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Prime Sections
What are PRIME Sections?
Prime sections are special course offerings available to students who achieved high grades (A or better) in the listed prerequisites. Prime sections are intended to create a sense of community within the department, and encourage collaboration amongst students with an aptitude for mathematics.
- Prime sections are not more difficult than standard course offerings.
- Midterm and final exams for prime and standard sections are exactly the same.
- Prime sections are not more work than standard sections. While homework assignements may deviate from those assigned in standard sections, the amount of time required from students is the same.
- Prime sections have smaller class capacities than standard sections.
The Department of Mathematics' own Dr. Jamie Mulholland, Brenda Davison, and Dr. David Muraki chat about Prime sections in this promotional video. If you are directed to supply credentials to view, use your SFU computing ID (your SFU email address without the @sfu.ca) and password.
Application for MATH 152 PRIME Lectures - Spring 2025
Thank you for your interest in MATH 152 D200 Prime Lectures taught by Jamie Mulholland in Spring 2025!
The Department of Mathematics is offering a section of MATH 152 Calculus II which is designed for students who have shown mastery of the concepts covered in Calculus I and and who are interested in lectures that present the ideas that go beyond the textbook basics. Many of these ideas show how the calculus naturally leads into many of the upper-division math courses. This special experience is designed for students whose plans include further math classes (MATH322, MACM316, MATH314 especially). Mathematics program majors and minors are especially encouraged to participate.
The Prime section (D200) will have classes at the same time as section D100, MWF 8:30am-9:20am, but will meet in a separate venue. All sections, D100, D200, D300, D400, will cover the same course topics and will have the same midterms and final exam. The Prime section (D200) will have an alternate set of weekly assessments.
Three of our MATH faculty chat about this special lecture series in this Zoom-recorded meeting from 2020 - login with your SFU credentials (your computing ID without the @sfu.ca and your password).
To participate in the Prime D200 lectures ...
1) if you already have a grade of A or better in Calculus I (MATH 150 or MATH 151) you may request direct enrollment in D200 by emailing math_advice@sfu.ca with your advising transcript;
2) if you are not eligible for direct enrollment to the Prime lectures based on the criteria above (including those having completed MATH 154 or MATH 157) you must:
- register for a standard section of MATH 152 (D100, D300 or D400) AND
- submit this questionnaire to Dr. Mulholland via email.
3) Students who are currently enrolled in MATH 150/151 may request to be added to the PRIME QUEUE by emaling math_advice@sfu.ca.
Students in category 2/3 who are selected for these special lectures (Section D200) will be notified prior to the start of term.
It is expected that prime students will maintain the high standards throughout the semester. Students in difficulty may be transferred to D100 without penalty.