University of Edinburgh

An introduction to linear algebra, mainly in R^n but concluding with an introduction to abstract vector spaces. The principal topics are vectors, systems of linear equations, matrices, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, and orthogonality. The important notions of linear independence, span and bases are introduced. This course is both a preparation for the practical use of vectors, matrices, and systems of equations and also lays the groundwork for a more abstract, pure-mathematical treatment of vector spaces. Students learn how to use a computer to calculate the results of some simple matrix operations and to visualize vectors.

This course engages with some of the large theoretical debates in the study of social movements, reading both empirical treatments of particular movements and theoretical treatments of key issues. It is particularly concerned with the social and political context of protest, focusing on basic questions, such as under what circumstances do social movements emerge? How do dissidents choose political tactics and strategies? How do movements affect social and political change?

For most of us, the first intimate relationships that we experience are family relationships, although at other stages of our life-cycle non-familial relationships may dominate. The course explores different sociological understandings of such relationships and debates about the nature of social change in personal life. The course reviews research on parent-child relationships, friendship and kinship relationships, sexual relationships and couple relationships, drawing on North American, Australian, and New Zealand research as well as British literature.

This course provides an introduction to the design and implementation of modern general-purpose operating systems. It concentrates on the operating system kernel with the emphasis being on concepts that lead to practical implementations. Throughout the course reference is made to a number of widely-adopted general-purpose operating systems (including Linux, Windows, and OS X) to illustrate real implementations. An educational operating system is used for the coursework.

This course provides students with a policy-relevant and theoretically informed examination of parliaments in the United Kingdom. It is therefore concerned both with the formal processes and (perhaps more importantly) the cultures, traditions, and relationships that make these institutions work. Although the institutional focus is on the Houses of Parliament and the Scottish Parliament, students are encouraged to think comparatively and to situate these cases in a wider context.

This course is an introduction to what is known as formal or mathematical logic, requiring no prior knowledge of philosophy or mathematics. It does not communicate results about logical systems but instead it imparts a skill - the ability to recognize and construct correct deductions and refutations. The course provides a general introduction to both propositional logic and predicate logic. Lectures and detailed handouts provide the central course material; and weekly tutorial groups provide support for students to work through the formal exercises. 

In this course, students review the development and prospects for genomic analysis. There are three components to the course: a lecture series, computer based bioinformatics workshops, and a practical. In the lectures, through the presentation of key genomes, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic, students consider the structure, function, and evolution of genomes. They then look at tools, both experimental and statistical, to further their knowledge of genes and their functions. 



 

This course introduces students to the field of behavioral economics. Students explore the reasons why people make irrational decisions; how people decide quickly; why people make mistakes in risky situations; their tendency to procrastination and short-termism; and how people can be affected by social influences, personality, mood, and emotions. Students explore how behavioral economics could help policy-makers to understand the people behind their policies, and facilitate the design of more effective policies.

This interdisciplinary course introduces you to the growing and important field of disability studies. This course has a strong focus on the lived experience of disability and values the knowledge embodied in this experience. It takes an explicit advocacy orientation, exploring the range of challenges experienced by disabled people locally, nationally and globally, while critically examining policies and interventions aimed at helping to reduce and eliminate barriers to full participation. It also takes an intersectional approach, looking at how disability intersecting with other aspects of identity such as race, ethnicity, age, and gender provide additional challenges that need to be taken into account in interventions aimed at eliminating inequities.
 

A continuation of Japanese language beginner. Teaching is aimed at enabling students to speak, read, and write Modern Japanese at a pre-intermediate level, equivalent to Japanese Language Proficiency Test N5 or Common European Framework of Reference for Languages level A1/A2.
The course provides essential grounding for the pre-intermediate level course "Japanese Language Pre-Intermediate" and subsequent study to the lower intermediate-level continuation course. A good deal of private study is necessary to meet the requirements of the course. This course is not available to native or near-native speakers of Japanese. A placement test and questionnaire on students' background in Japanese language studies is conducted in the induction session.