MATH340 | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Roohollah Ebrahimian MATH340 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/20/2024	As someone who didn't have prior knowledge of Linear Algebra nor MV Calculus, I definitely struggled a lot to grasp new topics, since the natural pacing of 340 is very fast. I often found myself finally understanding the concepts of one chapter a day or two before the quizzes on them (which are weekly). I visited office hours a lot for help on the homework, and Ebby was really good at clarifying any confusion I had about a topic. Be aware that the homework is time-consuming and the exams are weighted heavily, but also keep in mind that Ebby has policies designed to set his students up for success (lowest 3 quizzes dropped, final exam score can also replace a midterm score if it helps your grade). As far as lecturing goes, Ebby is good at making time for questions, but I often felt like I couldn't fully understand what he was lecturing on once we got into the MV Calc portion. The information he gives and the examples he does in class are very helpful, but don't expect to be confident about the topics he lectures on until you've done the assigned homework on those topics the following week. Chill, helpful, and fair professor. He does everything he can to make a difficult class feel manageable.
Niranjan Ramachandran MATH340 Expecting a B- Anonymous 11/14/2024	Wonderful professor. It's a hard class, even if you've learned linear algebra and multivariate before, since it's proof-based. The weekly homework will take several hours, and I highly recommend going to office hours. You should also find a study group. He provides textbook resources and takes problems from Ebrahimian's notes. He responds a lot to feedback and is very willing to help students understand. The midterms draw from class and homework, but can be pretty challenging. The homework is meant to be harder than the midterms.
Roohollah Ebrahimian MATH340 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 01/24/2024	Clear, informative, knowledgeable, posts notes. Weekly quizzes and exams are straightforward and similar to homework/practice problems. Pay attention and do the homework and you will succeed.
Niranjan Ramachandran MATH340 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/21/2023	Really excellent professor. Ramachandran is clearly passionate about mathematics and cares a ton about students' understanding of the material. He had regular two-hour long (!!) office hours plus extra review sessions on weekends before the last two exams (for the final, he also held individual office hours for specific concerns!), and is always available after class and by email if you have any questions or concerns. He also gives out a lot of extra credit opportunities (for me, it was ~4% of my final grade not counting bonus questions on exams and I ended with >100), and homework is a big component of your final grade. The homework and exams are variable in effort necessary and overall difficulty (first midterm avg D+, second B+, final C/C+), but are generally instructive and useful (though that is not always the case for the later homework assignments, which were taken from a textbook). Overall, Ramachandran is one of those rare professors who strike a perfect balance of kind, knowledgeable, and rigorous, and I hope I get the chance to take a class with him in the future! In terms of MATH 340 as a class, if you have experience and comfort with proofs (and/or experience with linear/multi), you will definitely be in a better position than if you don't, but be prepared to put in a lot of effort and be challenged regardless. It is very helpful to have a study group to work through homework assignments with. 340 is a great class to take if you are a math major, because it will give you a solid foundation for upper-level math courses, such as abstract vector spaces and determinants for 405 and very basic analysis and topology for 410/411, which you would have minimal exposure to in 240/241 (also, if you have Ramachandran, a taste of differential forms for 437). All in all, I would highly recommend taking 340, as long as you know what you're getting into.
Niranjan Ramachandran MATH340 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/21/2023	Genuinely the nicest professor you could probably ever have. The class is tough but Rama always makes it his mission to help you understand the content as much as possible. He makes himself readily available - he held two hour office hour sessions for us every week, as well as additional review sessions for exams. He even held in-person one-on-one office hours ON WEEKENDS during finals week. He really cares about his students, and I highly recommend taking any class taught by Professor Ramachandran.
Roohollah Ebrahimian MATH340 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/13/2023	W professor, take him if you can. His quizzes are from the homework, and he gives a study guide before tests that covers everything you'll need to know.
Roohollah Ebrahimian MATH340 Expecting an A+ Hectonite 12/09/2023	Before I start this review, this will be a review of both the course of MATH340 and professor Roohollah Ebrahimian and how he teaches the course. I love this class. BUT understand, if you are debating on taking this course, understand this: This course is HARD. I have basically never studied for math tests in high school and I feel this class pushed me harder than I ever have before, and I have likely spent more time on these 4 credits than the other 13 credits I am taking this semester. You may think you are good at math, this course will humble you real quick. Also a little background of what knowledge I knew going into the course so you can compare against me. I know the equivalent of CALC BC in high school with very little background in linear algebra, proofs, analysis. I knew a SLIGHT bit of multivariable calculus but still very little. Needless to say, almost everything we learned in the course I was learning from scratch. Also note I put the expected grade as A+ (which is my goal) but it is very possible I will end up with an A as well depending on how I do on the final (which I will be happy with). Favorite class I have taken so far at UMD. Easily. I love this course and it has flat out changed the way I have looked at math and I am now likely going to pick up math as a double major because of it (before I was just planning to be CS). The Class: As I have said before, this class is HARD. Do not take this for an easy A. Take this if you want to learn. Likely one of the hardest classes in the math department in terms of "skill jump" per say, but the effort I have put into the class is well worth it. Something I feel the math department (not the class) fails at is describing the course properly through testudo and any other websites. This course if PROOF BASED (at least mostly). For majority of the year you will be doing proofs and looking at theory, not just computation. This changes in the multivariable section of the course (because the proofs will become so complicated and long that its just not doable to do them in this course), but understand you will not be doing basic computation like, "solve this integral" or "take this derivative" like what you are normally used to. Another thing that testudo does not properly cover, is that the course mostly takes place in R^n (n-dimensional space). NOTE: I am happy the course is taught this way, I am just saying that it needs to be explained better when signing up for classes. For the structure of the class, I would split up the course sections like this 1. Proofs and set theory (really just first week but all these concepts will be used heavily for the rest of the semester) 2. Linear Algebra 3. Some analysis and a little topology 4. Multivariable calc There is a lot of work. Every week we get a bunch of generally difficult problems to complete. These HWs are HARD. I have spent hours on hours doing these homework's. Some of the problems are very very fun, some not so much, but I can say with certainty they have helped me understand and absorb the material significantly better. Work in groups on these HWs, help each other. I cannot overstate this. Make sure you communicate and talk with classmates while doing these problems. If there is one tip I could give you going into the course its this one. TLDR: Hard class do not underestimate it, worth the effort, and very rewarding. The Professor: TREE(3)/5 stars. Seriously I cannot recommend him enough. Amazing professor who explains things very well, and very clearly genuinely cares about math and teaching. Something that stuck with me is on the first day of class, he told us the reason why he teaches the course is because of the students and their passion to learn (paraphrased). He is very accommodative and would highly recommend you take him if you have the opportunity (this goes for all classes not just 340!). He types of notes of EVERYTHING we do in class, which are amazing. I cannot tell you how many times I have pulled up that document and read through it while doing the homework. These notes are amazing. Seriously, take advantage of them if you take Dr. Ebrahimian. He also has a YT channel where he posted explanations of lectures (https://www.youtube.com/@DrEbrahimianMathCourses/). Although he had to slow down and not post as many at the end which is completely understandable. 340 related content: For 340 he gave weekly quizzes. Although stressful at times, I actually am pretty gratefully for the quizzes. Studying for them forced me to make sure I completely understood the topic before moving on, making sure that I have a clear understanding for future content. Throughout the semester he drops the 2 lowest HWs and the 2 or 3 lowest quizzes, so if you mess up 1 or 2 weeks it is not to bad (seriously thank goodness for these quiz drops). On top of this, if you do better on the final over 1 of your midterms, the final grade will replace the midterm. Example if your confused (M->midterm, F->final): Say you get M1: 80% M2: 90% and F:98%. Then your final grades would become M1: 98%, M2: 90%, F:98%. This guarantees even if you messed up 1 midterm, you still have a shot to do well in the class which is much appreciated. I cannot recommend this professor enough. Take him if you have the opportunity.
Roohollah Ebrahimian MATH340 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/08/2023	Ebrahimian posts pdf notes and occasionally YouTube videos about what he goes over in class which is super helpful. He takes his lectures seriously and tries to answer questions as well as he can. We take quizzes every Friday at the beginning of class, and homework is also due at the beginning of class on Fridays. Exams align well with what we're taught, and he posts study guides for them. Would recommend.
Roohollah Ebrahimian MATH340 Expecting an A adeebm 11/10/2023	This professor is ballin.
Roohollah Ebrahimian MATH340 Expecting an A VarunS924 10/19/2023	Amazing professor. Dr. Ebrahimian answers all questions, even ones about algebra, he has many opportunities for office hours every week, is available for questions after class, grades easy, and makes what one would expect to be an extremely difficult class not stressful yet still comprehensive. I don't mean he teaches less and has low expectations; the course is more rigorous than 240 and 241. What makes the class incredibly manageable is that he posts around 20 examples and exercises for each week that you can do before working on the problem sets to practice less difficult problems. The problem sets are due on Fridays but assess you on the previous week's material, so you have 1 week to reflect, process, and practice the material. The TAs also grade a few questions on each problem set for completion in the first half of the semester.
Roohollah Ebrahimian MATH340 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 06/12/2023	A very qualified professor, holistically. Dr. Ebrahimian is an IMO (International Mathematics Olympiad) silver medalist, so clearly he is knowledgeable, which he reflects in his lectures. Speaking of which, his lectures were informative and helpful, albeit they took a lot of energy to follow. I think it would have been helpful if Ebrahimian provided recordings for his lectures so that we could've gone back and checked some topics we didn't fully grasp (especially for a class like 340). Please do not miss his classes, unless you're godsent. The homework for our class was challenging; some problems could take you hours even if you were or weren't familiar with the lecture material. Fortunately, Ebrahimian was very helpful in his office hours and gave good guidance on how to solve homework problems. My least favorite part of the class would have definitely been the weekly quizzes we had, which were based on the homework problems and exercises he assigned us to review. Keep this into consideration if you're planning to take him. I think a lot of stress would have been mitigated if it weren't for the quizzes, and honestly I don't think they helped us prepare for his exams. The class also highly weighted exams and quizzes: HW 15%, Quizzes 20%, 2 Midterms 40%, Final 25%. Fortunately, the lowest midterm grade did get replaced by half of our final exam grade if it were good, but there was still an 85% weight on exams. If you are up for a challenge, Ebrahimian could be a great fit for you. Even though his class for me was stressful, he is kind and reserved, and passionate about math. You'll surely learn a lot from him.
Roohollah Ebrahimian MATH340 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 06/03/2023	A very qualified professor, holistically. Dr. Ebrahimian is an IMO (International Mathematics Olympiad) silver medalist, so clearly he is knowledgeable, which he reflects in his lectures. Speaking of which, his lectures were informative and helpful, albeit they took a lot of energy to follow. I think it would have been helpful if Ebrahimian provided recordings for his lectures so that we could've gone back and checked some topics we didn't fully grasp (especially for a class like 340). Please do not miss his classes, unless you're godsent. The homework for our class was challenging; some problems could take you hours even if you were or weren't familiar with the lecture material. Fortunately, Ebrahimian was very helpful in his office hours and gave good guidance on how to solve homework problems. My least favorite part of the class would have definitely been the weekly quizzes we had, which were based on the homework problems and exercises he assigned us to review. Keep this into consideration if you're planning to take him. I think a lot of stress would have been mitigated if it weren't for the quizzes, and honestly I don't think they helped us prepare for his exams. The class also highly weighted exams and quizzes: HW 15%, Quizzes 20%, 2 Midterms 40%, Final 25%. Fortunately, the lowest midterm grade did get replaced by half of our final exam grade if it were good, but there was still an 85% weight on exams. If you are up for a challenge, Ebrahimian could be a great fit for you. Even though his class for me was stressful, he is kind and reserved, and passionate about math. You'll surely learn a lot from him.
Roohollah Ebrahimian MATH340 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 05/30/2023	A very qualified professor, holistically. Dr. Ebrahimian is an IMO (International Mathematics Olympiad) silver medalist, so clearly he is knowledgeable, which he reflects in his lectures. Speaking of which, his lectures were informative and helpful, albeit they took a lot of energy to follow. I think it would have been helpful if Ebrahimian provided recordings for his lectures so that we could've gone back and checked some topics we didn't fully grasp (especially for a class like 340). Please do not miss his classes, unless you're godsent. The homework for our class was challenging; some problems could take you hours even if you were or weren't familiar with the lecture material. Fortunately, Ebrahimian was very helpful in his office hours and gave good guidance on how to solve homework problems. My least favorite part of the class would have definitely been the weekly quizzes we had, which were based on the homework problems and exercises he assigned us to review. Keep this into consideration if you're planning to take him. I think a lot of stress would have been mitigated if it weren't for the quizzes, and honestly I don't think they helped us prepare for his exams. The class also highly weighted exams and quizzes: HW 15%, Quizzes 20%, 2 Midterms 40%, Final 25%. Fortunately, the lowest midterm grade did get replaced by half of our final exam grade if it were good, but there was still an 85% weight on exams. If you are up for a challenge, Ebrahimian could be a great fit for you. Even though his class for me was stressful, he is kind and reserved, and passionate about math. You'll surely learn a lot from him.
Wiseley Wong MATH340 Expecting an A- Anonymous 04/22/2023	I thought Wiseley was a great instructor. His lectures were very structured, which I appreciated and which made it easy to study. I found both his homeworks and exams to be fair, though the homework did take up a lot of time. I would not recommend the course itself, as there was way too much material packed into it, and we spent a lot of time covering topics completely unrelated to the course description. However, I thought Wiseley was a good lecturer and that he was very approachable and willing to help. I would take another class with him, but if I could go back, I wouldn't take MATH340 again.
Wiseley Wong MATH340 Expecting an XF Anonymous 03/09/2023	I decided to take his course partly because Dr. Wong is so well-regarded; unfortunately, I was disappointed. He often obfuscates relatively easy topics with fast and verbose speech. It took me most of the semester to realize that I need to just ignore him and study on my own. He also grades quite slowly.
Roohollah Ebrahimian MATH340 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 01/23/2023	If you go to every class, take notes, and do all the homework, all of which was fair and doable, you'll receive the grade you want. He provides study guides before midterms and final, and if you can do those and the problems from previous year exams, you'll most likely ace the exams. If you need help, his office hours are insanely helpful.
Wiseley Wong MATH340 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/27/2022	Homework, Projects, Quizzes & Exams: - Homework every 1-2 weeks (consisted of reach problems), quizzes weekly, 2 projects (one on MATLAB and one on Mathematica), 4 exams. Some simple proof problems, and a lot of computational problems. Never anything unfair or unexpected. Classroom Environment: - Very quiet, with all students focused on the chalkboard and little talking. Even though it seemed awkward at times, Dr. Wong always welcomed questions. - Each lecture came with a dizzying amount of new content -- lots of definitions, example problems, theorems, and proofs. I personally managed this by copying verbatim what was written on the chalk board, although I know not everyone needed to do this. Pacing, Difficulty & Curve: - Pacing was very quick. 2 weeks of Linear Algebra, 5 weeks of Calculus III, 3 more weeks of Linear Algebra, 5 weeks of applications in combinatorics & graph theory (his research specialty, which was new to everyone). Definitely manageable with lecture notes, textbook PDFs, classmate collaboration, and office hours. - Dr. Wong was adamant about not curving, but in the end my 92 came out as an A. - You'll figure out in the first two weeks if this class is a good fit for you. I highly recommend it; by the end, you will have a good grasp on 240, 241, and 310, and you might even be prepared to take 410 in the spring. Professor: - Super chill, he'll ask you to call him Wiseley. Always welcomes any questions, and very open during office hours. 10/10 great professor and person.
Wiseley Wong MATH340 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/24/2022	Absolute goat. Moved very quick but managed to actually teach all the material too. He skims over some foundational material so if you don't have a background in the material, you'll have to spend some time studying up outside of class so you understand what's going on at all. Homework was super tough but exams were very clear and not meant to trip you up. Most I've ever learned in a class.
Roohollah Ebrahimian MATH340 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/24/2022	Dr. Ebrahimian is a great professor. He is very nice, and even cracks a clever joke once in a while. He puts a lot of emphasis on doing examples in class, and of course always had office hours available. We did a week of preliminary stuff (set theory, notation, and intro to proofs), 4 weeks of linear algebra, and then spent the remaining 9 weeks on multivariable calculus. This is a proof-based course, so if you're planning on taking it, don't expect the homework and tests to be as simple as writing the correct answer. The weekly quizzes are usually not too difficult if you did the homework. That being said, the homework can take quite a long time, so start early! Overall, I really did love this class, and it's one of the reasons I'm adding a second major in math. If you have a strong interest in math or are a math major, I would highly recommend this sequence.
Wiseley Wong MATH340 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/21/2022	This dude is the absolute goat. Exams and homeworks were very fair. He really isn't out to get you, just wants to see you learn the important stuff and do well. Great teacher, and has a really good understanding of when and where to do example problems. Every time I found myself thinking "okay but how does this work in practice" he had at least one example he went through. He's also like unbelievably nice and funny and a cool dude.
Wiseley Wong MATH340 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/19/2022	This class was my favorite during this semester because of Wiseley. This man is absolutely without a doubt GOATED on the sticks. If you're seeing this review and decide to take MATH340 if Wiseley is an option you should 100% do it. Exams and quizzes were always extremely fair as we had prior information of the material they would cover. During the lectures proofs could get quite technical and were very abstract at times. However, class input was heavily encouraged which I felt helped everyone grasp the proofs better. But even if a lot of the minutia within the proof confused you (which it did for me) most material on assignments really only required knowledge on theorems and not the proof itself.
Roohollah Ebrahimian MATH340 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/15/2022	The best math professor. Everything was explained really well. The quizzes and exams are fair, and the homework can make you learn a lot.
Roohollah Ebrahimian MATH340 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/23/2021	Fantastic lecturer. Very knowledgeable and encourages participation. Keeps a document of all of the notes (theorems, definitions, example problems, etc.) from class, although you should still take notes because that document doesn't show the solutions to in-class examples. Doesn't grade on participation or attendance but those are still imperative to your understanding of the material if it's your first time seeing it. The weekly quizzes and 3 exams over the course of the semester are not very difficult if you're caught up and have properly reviewed the notes and homework. The homework can be very difficult and time-consuming (especially the first few assignments) but it is generally necessary and helps with understanding.
Wiseley Wong MATH340 Expecting an A Anonymous 06/22/2021	Genuinely nice professor. Failed the first exam, was still able to bring the grade up to an A through weekly office hours and studying. Taught 2 week of vector spaces / determinants, 5 weeks of calc 3, 4 weeks of linear algebra topics, 4 weeks of graph theory. Definitely a fast-paced class, take only if you really like math.
Niranjan Ramachandran MATH340 Expecting a B- Anonymous 05/27/2021	A sweet professor that truly cares about his students. The lectures are fast-paced and the homeworks are difficult, but the class is very collaborative and Prof. Ramachandran is very helpful in office hours. He is always enthusiastic to talk to students and gives fair exams with extra credit. Overall, the class will be hard, especially if the material is new to you, but if you put in the effort 340-341 is a super rewarding experience with Ramachandran. Can't recommend enough!
Niranjan Ramachandran MATH340 Anonymous 05/21/2021	This class was definitely tough, the lectures were very fast-paced and the class just covers a lot of material. But Ramachandran is an awesome lecturer and made everything worth it. The homeworks were pretty difficult but you can work on them with other people and he was very helpful in office hours. He also gave out a ton of extra credit. If you get the chance, definitely take him!
Roohollah Ebrahimian MATH340 Anonymous 04/30/2021	Very good lecturer. He does a lot of examples and every week he provides written notes that include even more written out examples. His homework does take a lot of time but that may just be due to the nature of Math 340/341. However, he is very helpful during office hours and does a really good job helping students out when they need it. Quizzes/exams are not overly challenging (at least they are not necessarily questions you don't expect) and he is a fair grader. Very happy to have taken him.
Niranjan Ramachandran MATH340 Expecting an A Anonymous 04/08/2020	MATH340 was a really tough class, especially for someone without much prior exposure to Linear Algebra, Calc 3, and abstract math. Professor Ramachadran's attitude towards the class, however, was infectious: he tackled every topic with enthusiasm and a smile on his face, explaining the content in a way that most of the class could understand on his first go-around. And for those who still didn't get it, like me, Professor Ramachadran was happy to go over content during office hours, and schedule extra office hours when necessary. Of course, this was still with that infectious smile. The homeworks in this class were brutal, but Professor Ramachadran was happy to help with any issue with them, and my proof-writing abilities improved as a result. Same goes for test prep, where the professor made sure that we had adequate resources and understood the material if we approached him. Importantly, he recognized my limited background in the subject, and explained material to me with that in mind. Overall, this class was still extremely difficult. But I wouldn't recommend one to take it with anyone other than Professor Ramachadran, especially if you have limited background.
Niranjan Ramachandran MATH340 Expecting an A umdterpman 12/20/2018	Professor Ramachandran is the best professor I have ever had and I would guess that I probably ever will have. MATH340 was really hard, but it was a ton of fun. I came into the class without knowing any calc 3 or linear algebra, so I was already behind, but Ramachandran is very good at starting at a basic level before he begins abstracting to the really difficult concepts throughout the course. His homework was killer, and the TA was pretty harsh with grading, but working in groups to finish the homework makes it feasible to score really well and understand everything that's being taught. He's a fantastic lecturer, and his enthusiasm for teaching math made me love coming to his lectures. He's also very generous with curving the course. Anyone who works hard and has a drive to learn math should be able to get a passing grade in this class. Overall, I'm very thankful to have had Professor Ramachandran this semester, and I'm really looking forward to taking MATH341 with him next semester.
Niranjan Ramachandran MATH340 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/30/2018	Ramachandran is a great professor. 340 is by no means an easy class to take freshman year, but he makes everything seem doable. Motivation of the theory and development of both linear algebra and multivariable calculus is done wonderfully, using several examples. It was unfortunate that we had to rush towards the end, but there is a lot of content in this course that needs to be chewed on. Besides course content, he is perfectly happy to talk to students after class in order to answer questions. The grading TA by year varies and you should quickly find out their expectations regarding homework.
Niranjan Ramachandran MATH340 Expecting an A Anonymous 09/29/2018	I took Math 340 with Ramachandran in the Fall 2016 semester. Now, being a junior, I can confidently say that Ramachandran remains the best instructor I have ever had in any academic environment. He is incredibly knowledgeable about mathematics, and it shows during his lectures. He is also incredibly passionate both about the math and about teaching to the students - every time we would be getting into some "nitty-gritty" stuff in lecture he would have a huge smile on his face because you could tell how much he loved what he was doing. This love is infectious and keeps you very engaged during lectures. With that being said, Ramachandran wants his students to know some difficult math. He will introduce some very difficult concepts , and you will have to put in time to keep up with the material. He is very fair about this, however - for instance, we discussed the generalized Stoke's Theorem at the end of the course, but were never asked to prove anything too intense using this result on a test. Overall, I would 100% recommend taking Ramachandran at any chance you get. You will learn a great deal.
Niranjan Ramachandran MATH340 Expecting an A- tomorrow 05/11/2018	A great professor by every regard. A challenging but rewarding course and professor to take. Effort shown during class and through assignments and homework is awarded with generous extra credit to compensate for the challenging but not unfair exams.
Niranjan Ramachandran MATH340 Expecting an A- Anonymous 04/11/2018	Dr. Ramachandran is awesome - knowledgeable, solid lecturer, and overall a very nice person. He legitimately cares about his students and always goes the extra mile. He is very generous with his time in office hours and even had review sessions on Saturdays before the final. MATH340 is not an easy class, but with Dr. Ramachandran, you will definitely get a solid exposure to the theoretical material. Understanding, though, is pretty dependent on YOU putting in effort. If you want to take MATH340 and are willing to work hard, you will like him.
Niranjan Ramachandran MATH340 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 04/05/2018	I found Dr. Ramachandran's MATH340 to be extremely difficult but extremely rewarding. Be prepared to spend 6+ hrs on homework working in groups. Tests have bonus questions, and scores ranged from <50% to >110%. It's probably best if you have at least 1 of the following as background: (1) MVC (2) LinAlg (3) writing proofs.
Hilaf Hasson MATH340 Expecting an A- Anonymous 03/29/2018	Very entertaining individual, but is all over the place in lecture. You feel like you learn a lot but not exactly sure how. You will not fall asleep in his class, also allows student input for this class.
Manoussos Grillakis MATH340 Expecting an A Anonymous 03/24/2015	I found Prof. Grillakis to be quite good for MATH340. His handwriting is incredibly neat, and in a small classroom his accent and volume is not an issue (I can't speak for the larger classes like MATH241). He tends to go quite fast through the notes, and sometimes it can be a tad difficult to follow, but he's very clear in office hours if you have any questions. There are 8 HWK assignments but he drops the lowest score, and his grader was pretty fair. They can be pretty long, though. There are two tests and a final, with your lower score counting for only a half test grade. Overall the tests are not bad, and cover what was covered in class. There are even some hints sprinkled in on some questions. He sends out reviews of notes and problems before tests, which are also in his impeccable handwriting (seriously, it's ridiculously neat). Overall he may not be great at lecturing, but I think he deserves five stars for his helpfulness in office hours, fairness of assignments, and the fact that in smaller settings the issues people had below (volume, accent, etc) are not really issues. I would gladly take another course with him.
Manoussos Grillakis MATH340 Expecting an A+ Jack4112 03/13/2015	Grillakis is one of the nicest professors I have ever had. He is extremely smart and can answer any complicated questions within matters of seconds. I would definitely recommend taking Grillakis for any math courses.
Manoussos Grillakis MATH340 Expecting an A Anonymous 02/21/2015	One of the best professors in UMD. Extremely nice in officer hours. Has the highest average for almost any courses.
Manoussos Grillakis MATH340 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 01/09/2015	Grillakis is a wonderful professor. His lectures can be a little bit dry, but he knows the material front and back. We actually finished the material in mid-November, and spent the rest of the time going over applications to physics (his math area). His office hours are among the bast I've seen. He'll help you with anything, explain anything, with hardly a second's hesitation. He posts a good deal of notes and practice problems through ELMS. The homework is relatively tough, however he drops the lowest score of the 8. Tests are uncurved, however he counts the lower score for half (60 pts versus 120, etc). The grading system is fair - he apparently gets good TA's. Mine at least was a really nice guy who graded very fairly. In short, if you are the student who wants to take 340, he's the professor you want. 340 is theoretical, and so is he. It can be tough at times, because he doesn't always explain practically, but if theory is not too daunting, his class is amazing.
Manoussos Grillakis MATH340 Anonymous 04/21/2013	Make sure to pay attention. It'll be hard because his accent is kind of rough, and he speaks relatively quietly. However, he has incredibly neat handwriting and very nice diagrams. However, since this is multi-var calculus, it can be just gibberish if you copy down with no context. His graders were kind of harsh so make sure not to make careless mistakes. His tests were very fair, and he drops the lowest one too! Make sure to do the homework and not procrastinate. The weekly homework assignments can become huge, but they'll help with tests. I regret not trying hard enough on the homework since it would have helped me prevent harsh deductions from my test grades from simple mistakes.
Manoussos Grillakis MATH340 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 01/01/2013	While I found Grillakis's lectures to be a bit boring, I was always impressed with how well he know his stuff. The moment anyone asked a question, even a difficult one, he always knew where they were going and could answer it satisfactorily. In general, his tests were pretty fair. Most had only two or three questions, with several parts each. Each part of a question built up to some sort of conclusion ("What can you draw from this?", something like that), which made the questions a bit easier. As long as you could figure out a few of the parts, you could often fill in the blanks for the rest. His general policy for the course was to drop one of our five tests. However, after accidentally putting content from Chapter 6 on our Chapter 5 test, he quickly agreed to drop that one as well (and actually seemed to feel bad). Grillakis seems like the type of professor that actually wants all of his students to succeed, and is very willing to do his best to make sure that happens.
Niranjan Ramachandran MATH340 Anonymous 05/21/2012	This review is for both 340 and 341 since I had him for both classes. Ramachandran teaches well and you can learn a lot, but only if you put in the effort. I agree with Anonymous below; Ramachandran teaches a lot of material in a short amount of time. To get the most out of the class, try to read the book beforehand. Even if you don't completely understand what you're reading, you'll still be better prepared when you get to class as the material won't be completely new to you. What sets him apart from the other professors I've had is that he is really enthusiastic about math and teaching. Anyone who has taken him will agree; he will literally smile the entire lecture, even as he talks. It was great because his enthusiasm made me enthusiastic about math and learning the material. Coming into college, I didn't know what I wanted to do (I was considering like ten different majors), but taking this class (and 341) made me realize that I really want to do math in my future.
Niranjan Ramachandran MATH340 Anonymous 12/01/2011	Ramachandran knows a lot and tries to teach all of it. If you can write detailed notes quickly and are fine with rereading them later to figure out the hard parts, you can learn an incredible amount. Unfortunately, he teaches so much material so fast that if you try to follow his train of thought exactly and figure out exactly what all of the logical leaps are, you may get lost. He is a quality professor, but you have to do a lot of work to get the most out his class.
Niranjan Ramachandran MATH340 Expecting a B RyH 04/19/2011	Ramachandran does not deserve a 2 star rating. I wouldn't give him a perfect 5, but I simply cannot classify him as a bad professor. I am not a math major; physics, but not math, and I had him for a more rigorous course: math340, as a freshman. The biggest thing about Ramachandran is that he cares about his students and cares about their understanding of the material. He will help you if you ask for it and he will make it a personal endeavor to ensure you understand. Tests were very fair and the class was justly curved. He is a good guy and a high quality professor. Enough said.
James Schafer MATH340 Expecting a C Anonymous 12/19/2009	Schafer is an excellent teacher. He teaches a lot of very hard material that must be taught in a short amount of time, but he is always willing to give help outside of class or in class, and no question is too stupid to ask him. If you do the homework and do it well, the tests will be manageable. I would definitely recommend taking MATH340 with Schafer if you are planning to take it.
James Schafer MATH340 Expecting an A AnonymousScholar 12/14/2009	Professor Schafer may look like a homeless Einstein, but he's a great professor. He's very willing to help his students and explains things well during class. His exams challenge you to think differently but are never unreasonable. (If you listen carefully, he drops hints about the questions the lecture before the exam.) He's open to questions during class and will gladly walk through problems if you ask. He's a classic and exemplary math professor, and I'd recommend you take a class with him if you have a chance.
Joel Cohen MATH340 Expecting a C Anonymous 04/29/2009	Cohen was a horrible teacher. He never came to lecture with a set lesson plan and changed weights and eliminated grade-boosters during the semester. His tests and quizzes tested on things that you had never seen in class, but class was useless and you couldn't follow any of his work.
Joel Cohen MATH340 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/24/2008	Cohen was one of the worst teachers I have ever had. His lectures didn't make sense, his tests were overly confusing and difficult, he constantly changed the way he weighted stuff (the weight of the final increased by like 10% over the course of the semester), and we didn't get through a lot of the material. It was much more useful to skip class and read the book then to go to his class.

Roohollah Ebrahimian
MATH340

Expecting an A
Anonymous
11/20/2024

As someone who didn't have prior knowledge of Linear Algebra nor MV Calculus, I definitely struggled a lot to grasp new topics, since the natural pacing of 340 is very fast. I often found myself finally understanding the concepts of one chapter a day or two before the quizzes on them (which are weekly). I visited office hours a lot for help on the homework, and Ebby was really good at clarifying any confusion I had about a topic. Be aware that the homework is time-consuming and the exams are weighted heavily, but also keep in mind that Ebby has policies designed to set his students up for success (lowest 3 quizzes dropped, final exam score can also replace a midterm score if it helps your grade). As far as lecturing goes, Ebby is good at making time for questions, but I often felt like I couldn't fully understand what he was lecturing on once we got into the MV Calc portion. The information he gives and the examples he does in class are very helpful, but don't expect to be confident about the topics he lectures on until you've done the assigned homework on those topics the following week. Chill, helpful, and fair professor. He does everything he can to make a difficult class feel manageable.

Niranjan Ramachandran
MATH340

Expecting a B-
Anonymous
11/14/2024

Wonderful professor. It's a hard class, even if you've learned linear algebra and multivariate before, since it's proof-based. The weekly homework will take several hours, and I highly recommend going to office hours. You should also find a study group. He provides textbook resources and takes problems from Ebrahimian's notes. He responds a lot to feedback and is very willing to help students understand. The midterms draw from class and homework, but can be pretty challenging. The homework is meant to be harder than the midterms.

Roohollah Ebrahimian
MATH340

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
01/24/2024

Clear, informative, knowledgeable, posts notes. Weekly quizzes and exams are straightforward and similar to homework/practice problems. Pay attention and do the homework and you will succeed.

Niranjan Ramachandran
MATH340

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/21/2023

Really excellent professor. Ramachandran is clearly passionate about mathematics and cares a ton about students' understanding of the material. He had regular two-hour long (!!) office hours plus extra review sessions on weekends before the last two exams (for the final, he also held individual office hours for specific concerns!), and is always available after class and by email if you have any questions or concerns. He also gives out a lot of extra credit opportunities (for me, it was ~4% of my final grade not counting bonus questions on exams and I ended with >100), and homework is a big component of your final grade. The homework and exams are variable in effort necessary and overall difficulty (first midterm avg D+, second B+, final C/C+), but are generally instructive and useful (though that is not always the case for the later homework assignments, which were taken from a textbook). Overall, Ramachandran is one of those rare professors who strike a perfect balance of kind, knowledgeable, and rigorous, and I hope I get the chance to take a class with him in the future! In terms of MATH 340 as a class, if you have experience and comfort with proofs (and/or experience with linear/multi), you will definitely be in a better position than if you don't, but be prepared to put in a lot of effort and be challenged regardless. It is very helpful to have a study group to work through homework assignments with. 340 is a great class to take if you are a math major, because it will give you a solid foundation for upper-level math courses, such as abstract vector spaces and determinants for 405 and very basic analysis and topology for 410/411, which you would have minimal exposure to in 240/241 (also, if you have Ramachandran, a taste of differential forms for 437). All in all, I would highly recommend taking 340, as long as you know what you're getting into.

Niranjan Ramachandran
MATH340

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
12/21/2023

Genuinely the nicest professor you could probably ever have. The class is tough but Rama always makes it his mission to help you understand the content as much as possible. He makes himself readily available - he held two hour office hour sessions for us every week, as well as additional review sessions for exams. He even held in-person one-on-one office hours ON WEEKENDS during finals week. He really cares about his students, and I highly recommend taking any class taught by Professor Ramachandran.

Roohollah Ebrahimian
MATH340

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/13/2023

W professor, take him if you can. His quizzes are from the homework, and he gives a study guide before tests that covers everything you'll need to know.

Roohollah Ebrahimian
MATH340

Expecting an A+
Hectonite
12/09/2023

Before I start this review, this will be a review of both the course of MATH340 and professor Roohollah Ebrahimian and how he teaches the course. I love this class. BUT understand, if you are debating on taking this course, understand this: This course is HARD. I have basically never studied for math tests in high school and I feel this class pushed me harder than I ever have before, and I have likely spent more time on these 4 credits than the other 13 credits I am taking this semester. You may think you are good at math, this course will humble you real quick. Also a little background of what knowledge I knew going into the course so you can compare against me. I know the equivalent of CALC BC in high school with very little background in linear algebra, proofs, analysis. I knew a SLIGHT bit of multivariable calculus but still very little. Needless to say, almost everything we learned in the course I was learning from scratch. Also note I put the expected grade as A+ (which is my goal) but it is very possible I will end up with an A as well depending on how I do on the final (which I will be happy with). Favorite class I have taken so far at UMD. Easily. I love this course and it has flat out changed the way I have looked at math and I am now likely going to pick up math as a double major because of it (before I was just planning to be CS). The Class: As I have said before, this class is HARD. Do not take this for an easy A. Take this if you want to learn. Likely one of the hardest classes in the math department in terms of "skill jump" per say, but the effort I have put into the class is well worth it. Something I feel the math department (not the class) fails at is describing the course properly through testudo and any other websites. This course if PROOF BASED (at least mostly). For majority of the year you will be doing proofs and looking at theory, not just computation. This changes in the multivariable section of the course (because the proofs will become so complicated and long that its just not doable to do them in this course), but understand you will not be doing basic computation like, "solve this integral" or "take this derivative" like what you are normally used to. Another thing that testudo does not properly cover, is that the course mostly takes place in R^n (n-dimensional space). NOTE: I am happy the course is taught this way, I am just saying that it needs to be explained better when signing up for classes. For the structure of the class, I would split up the course sections like this 1. Proofs and set theory (really just first week but all these concepts will be used heavily for the rest of the semester) 2. Linear Algebra 3. Some analysis and a little topology 4. Multivariable calc There is a lot of work. Every week we get a bunch of generally difficult problems to complete. These HWs are HARD. I have spent hours on hours doing these homework's. Some of the problems are very very fun, some not so much, but I can say with certainty they have helped me understand and absorb the material significantly better. Work in groups on these HWs, help each other. I cannot overstate this. Make sure you communicate and talk with classmates while doing these problems. If there is one tip I could give you going into the course its this one. TLDR: Hard class do not underestimate it, worth the effort, and very rewarding. The Professor: TREE(3)/5 stars. Seriously I cannot recommend him enough. Amazing professor who explains things very well, and very clearly genuinely cares about math and teaching. Something that stuck with me is on the first day of class, he told us the reason why he teaches the course is because of the students and their passion to learn (paraphrased). He is very accommodative and would highly recommend you take him if you have the opportunity (this goes for all classes not just 340!). He types of notes of EVERYTHING we do in class, which are amazing. I cannot tell you how many times I have pulled up that document and read through it while doing the homework. These notes are amazing. Seriously, take advantage of them if you take Dr. Ebrahimian. He also has a YT channel where he posted explanations of lectures (https://www.youtube.com/@DrEbrahimianMathCourses/). Although he had to slow down and not post as many at the end which is completely understandable. 340 related content: For 340 he gave weekly quizzes. Although stressful at times, I actually am pretty gratefully for the quizzes. Studying for them forced me to make sure I completely understood the topic before moving on, making sure that I have a clear understanding for future content. Throughout the semester he drops the 2 lowest HWs and the 2 or 3 lowest quizzes, so if you mess up 1 or 2 weeks it is not to bad (seriously thank goodness for these quiz drops). On top of this, if you do better on the final over 1 of your midterms, the final grade will replace the midterm. Example if your confused (M->midterm, F->final): Say you get M1: 80% M2: 90% and F:98%. Then your final grades would become M1: 98%, M2: 90%, F:98%. This guarantees even if you messed up 1 midterm, you still have a shot to do well in the class which is much appreciated. I cannot recommend this professor enough. Take him if you have the opportunity.

Roohollah Ebrahimian
MATH340

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/08/2023

Ebrahimian posts pdf notes and occasionally YouTube videos about what he goes over in class which is super helpful. He takes his lectures seriously and tries to answer questions as well as he can. We take quizzes every Friday at the beginning of class, and homework is also due at the beginning of class on Fridays. Exams align well with what we're taught, and he posts study guides for them. Would recommend.

Roohollah Ebrahimian
MATH340

Expecting an A
adeebm
11/10/2023

This professor is ballin.

Roohollah Ebrahimian
MATH340

Expecting an A
VarunS924
10/19/2023

Amazing professor. Dr. Ebrahimian answers all questions, even ones about algebra, he has many opportunities for office hours every week, is available for questions after class, grades easy, and makes what one would expect to be an extremely difficult class not stressful yet still comprehensive. I don't mean he teaches less and has low expectations; the course is more rigorous than 240 and 241. What makes the class incredibly manageable is that he posts around 20 examples and exercises for each week that you can do before working on the problem sets to practice less difficult problems. The problem sets are due on Fridays but assess you on the previous week's material, so you have 1 week to reflect, process, and practice the material. The TAs also grade a few questions on each problem set for completion in the first half of the semester.

Roohollah Ebrahimian
MATH340

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
06/12/2023

A very qualified professor, holistically. Dr. Ebrahimian is an IMO (International Mathematics Olympiad) silver medalist, so clearly he is knowledgeable, which he reflects in his lectures. Speaking of which, his lectures were informative and helpful, albeit they took a lot of energy to follow. I think it would have been helpful if Ebrahimian provided recordings for his lectures so that we could've gone back and checked some topics we didn't fully grasp (especially for a class like 340). Please do not miss his classes, unless you're godsent. The homework for our class was challenging; some problems could take you hours even if you were or weren't familiar with the lecture material. Fortunately, Ebrahimian was very helpful in his office hours and gave good guidance on how to solve homework problems. My least favorite part of the class would have definitely been the weekly quizzes we had, which were based on the homework problems and exercises he assigned us to review. Keep this into consideration if you're planning to take him. I think a lot of stress would have been mitigated if it weren't for the quizzes, and honestly I don't think they helped us prepare for his exams. The class also highly weighted exams and quizzes: HW 15%, Quizzes 20%, 2 Midterms 40%, Final 25%. Fortunately, the lowest midterm grade did get replaced by half of our final exam grade if it were good, but there was still an 85% weight on exams. If you are up for a challenge, Ebrahimian could be a great fit for you. Even though his class for me was stressful, he is kind and reserved, and passionate about math. You'll surely learn a lot from him.

Roohollah Ebrahimian
MATH340

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
06/03/2023

A very qualified professor, holistically. Dr. Ebrahimian is an IMO (International Mathematics Olympiad) silver medalist, so clearly he is knowledgeable, which he reflects in his lectures. Speaking of which, his lectures were informative and helpful, albeit they took a lot of energy to follow. I think it would have been helpful if Ebrahimian provided recordings for his lectures so that we could've gone back and checked some topics we didn't fully grasp (especially for a class like 340). Please do not miss his classes, unless you're godsent. The homework for our class was challenging; some problems could take you hours even if you were or weren't familiar with the lecture material. Fortunately, Ebrahimian was very helpful in his office hours and gave good guidance on how to solve homework problems. My least favorite part of the class would have definitely been the weekly quizzes we had, which were based on the homework problems and exercises he assigned us to review. Keep this into consideration if you're planning to take him. I think a lot of stress would have been mitigated if it weren't for the quizzes, and honestly I don't think they helped us prepare for his exams. The class also highly weighted exams and quizzes: HW 15%, Quizzes 20%, 2 Midterms 40%, Final 25%. Fortunately, the lowest midterm grade did get replaced by half of our final exam grade if it were good, but there was still an 85% weight on exams. If you are up for a challenge, Ebrahimian could be a great fit for you. Even though his class for me was stressful, he is kind and reserved, and passionate about math. You'll surely learn a lot from him.

Roohollah Ebrahimian
MATH340

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
05/30/2023

A very qualified professor, holistically. Dr. Ebrahimian is an IMO (International Mathematics Olympiad) silver medalist, so clearly he is knowledgeable, which he reflects in his lectures. Speaking of which, his lectures were informative and helpful, albeit they took a lot of energy to follow. I think it would have been helpful if Ebrahimian provided recordings for his lectures so that we could've gone back and checked some topics we didn't fully grasp (especially for a class like 340). Please do not miss his classes, unless you're godsent. The homework for our class was challenging; some problems could take you hours even if you were or weren't familiar with the lecture material. Fortunately, Ebrahimian was very helpful in his office hours and gave good guidance on how to solve homework problems. My least favorite part of the class would have definitely been the weekly quizzes we had, which were based on the homework problems and exercises he assigned us to review. Keep this into consideration if you're planning to take him. I think a lot of stress would have been mitigated if it weren't for the quizzes, and honestly I don't think they helped us prepare for his exams. The class also highly weighted exams and quizzes: HW 15%, Quizzes 20%, 2 Midterms 40%, Final 25%. Fortunately, the lowest midterm grade did get replaced by half of our final exam grade if it were good, but there was still an 85% weight on exams. If you are up for a challenge, Ebrahimian could be a great fit for you. Even though his class for me was stressful, he is kind and reserved, and passionate about math. You'll surely learn a lot from him.

Wiseley Wong
MATH340

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
04/22/2023

I thought Wiseley was a great instructor. His lectures were very structured, which I appreciated and which made it easy to study. I found both his homeworks and exams to be fair, though the homework did take up a lot of time. I would not recommend the course itself, as there was way too much material packed into it, and we spent a lot of time covering topics completely unrelated to the course description. However, I thought Wiseley was a good lecturer and that he was very approachable and willing to help. I would take another class with him, but if I could go back, I wouldn't take MATH340 again.

Wiseley Wong
MATH340

Expecting an XF
Anonymous
03/09/2023

I decided to take his course partly because Dr. Wong is so well-regarded; unfortunately, I was disappointed. He often obfuscates relatively easy topics with fast and verbose speech. It took me most of the semester to realize that I need to just ignore him and study on my own. He also grades quite slowly.

Roohollah Ebrahimian
MATH340

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
01/23/2023

If you go to every class, take notes, and do all the homework, all of which was fair and doable, you'll receive the grade you want. He provides study guides before midterms and final, and if you can do those and the problems from previous year exams, you'll most likely ace the exams. If you need help, his office hours are insanely helpful.

Wiseley Wong
MATH340

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/27/2022

Homework, Projects, Quizzes & Exams: - Homework every 1-2 weeks (consisted of reach problems), quizzes weekly, 2 projects (one on MATLAB and one on Mathematica), 4 exams. Some simple proof problems, and a lot of computational problems. Never anything unfair or unexpected. Classroom Environment: - Very quiet, with all students focused on the chalkboard and little talking. Even though it seemed awkward at times, Dr. Wong always welcomed questions. - Each lecture came with a dizzying amount of new content -- lots of definitions, example problems, theorems, and proofs. I personally managed this by copying verbatim what was written on the chalk board, although I know not everyone needed to do this. Pacing, Difficulty & Curve: - Pacing was very quick. 2 weeks of Linear Algebra, 5 weeks of Calculus III, 3 more weeks of Linear Algebra, 5 weeks of applications in combinatorics & graph theory (his research specialty, which was new to everyone). Definitely manageable with lecture notes, textbook PDFs, classmate collaboration, and office hours. - Dr. Wong was adamant about not curving, but in the end my 92 came out as an A. - You'll figure out in the first two weeks if this class is a good fit for you. I highly recommend it; by the end, you will have a good grasp on 240, 241, and 310, and you might even be prepared to take 410 in the spring. Professor: - Super chill, he'll ask you to call him Wiseley. Always welcomes any questions, and very open during office hours. 10/10 great professor and person.

Wiseley Wong
MATH340

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/24/2022

Absolute goat. Moved very quick but managed to actually teach all the material too. He skims over some foundational material so if you don't have a background in the material, you'll have to spend some time studying up outside of class so you understand what's going on at all. Homework was super tough but exams were very clear and not meant to trip you up. Most I've ever learned in a class.

Roohollah Ebrahimian
MATH340

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/24/2022

Dr. Ebrahimian is a great professor. He is very nice, and even cracks a clever joke once in a while. He puts a lot of emphasis on doing examples in class, and of course always had office hours available. We did a week of preliminary stuff (set theory, notation, and intro to proofs), 4 weeks of linear algebra, and then spent the remaining 9 weeks on multivariable calculus. This is a proof-based course, so if you're planning on taking it, don't expect the homework and tests to be as simple as writing the correct answer. The weekly quizzes are usually not too difficult if you did the homework. That being said, the homework can take quite a long time, so start early! Overall, I really did love this class, and it's one of the reasons I'm adding a second major in math. If you have a strong interest in math or are a math major, I would highly recommend this sequence.

Wiseley Wong
MATH340

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/21/2022

This dude is the absolute goat. Exams and homeworks were very fair. He really isn't out to get you, just wants to see you learn the important stuff and do well. Great teacher, and has a really good understanding of when and where to do example problems. Every time I found myself thinking "okay but how does this work in practice" he had at least one example he went through. He's also like unbelievably nice and funny and a cool dude.

Wiseley Wong
MATH340

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/19/2022

This class was my favorite during this semester because of Wiseley. This man is absolutely without a doubt GOATED on the sticks. If you're seeing this review and decide to take MATH340 if Wiseley is an option you should 100% do it. Exams and quizzes were always extremely fair as we had prior information of the material they would cover. During the lectures proofs could get quite technical and were very abstract at times. However, class input was heavily encouraged which I felt helped everyone grasp the proofs better. But even if a lot of the minutia within the proof confused you (which it did for me) most material on assignments really only required knowledge on theorems and not the proof itself.

Roohollah Ebrahimian
MATH340

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/15/2022

The best math professor. Everything was explained really well. The quizzes and exams are fair, and the homework can make you learn a lot.

Roohollah Ebrahimian
MATH340

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/23/2021

Fantastic lecturer. Very knowledgeable and encourages participation. Keeps a document of all of the notes (theorems, definitions, example problems, etc.) from class, although you should still take notes because that document doesn't show the solutions to in-class examples. Doesn't grade on participation or attendance but those are still imperative to your understanding of the material if it's your first time seeing it. The weekly quizzes and 3 exams over the course of the semester are not very difficult if you're caught up and have properly reviewed the notes and homework. The homework can be very difficult and time-consuming (especially the first few assignments) but it is generally necessary and helps with understanding.

Wiseley Wong
MATH340

Expecting an A
Anonymous
06/22/2021

Genuinely nice professor. Failed the first exam, was still able to bring the grade up to an A through weekly office hours and studying. Taught 2 week of vector spaces / determinants, 5 weeks of calc 3, 4 weeks of linear algebra topics, 4 weeks of graph theory. Definitely a fast-paced class, take only if you really like math.

Niranjan Ramachandran
MATH340

Expecting a B-
Anonymous
05/27/2021

A sweet professor that truly cares about his students. The lectures are fast-paced and the homeworks are difficult, but the class is very collaborative and Prof. Ramachandran is very helpful in office hours. He is always enthusiastic to talk to students and gives fair exams with extra credit. Overall, the class will be hard, especially if the material is new to you, but if you put in the effort 340-341 is a super rewarding experience with Ramachandran. Can't recommend enough!

Niranjan Ramachandran
MATH340

Anonymous
05/21/2021

This class was definitely tough, the lectures were very fast-paced and the class just covers a lot of material. But Ramachandran is an awesome lecturer and made everything worth it. The homeworks were pretty difficult but you can work on them with other people and he was very helpful in office hours. He also gave out a ton of extra credit. If you get the chance, definitely take him!

Roohollah Ebrahimian
MATH340

Anonymous
04/30/2021

Very good lecturer. He does a lot of examples and every week he provides written notes that include even more written out examples. His homework does take a lot of time but that may just be due to the nature of Math 340/341. However, he is very helpful during office hours and does a really good job helping students out when they need it. Quizzes/exams are not overly challenging (at least they are not necessarily questions you don't expect) and he is a fair grader. Very happy to have taken him.

Niranjan Ramachandran
MATH340

Expecting an A
Anonymous
04/08/2020

MATH340 was a really tough class, especially for someone without much prior exposure to Linear Algebra, Calc 3, and abstract math. Professor Ramachadran's attitude towards the class, however, was infectious: he tackled every topic with enthusiasm and a smile on his face, explaining the content in a way that most of the class could understand on his first go-around. And for those who still didn't get it, like me, Professor Ramachadran was happy to go over content during office hours, and schedule extra office hours when necessary. Of course, this was still with that infectious smile. The homeworks in this class were brutal, but Professor Ramachadran was happy to help with any issue with them, and my proof-writing abilities improved as a result. Same goes for test prep, where the professor made sure that we had adequate resources and understood the material if we approached him. Importantly, he recognized my limited background in the subject, and explained material to me with that in mind. Overall, this class was still extremely difficult. But I wouldn't recommend one to take it with anyone other than Professor Ramachadran, especially if you have limited background.

Niranjan Ramachandran
MATH340

Expecting an A
umdterpman
12/20/2018

Professor Ramachandran is the best professor I have ever had and I would guess that I probably ever will have. MATH340 was really hard, but it was a ton of fun. I came into the class without knowing any calc 3 or linear algebra, so I was already behind, but Ramachandran is very good at starting at a basic level before he begins abstracting to the really difficult concepts throughout the course. His homework was killer, and the TA was pretty harsh with grading, but working in groups to finish the homework makes it feasible to score really well and understand everything that's being taught. He's a fantastic lecturer, and his enthusiasm for teaching math made me love coming to his lectures. He's also very generous with curving the course. Anyone who works hard and has a drive to learn math should be able to get a passing grade in this class. Overall, I'm very thankful to have had Professor Ramachandran this semester, and I'm really looking forward to taking MATH341 with him next semester.

Niranjan Ramachandran
MATH340

Expecting an A
Anonymous
11/30/2018

Ramachandran is a great professor. 340 is by no means an easy class to take freshman year, but he makes everything seem doable. Motivation of the theory and development of both linear algebra and multivariable calculus is done wonderfully, using several examples. It was unfortunate that we had to rush towards the end, but there is a lot of content in this course that needs to be chewed on. Besides course content, he is perfectly happy to talk to students after class in order to answer questions. The grading TA by year varies and you should quickly find out their expectations regarding homework.

Niranjan Ramachandran
MATH340

Expecting an A
Anonymous
09/29/2018

I took Math 340 with Ramachandran in the Fall 2016 semester. Now, being a junior, I can confidently say that Ramachandran remains the best instructor I have ever had in any academic environment. He is incredibly knowledgeable about mathematics, and it shows during his lectures. He is also incredibly passionate both about the math and about teaching to the students - every time we would be getting into some "nitty-gritty" stuff in lecture he would have a huge smile on his face because you could tell how much he loved what he was doing. This love is infectious and keeps you very engaged during lectures. With that being said, Ramachandran wants his students to know some difficult math. He will introduce some very difficult concepts , and you will have to put in time to keep up with the material. He is very fair about this, however - for instance, we discussed the generalized Stoke's Theorem at the end of the course, but were never asked to prove anything too intense using this result on a test. Overall, I would 100% recommend taking Ramachandran at any chance you get. You will learn a great deal.

Niranjan Ramachandran
MATH340

Expecting an A-
tomorrow
05/11/2018

A great professor by every regard. A challenging but rewarding course and professor to take. Effort shown during class and through assignments and homework is awarded with generous extra credit to compensate for the challenging but not unfair exams.

Niranjan Ramachandran
MATH340

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
04/11/2018

Dr. Ramachandran is awesome - knowledgeable, solid lecturer, and overall a very nice person. He legitimately cares about his students and always goes the extra mile. He is very generous with his time in office hours and even had review sessions on Saturdays before the final. MATH340 is not an easy class, but with Dr. Ramachandran, you will definitely get a solid exposure to the theoretical material. Understanding, though, is pretty dependent on YOU putting in effort. If you want to take MATH340 and are willing to work hard, you will like him.

Niranjan Ramachandran
MATH340

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
04/05/2018

I found Dr. Ramachandran's MATH340 to be extremely difficult but extremely rewarding. Be prepared to spend 6+ hrs on homework working in groups. Tests have bonus questions, and scores ranged from <50% to >110%. It's probably best if you have at least 1 of the following as background: (1) MVC (2) LinAlg (3) writing proofs.

Hilaf Hasson
MATH340

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
03/29/2018

Very entertaining individual, but is all over the place in lecture. You feel like you learn a lot but not exactly sure how. You will not fall asleep in his class, also allows student input for this class.

Manoussos Grillakis
MATH340

Expecting an A
Anonymous
03/24/2015

I found Prof. Grillakis to be quite good for MATH340. His handwriting is incredibly neat, and in a small classroom his accent and volume is not an issue (I can't speak for the larger classes like MATH241). He tends to go quite fast through the notes, and sometimes it can be a tad difficult to follow, but he's very clear in office hours if you have any questions. There are 8 HWK assignments but he drops the lowest score, and his grader was pretty fair. They can be pretty long, though. There are two tests and a final, with your lower score counting for only a half test grade. Overall the tests are not bad, and cover what was covered in class. There are even some hints sprinkled in on some questions. He sends out reviews of notes and problems before tests, which are also in his impeccable handwriting (seriously, it's ridiculously neat). Overall he may not be great at lecturing, but I think he deserves five stars for his helpfulness in office hours, fairness of assignments, and the fact that in smaller settings the issues people had below (volume, accent, etc) are not really issues. I would gladly take another course with him.

Manoussos Grillakis
MATH340

Expecting an A+
Jack4112
03/13/2015

Grillakis is one of the nicest professors I have ever had. He is extremely smart and can answer any complicated questions within matters of seconds. I would definitely recommend taking Grillakis for any math courses.

Manoussos Grillakis
MATH340

Expecting an A
Anonymous
02/21/2015

One of the best professors in UMD. Extremely nice in officer hours. Has the highest average for almost any courses.

Manoussos Grillakis
MATH340

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
01/09/2015

Grillakis is a wonderful professor. His lectures can be a little bit dry, but he knows the material front and back. We actually finished the material in mid-November, and spent the rest of the time going over applications to physics (his math area). His office hours are among the bast I've seen. He'll help you with anything, explain anything, with hardly a second's hesitation. He posts a good deal of notes and practice problems through ELMS. The homework is relatively tough, however he drops the lowest score of the 8. Tests are uncurved, however he counts the lower score for half (60 pts versus 120, etc). The grading system is fair - he apparently gets good TA's. Mine at least was a really nice guy who graded very fairly. In short, if you are the student who wants to take 340, he's the professor you want. 340 is theoretical, and so is he. It can be tough at times, because he doesn't always explain practically, but if theory is not too daunting, his class is amazing.

Manoussos Grillakis
MATH340

Anonymous
04/21/2013

Make sure to pay attention. It'll be hard because his accent is kind of rough, and he speaks relatively quietly. However, he has incredibly neat handwriting and very nice diagrams. However, since this is multi-var calculus, it can be just gibberish if you copy down with no context. His graders were kind of harsh so make sure not to make careless mistakes. His tests were very fair, and he drops the lowest one too! Make sure to do the homework and not procrastinate. The weekly homework assignments can become huge, but they'll help with tests. I regret not trying hard enough on the homework since it would have helped me prevent harsh deductions from my test grades from simple mistakes.

Manoussos Grillakis
MATH340

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
01/01/2013

While I found Grillakis's lectures to be a bit boring, I was always impressed with how well he know his stuff. The moment anyone asked a question, even a difficult one, he always knew where they were going and could answer it satisfactorily. In general, his tests were pretty fair. Most had only two or three questions, with several parts each. Each part of a question built up to some sort of conclusion ("What can you draw from this?", something like that), which made the questions a bit easier. As long as you could figure out a few of the parts, you could often fill in the blanks for the rest. His general policy for the course was to drop one of our five tests. However, after accidentally putting content from Chapter 6 on our Chapter 5 test, he quickly agreed to drop that one as well (and actually seemed to feel bad). Grillakis seems like the type of professor that actually wants all of his students to succeed, and is very willing to do his best to make sure that happens.

Niranjan Ramachandran
MATH340

Anonymous
05/21/2012

This review is for both 340 and 341 since I had him for both classes. Ramachandran teaches well and you can learn a lot, but only if you put in the effort. I agree with Anonymous below; Ramachandran teaches a lot of material in a short amount of time. To get the most out of the class, try to read the book beforehand. Even if you don't completely understand what you're reading, you'll still be better prepared when you get to class as the material won't be completely new to you. What sets him apart from the other professors I've had is that he is really enthusiastic about math and teaching. Anyone who has taken him will agree; he will literally smile the entire lecture, even as he talks. It was great because his enthusiasm made me enthusiastic about math and learning the material. Coming into college, I didn't know what I wanted to do (I was considering like ten different majors), but taking this class (and 341) made me realize that I really want to do math in my future.

Niranjan Ramachandran
MATH340

Anonymous
12/01/2011

Ramachandran knows a lot and tries to teach all of it. If you can write detailed notes quickly and are fine with rereading them later to figure out the hard parts, you can learn an incredible amount. Unfortunately, he teaches so much material so fast that if you try to follow his train of thought exactly and figure out exactly what all of the logical leaps are, you may get lost. He is a quality professor, but you have to do a lot of work to get the most out his class.

Niranjan Ramachandran
MATH340

Expecting a B
RyH
04/19/2011

Ramachandran does not deserve a 2 star rating. I wouldn't give him a perfect 5, but I simply cannot classify him as a bad professor. I am not a math major; physics, but not math, and I had him for a more rigorous course: math340, as a freshman. The biggest thing about Ramachandran is that he cares about his students and cares about their understanding of the material. He will help you if you ask for it and he will make it a personal endeavor to ensure you understand. Tests were very fair and the class was justly curved. He is a good guy and a high quality professor. Enough said.

James Schafer
MATH340

Expecting a C
Anonymous
12/19/2009

Schafer is an excellent teacher. He teaches a lot of very hard material that must be taught in a short amount of time, but he is always willing to give help outside of class or in class, and no question is too stupid to ask him. If you do the homework and do it well, the tests will be manageable. I would definitely recommend taking MATH340 with Schafer if you are planning to take it.

James Schafer
MATH340

Expecting an A
AnonymousScholar
12/14/2009

Professor Schafer may look like a homeless Einstein, but he's a great professor. He's very willing to help his students and explains things well during class. His exams challenge you to think differently but are never unreasonable. (If you listen carefully, he drops hints about the questions the lecture before the exam.) He's open to questions during class and will gladly walk through problems if you ask. He's a classic and exemplary math professor, and I'd recommend you take a class with him if you have a chance.

Joel Cohen
MATH340

Expecting a C
Anonymous
04/29/2009

Cohen was a horrible teacher. He never came to lecture with a set lesson plan and changed weights and eliminated grade-boosters during the semester. His tests and quizzes tested on things that you had never seen in class, but class was useless and you couldn't follow any of his work.

Joel Cohen
MATH340

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/24/2008

Cohen was one of the worst teachers I have ever had. His lectures didn't make sense, his tests were overly confusing and difficult, he constantly changed the way he weighted stuff (the weight of the final increased by like 10% over the course of the semester), and we didn't get through a lot of the material. It was much more useful to skip class and read the book then to go to his class.

Reviews for MATH340