So it turns out that GTB2 (Homomorphisms) is quite a tough one as well! Wonderful stuff, just very taxing, especially in Section 4. I’m not sure why, but I had the worst trouble with exercises involving groups of complex numbers. It’s bizarre, because I don’t remember having much of a problem with complex number generally in the past, but having to find the kernel and images of isomorphisms from \mathbb{C} to \mathbb{C} seems to really trip me up. And even worse, the associated TMA question was full of that stuff! Hopefully there won’t be as many \mathbb{C} related questions on the exam…

GTB3, the unit about group actions, was quite gruelling too. I struggled like crazy with the exercises about group actions on 3D objects like cubes, I just seem to have a no knack for visualising and mentally “rotating” the things! And that bit in the DVD segment about rings of coloured beads and chessboards had my head spinning. I still find group theory one of the most interesting topics in M208, and in maths in general, but I just wish I was a bit better at it!

Weirdly, I’ll be really quite glad when M208 is finished, which is something I absolutely couldn’t have imagined myself saying six months ago. Even though I’ve had slightly heavier course loads in the past (in terms of points/credits), I feel like this year has demanded the most actual effort, and to be honest I feel intellectually knackered! So once M208 is over and done with, I’ve decided to take a year or two out to recharge my batteries. Ideally I’d like to pick up my studies again once the maths courses have been shifted over to autumn starts (assuming that still goes ahead), as that kind of timeframe would be much more convenient for me. Or I’ll just buy the M381/M336 textbooks from the OUW shop and study them at my own pace. Probably the latter since it’s the cheapest option, given how financially tight things are likely to be for the next few years!

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