50p
Advanced Topics of Math
Mr Prokopchuk’s Advanced Topics of Maths class is a course like no other at Brentwood, providing a unique curriculum which covers various fields of upper mathematics for some of the school’s more eager students.
This is the fourth year that the course has been offered at Brentwood, and can be taken after, or concurrently with, calculus. Mr Prokopchuk, the Head of the Math Department as well as the teacher of Advanced Topics, talked about what inspired him to create this course: “Each year there seemed to be a group of students who were looking for an extra math class, and I thought of designing a course that would give them a taste of some of the math they might encounter in university.”
The curriculum consists of linear algebra, matrixes, several aspects of calculus, and number theory. In some university programs, linear algebra is notoriously difficult – especially in Ontario where you are expected to have studied vectors. Mr Prokopchuk adds, “I also just have a passion for Number Theory, which I think is a particularly beautiful branch of mathematics. It’s commonly taught in Computer Science due to its applications for cryptography.”
It is a course designed for students aiming towards competitive and math-focused university programs. It can be overwhelming for high school students to transition into university STEM programs, but Advanced Topics is meant to make that transition as smooth as silk. Mr Prokopchuk added, “I frequently receive emails from Brentwood alumni expressing how much the course helped them in university.”
Although the students all seem to find the course conceptually challenging, they also find Advanced Topics to have a fascinating and captivating curriculum. Vincent Y, Whittall ‘22 commented “Even though I kinda struggle through some concepts at times, it is really rewarding when it all finally comes together and makes sense. It also is worth it just to see the scared Grade 10s when they walk in after class and see all our work on the board.”
While working with these complex areas of maths, there is really a strong emphasis on conceptual understanding of the topics. In the linear algebra unit, for example, Mr Prokopchuk ensures that the students are fully understanding and visualizing all of the vector manipulations which are taking place; this deeper understanding is always put to the test on the final questions of each assessment.
Vlad M, Privett ‘22 compliments the style of teaching: “I much prefer learning this way, where he gives us a lot of questions where you have to think about how you should solve it first. I would say, yes, it probably will end up helping me a lot in computer science next year.”
I couldn't agree more with Vlad – I too believe that I will look back gratefully on all the conceptual emphasis in this class, as well as all the opportunity it provided me with to further challenge my abilities.
Sebastian M, Privett ‘22
This is the fourth year that the course has been offered at Brentwood, and can be taken after, or concurrently with, calculus. Mr Prokopchuk, the Head of the Math Department as well as the teacher of Advanced Topics, talked about what inspired him to create this course: “Each year there seemed to be a group of students who were looking for an extra math class, and I thought of designing a course that would give them a taste of some of the math they might encounter in university.”
The curriculum consists of linear algebra, matrixes, several aspects of calculus, and number theory. In some university programs, linear algebra is notoriously difficult – especially in Ontario where you are expected to have studied vectors. Mr Prokopchuk adds, “I also just have a passion for Number Theory, which I think is a particularly beautiful branch of mathematics. It’s commonly taught in Computer Science due to its applications for cryptography.”
It is a course designed for students aiming towards competitive and math-focused university programs. It can be overwhelming for high school students to transition into university STEM programs, but Advanced Topics is meant to make that transition as smooth as silk. Mr Prokopchuk added, “I frequently receive emails from Brentwood alumni expressing how much the course helped them in university.”
Although the students all seem to find the course conceptually challenging, they also find Advanced Topics to have a fascinating and captivating curriculum. Vincent Y, Whittall ‘22 commented “Even though I kinda struggle through some concepts at times, it is really rewarding when it all finally comes together and makes sense. It also is worth it just to see the scared Grade 10s when they walk in after class and see all our work on the board.”
While working with these complex areas of maths, there is really a strong emphasis on conceptual understanding of the topics. In the linear algebra unit, for example, Mr Prokopchuk ensures that the students are fully understanding and visualizing all of the vector manipulations which are taking place; this deeper understanding is always put to the test on the final questions of each assessment.
Vlad M, Privett ‘22 compliments the style of teaching: “I much prefer learning this way, where he gives us a lot of questions where you have to think about how you should solve it first. I would say, yes, it probably will end up helping me a lot in computer science next year.”
I couldn't agree more with Vlad – I too believe that I will look back gratefully on all the conceptual emphasis in this class, as well as all the opportunity it provided me with to further challenge my abilities.
Sebastian M, Privett ‘22