Introductory mathematics computer course

The majority of freshmen is overcharged in the transition from high school to academic education at the beginning of their studies. The biggest continual problems appear in mathematics. This is based on the high degree of abstraction and on the fact that the mathematical education for non-mathematicians, mainly engineering students, takes place at the beginning of the studies. Thus, deficiencies become apparent at an early stage. In order to facilitate freshmen´s transition from high school to the university the Department of Mathematics offers a four-week introductory course to mathematics before the begin of each semester. The course is addressed particularly to freshmen of the engineering and natural sciences and mathematics. Additionally, a so-called mathematics computer course is offered for a part of the participants of the introductory mathematics course. In this two-week course the participants learn how to handle the Linux operating system, the employment of a computer algebra system (Maple) and obtain an introduction to the scientific text processing system LATEX.