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level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Metric spaces and continuity
This free course contains an introduction to metric spaces and continuity. The key idea is to use three particular properties of the Euclidean distance as the basis for defining what is meant by a general distance function, a metric. Section 1 introduces the idea of a metric space and shows how this concept allows us to generalise the notion of ...
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level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Rings and polynomials
This free course contains an introduction to rings and polynomials. We see that polynomial rings have many properties in common with the integers; for example, we can define a division algorithm, and this enables us to develop the analogue of the highest common factor for two polynomials. Section 1 explores the abstract definitions of a ring ...
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level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Introduction to the calculus of variations
This free course concerns the calculus of variations. Section 1 introduces some key ingredients by solving a seemingly simple problem – finding the shortest distance between two points in a plane. The section also introduces the notions of a functional and of a stationary path. Section 2 describes basic problems that can be formulated in terms ...
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Digital & Computing
Getting started with a Password Manager
Overwhelmed by having 12,345 different passwords? Time to get in a manager...
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Society, Politics & Law
The thorny issue of ‘driverless’ cars
How will the law accommodate changing technology for driverless cars? Who is responsible if the vehicle crashes?
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level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
An introduction to web applications architecture
This free course, An introduction to web applications architecture, provides an overview of the design and implementation of computer software that runs on web servers, instead of those running solely on desktop computers, laptops or mobile devices.
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Nature & Environment
Happy GeoWeek!
GeoWeek is an initiative to promote active geo-science. Learn more about how to read rocks and discover the different types of rocks with our handy videos and tools.
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level 3: advanced icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Surfaces
Surfaces are a special class of topological spaces that crop up in many places in the world of mathematics. In this free course, you will learn to classify surfaces and will be introduced to such concepts as homeomorphism, orientability, the Euler characteristic and the classification theorem of compact surfaces.
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level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
IT: Information
In a world of 24-hour news and instant updates, this free course explores how information is gathered, stored and shared through technology. Learn about the evolution of IT in news reporting, compare different media sources, and develop a critical eye for trust and authenticity in the information you consume.
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level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
IT in everyday life
We now live in a global village where distance is no longer a barrier to commercial or social contact. This free course, IT in everyday life, will enable you to gain an understanding of the information and communication technologies that drive our networked world and how they now permeate our everyday lives.
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level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
IT: device to device communication
Are you a technophobe? Bluetooth, Ethernet, WiFi; are they terms that mean nothing to you? IT: device to device communication, is a free course that will gently guide you to an understanding of how devices 'talk' to each other and what technologies and processes are involved. You will also look at wired and wireless communication technologies, ...
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Education & Development
Review: The Digital Academic - Critical Perspectives on Digital Technologies in Higher Education
Eschewing the polarising perspectives that often characterise discussions of digital technologies in academia, The Digital Academic: Critical Perspectives on Digital Technologies in Higher Education, edited by Deborah Lupton, Inger Mewburn and Pat Thomson, offers an insightful and diverse take on the digital landscape in Higher Education, ...