures are presented as videos (m4v files). PowerPoint presentations with audio (and occasionally video) commentary will be uploaded to Blackboard (under "Video Lectures"). Each lecture topic will be split into several videos, each lasting around 20-30 Minutes. Every Sunday evening, ca. 90 minutes of video lectures will be uploaded to Blackboard for the coming week, which you can download and watch at your convenience.

Q&A Sessions

In addition to the video lectures, you have the opportunity to talk directly with me during the weekly Q&A session. There you can ask any questions you may have and we can discuss anything that you are finding difficult in more detail. The Q&A session takes place over Webex during the previously scheduled lecture times:

Every Tuesday at 10:00

The link can also be found on the Blackboard page (under “Webex Links”). If you would like to take part, please log into the Webex meeting by 10:15 at the latest. If there is no one in the room by 10:15, I will log out and you will have to wait to the following week or otherwise send me an email.

Problem Sessions

Tuesdays 14:00-15:00, Every 2 Weeks (First session: 20.04.2021)

The problem sessions will be held as a Webex Meeting. There are 7 problem sessions in total. The problem sheets can be downloaded from Blackboard (under “Problem Sheets & Solutions”). During the problem session, we will go through the problem sheet and discuss the concepts discussed in the lectures from the previous 2 weeks.

There are two groups for the problem sessions this semester:

Surnames A-M, Tutor: Matt Hopkinson

Surnames N-Z, Tutor: Matteo Tironi

The Webex Links to each problem session and the email addresses of the tutors can be found on Blackboard (under "Webex Links"). Please be sure to attend the problem session for your surname so that the two groups remain equally sized. The problem sessions begin punctually at 14:00 so please be logged into the Webex room and ready to start by then.

In addition to passing the examination, to fully complete a course, you also need to have earned the “Active Participation” (aktive Teilnahme). To be credited with the Active Participation this semester, you need to prepare written answers to 4 out of the 7 problem sheets. You should send your written answers by email to your assigned tutor before the associated problem session (ie. before Tuesday 14:00).   

Oral Examinations

This course is examined through oral examinations, which this semester will be conducted online using Webex. The exam lasts ca. 30 minutes and can be conducted in English or German (your choice).

Near the end of the semester, you will be asked whether you wish to take an oral examination and a schedule will be drawn up.

The current plan is to conduct the examinations during the following timeframes (please be aware though that this could change depending on the pandemic and other circumstances!). 

First Round: 26.07.2021-06.08.2021

Second Round: 15.09.2021-26.09.2021

Course Material

The following course materials are available for download from Blackboard:

Summary of each topic with recommendations for further reading material
Video lectures as m4v files
Powerpoint slides of the lectures (without commentary)
Problem sheets and solutions
Links to external learning resources

If you have any questions or problems, please send me an email (matthew.hopkinson@fu-berlin.de).