Honour School of Mathematics

Differences from 2019/20 to 2022/23

A

  • 1. The subject of the Honour School of Mathematics shall be Mathematics, its applications and related subjects.

  • 2. No candidate shall be admitted to examination in this School unless they have either passed or been exempted from the First Public Examination.

  • 3. The Examination in Mathematics shall be under the supervision of the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Board. The Board shall have the power, subject to this decree, from time to time to frame and vary regulations for the different parts and subjects of the examination.

  • 4.

    • (a) The examination in Mathematics shall consist of three parts (A, B, C) for the four-year course, and of two parts (A, B) for the three-year course.

    • (b) Parts A, B, and C shall be taken at times not less than three, six, and nine terms, respectively, after passing or being exempted from the First Public Examination.

  • 5. The Examiners shall assess and publish the combined results of the examinations for Part A and Part B, and in respect of candidates taking the four-year course shall separately assess and publish results for Part C. Candidates will have their outcomes determined in accordance with Part 17 of the Regulations for the Conduct of University Examinations, with candidates for Part A and B combined considered for Honours and candidates for Part C considered for the same outcomes as graduate taught programmes.

  • 6.

    • (a) Part A shall be taken on one occasion only. No candidate shall enter for Part B until they have completed Part A of the examination.

    • (b) In order to proceed to Part C, a candidate must achieve upper second class Honours or higher in Parts A and B together, and must achieve an upper second class Honours or higher in Part B alone (as defined in the Examination Conventions).

    • (c) A candidate who obtains only a pass or fails to satisfy the Examiners in Parts A and B together may retake Part B on at most one subsequent occasion; a candidate who fails to satisfy the Examiners in Part C may retake Part C on at most one subsequent occasion. Part B shall be taken on one occasion only by candidates continuing to Part C.

  • 7. A candidate on the three-year course adjudged worthy of Honours on both Parts A and B together may supplicate for the degree of BA in Mathematics provided that the candidate has fulfilled all conditions for admission to a degree of the University.

  • 8. A candidate on the four-year course adjudged worthy of Honours on both Parts A and B together, and who passes Part C may supplicate for the degree of Master of Mathematics provided that the candidate has fulfilled all the conditions for admission to a degree of the University.

  • 9. A candidate in the final year of the four-year course, adjudged worthy of Honours in both Parts A and B together, but who does not enter Part C, or who fails to obtain Honours in Part C, is permitted to supplicate for the Honours degree of Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics with the classification obtained in Parts A and B together; provided that no such candidate may later enter or re-enter the Part C year or supplicate for the degree of Master of Mathematics; and provided in each case that the candidate has fulfilled all the conditions for admission to a degree of the University.

  • 10. The use of calculators is generally not permitted for written papers. However, their use may be permitted for certain exceptional examinations. The specification of calculators permitted for these exceptional examinations will be announced by the Examiners in the Hilary Term preceding the examination.

Transfer to the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics

  • 11. Subject to the regulations for the Honour School in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics, candidates on the four-year course in Mathematics may apply to the Supervisory Committee for Mathematics and Physics to transfer, after their Part B examination, to the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics for their Part C examination. Such a candidate will need to achieve at least an upper second class or higher at the end of Part B, and be accepted by the Supervisory Committee for Mathematics and Physics under the procedures referred to in the regulations for the Master of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics and set out in the course handbook for that degree. Acceptance is not automatic. As specified in the regulations for that degree, Part C in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics must be taken in the academic year following the candidate's Part B examination, and on successful completion of Part C of the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics candidates will be awarded the Master of Mathematics and Physics in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics.

  • 12. The Joint Supervisory Committee for Mathematical and Theoretical Physics shall publish a list of the options that candidates should follow to maximize their chances of being accepted for transfer to Mathematical and Theoretical Physics for their Part C examination. This list shall be available by the start of Michaelmas Term in the year in which a candidate starts Part A in Mathematics.

  • 13. A candidate who has transferred from the Honour School of Mathematics to the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics for their Part C examination in accordance with cl.9 above is permitted transfer to the Honour School of Mathematics for their Part C examination up to the end of Week 4 of the Michaelmas Term in which they first registered for Part C in the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics, so long as that candidate has not opted to supplicate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics under the regulations for the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics.

  • 14. The regulations for the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics set out how the results obtained in Parts A and B in the Honour School of Mathematics are published for candidates who transfer to the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics for their Part C examination.

Part A

In Part A each candidate shall be required to offer A0, A1, A2, ASO, and five or six papers from A3–A11 from the schedule of papers for Part A.

Schedule of Papers in Part A

  • A0 Linear Algebra

  • A1 Differential Equations 1

  • A2 Metric Spaces and Complex Analysis

  • A3 Rings and Modules

  • A4 Integration

  • A5 Topology

  • A6 Differential Equations 2

  • A7 Numerical Analysis

  • A8 Probability

  • A9 Statistics

  • A10 Fluids and Waves 

  • A11 Quantum Theory

  • ASO Short Options

Syllabus details will be published on the Mathematical Institute's website by the beginning of the Michaelmas Full Term in the academic year of the examination for Part A.

Part B

In Part B each candidate shall offer a total of eight units from the schedule of units for Part B (see below).

  • (a) A total of at least four units offered should be from the schedule of Mathematics Department units.

  • (b) A candidate may offer up to four units from:

    • (i)  the schedule of Statistics options

      (ii)  the schedule of Computer Science options

      (iii)  the schedule of Other options

  • but may offer no more than two units from each of the above schedules.

  • (c) Candidates may offer a double unit which is an Extended Essay or a Structured Project.

Schedule of Units for Part B

The final list of units will be published on the Mathematical Institute's website by the beginning of the Michaelmas Full Term in the academic year of the examination concerned, together with the following details.

  • 1. Designation as either ‘H’ level or ‘M’ level.

  • 2. ‘Weight’ as either a unit or double unit.

  • 3. Method of assessment. Details of methods of assessment for Other Mathematics or Other Non-Mathematical units may be given elsewhere. Some options may require assessment by oral presentation. The course website will indicate where such details will be specified.

  • 4. Rules governing submission of any extended essay, dissertation or mini-project, including deadlines, provided that these shall always be submitted via the University approved online assessment platform, details will be included in the relevant Notice to Candidates. No part of any extended essay, dissertation or mini-project submitted may include work previously submitted for this or any other degree.

  • 5. Syllabus content.

  • 6. Whether there is a requirement to register or apply for a place to take a unit, and details of any registration or application procedure.

Part C

In Part C each candidate shall offer a minimum of eight units and a maximum of ten units from the schedule of units for Part C (see below).

  • (a) All units offered should be from those designated as M level.

  • (b) A total of at least four of the units offered should be from the schedule of Mathematics Department units.

  • (c) A candidate may offer up to four units from:

    • (i) the schedule of Statistics options

      (ii) the schedule of Computer Science options

      (iii) the schedule of Other options

  • but may offer no more than two units from each of the above schedules.

  • (d) Candidates must offer a double unit which is a Dissertation. If the Dissertation is a mathematical topic this would be offered under the schedule of Mathematics Department units. If the Dissertation is on a mathematics-related topic, this would be offered under the schedule of ‘other options'.

No candidate shall offer any unit for Part C that they have also offered in Part B.

Schedule of Units for Part C

The final list of units will be published on the Mathematical Institute's website by the beginning of the Michaelmas Full Term in the academic year of the examination concerned, together with the following details.

  • 1. Designation as either ‘H’ level or ‘M’ level.

  • 2. ‘Weight’ as either a unit or double unit.

  • 3. Method of assessment. Details of methods of assessment for Other Mathematics or Other Non-Mathematical units may be given elsewhere. Some options may require assessment by oral presentation. The course website will indicate where such details will be specified.

  • 4. Rules governing submission of the dissertation, and any extended essay or mini-project, including deadlines, provided that these shall always be submitted via the University approved online assessment platform, details will be included in the relevant Notice to Candidates. No part of any extended essay, dissertation or mini-project submitted may include work previously submitted for this or any other degree.

  • 5. Syllabus content.

  • 6. Whether there is a requirement to register or apply for a place to take a unit, and details of any registration or application procedure.