Robert Neel

Good class, good professor. Doesn't have the best blackboard style and isn't the best at giving broad or deep mathematical views but explains concepts clearly and thoroughly. I wouldn't praise Neel as enthusiastically as some other reviewers. I've taken several 4000 level math courses and as a teacher Neel is probably about average, a good instructor but nothing out of the ordinary. He's also a nice, approachable guy with a dry sense of humor. If you're at all interested in analysis or probability this is a worthwhile class to take. There is some overlap with Stat 4105, with the difference that the course emphasizes the theoretical apparatus behind probability instead of modeling and problem solving. You'll probably have a slightly easier time if you're comfortable with basic probability concepts, but that's not required and you could take the class without even knowing what a probability distribution is. It is important though that you've already finished the first semester of Real Analysis since the textbook assumes familiarity with basic topological notions, sequences/series, continuity etc. I guess you could get by without that knowledge but you would be confused by a lot of the material and probably wouldn't do well. Lastly, if you're thinking about trying the graduate analysis/probability sequence this class covers some of the same material at a much lower level, so it w…

I had heard good things about Prof. Neel and I wasn't dissapointed when I took Calc IV with him. His teaching style is clear, effective and engaging. I think he is one of the few teachers at Columbia that genuinely cares about his students. Being a clear speaker of the Englsh language definately adds to his appeal as a more than decent Math professor. Outside class he is extremely nice and acts concerned and wont make you feel embarrased for asking the most basic questions. His teaching style is pretty amusing, throughout the lecture his somewhat self deprecating humor + his own brand of mathy jokes will keep you awake or will atleast make you take a break from texting or staring out the window.

Professor Neel is the best math prof. I have ever had -- and could ever imagine having. His lectures are clear and organize -- your notes will be great if you follow along. He uses great examples, and is always open for questions. He has a fantastically dry and mathematical sense of humor, so if you open yourself up to it, he is entertaining too. He cares that you get the material. The homeworks are fair, and VERY doable if you go to class and do the reading. I am going to take another math class, just for the hell of it, because Professor Neel allowed me to love math that much. I think he's an amazing teacher and would have no hesistation in recommending him to any type of math student. You should really avail yourself of his AWESOME teaching. He made Calc III fun!!

Professor Neel is by far the best mathematics professor I've experienced here at Columbia. His lectures are consise and straightforward, and he makes it clear what you need to know. He doesn't do anything that is above and beyond what is asked, but the routine he sets makes for a very well structured course. An occasional joke helps digest the math with a smile on your face. The problem sets have a range of difficulty, starting with easier problems, working up to what is conceptually difficult. If you fully understand the problem sets, the tests just help reinforce what you know. There are no surprises. He emphasizes the concepts and strays away from tedious algebra as much as he possibly can. He is always available in office hours and expresses a desire to help should you seek it out. Overall, this was just a very enjoyable course. If Neel is an option for you, I would seek him out at all costs.

The first thing you should know is that this guy speaks totally understandable English. Good times. Anyway, he's your basic solid math teacher. He clearly knows what he's talking about, and when people (like me, sadly) asked strangely worded questions he knew how to respond. He did make some basic mistakes, but people would correct him and he would keep rolling. The tests are pretty fair; nothing comes at you out of the blue. In short, I'd say you wouldn't have any regrets about this guy.

Neel is an excellent professor who loves explaining the enigmatic features of probability theory to anyone willing to listen. His one downside is that he talks very fast during lecture, so it is the class's responsibility to ask questions to clarify the material on the board. Otherwise, I could not imagine a better instructor for this heavily theoretical, upper-level applied mathematics course.

Calculus 4 with Professor Neel was great. He's very clear and lectures quite lucidly. His notes are great, too. If you ever have to go to office hours, he's quite helpful there too. I'm a math major so I already think this stuff is cool, but Neel was definitely the best math professor I've had yet. Take if you can!

Professor Neel is an excellent teacher of mathematics. His lectures are systematic: he defines terms, proves theorems, and then provides examples very similar to those on his problem sets. The problems are well chosen and instructive. The difficult problems are conceptually challenging, with very few tedious algebra or arithmetic problems (with the exception of matrix multiplication problems, which are unavoidable in linear algebra). His midterms are comprehensive and fair (I have not taken his final yet). His quirks and odd turns of phrase will make you smile, and add needed humor to the 9:00 am lecture slot. He's not a startlingly innovative teacher, but if you show up to class and do the problem sets you will learn the math, and you might even enjoy it. I have.

I'm pretty sure this was Neel's first year teaching and it kinda showed. He made plenty of careless errors while working out problems on the blackboard, but students always corrected him. You'll have to go to the textbook after a lot of the lectures to get a better grasp on the concepts taught. The weekly problem sets are not so bad, especially with the help of the help room in milbank. there are two midterms- not too bad if you review problem sets and examples from class. hes a very nice guy, a bit odd but easy to talk to and helps you out if you have a conflict with midterms. especially if youve taken calc in high school, this should be at least an A-

A problem set every week, as usual start it early. Challenging midterm and final that were graded generously. Neel is good at finding instructional hw problems and designed parts of the midterm to be similar to the hw, so if you can do all of the hw on your own you're set.