Sean Paul

Like what others said below about Analysis and Optimization, Sean Paul is simply the most confusing and disorganized Math teacher I have ever seen. Though attendance was almost always full, I believe that 90% of the class did NOT understand what he was teaching, and he himself got lost from time to time when he was trying to do the never-ending proof problems in class. If you're good at self-studying and don't go to any class or rely on any notes and can still get an A, it's okay. Otherwise: avoid him!

I had this Sean Paul last year and remember him mainly as the worst professor I've had so far. Maybe it was just the material, but I don't think so. If you took either AP exam I would recommend just taking calc III and getting the credit for Calc II. Most of the crap you learn in Calc II you've learned already, Sean Paul just feels it's his job to trick students with wild exceptions to common formulas.

There were two ODE classes, one taught by professor Paul and another by another teacher. The other teacher had his class full to capacity (110 students). Professor Paul had literally 15 students in the Math 314 room (large lecture hall). If this wasn't enough to give a general picture, his lectures are not understandable to someone with a regular understanding of mathematics. While I can see his love for math and the topic, I did not share it and this class is reccommended only if you like the more theory and proof part of mathematics. He focuses too much on proofs, rather than hard problems with answers. His homework is erratically assigned and involved 20 - 40 problems which honestly takes a minimum of 6 hours to complete. However, he gives only a few thus it makes up for it. His homework assignments however, do teach you what you need to know and attending lectures is not neccessary (asside from finding out class bulletins as he does not use Courseworks). One thing is, I believe he tries very hard for his students, though does not realize half of them don't understand anything and he has a love for mathematics that only a few could appreciate.

I agree with previous reviewers. He is very nice and approachable during office hours....when he is there. However, I think that he is just so advanced in Math that he cannot explain things to non-math people. I took his class last semester thinking it would be easy because I had already taken AP Calculus AB. The material was the same (actaully even less than was covered on the AP exam). However, I simply could not do his exam questions. I understood the concepts (he even told me that) and my webworks were generally good after spending a lot of time on them, going to the Help Room, and working with friends. If you are a math person who can really understand concepts and apply them to very difficult problems on a test, take this class. If not, look somewhere else. Oh yeah. He was also gone almost the entire month before the final.

The previous review of Sean Paul's PDE class was written only one week into the semester, so how could that person be so sure? Anyway, PDE is incredibly hard, a subject for grad school - and a VERY advanced subject for undergrads. It is by no means straightforward.. Sean Paul is not a good instructor, but let's face it, he speaks English which is better than the majority of the math department. Suck it up, and wait to the end of the semester to review. PDE with anyone is a mind-expanding experience, and expect to be overwhelmed

What an idiot. We were supposed to learn Partial Differential Equations, which is a relatively straightforward question if you are good with math, but he decided to teach us whatever he wants. He enjoys humiliating students and assigning work way too difficult for even the brightest of students. All the bad reviews of him below are definitely true. Anyway, if you want to learn math and get a good foundation in the subject specified, don't take him. If you already know PDE or whatever and are taking it for only-god-knows-why, then I guess he's your ideal choice. Have fun!

I think that Sean gets a perverse sense of pleasure from lecturing on material that is way to advanced for the students he is lecturing to. He lectures on what interests him, and he, of course, has a Ph.D. What aggravates me equally bad is the fact that we pay for this?! I can't say anything further than I wish I had read these reviews before I enrolled in Sean's class.

I agree, very difficult professor. All in his own world. When he says that the mean grade will be a B-, he sticks to it. I wouldn't take this class unless i was naturally good at math, which i'm not.

Sean Paul is one of the nicest men I've encountered at Columbia and one of the most accessible proffessors that I have ever had. That being said, and despite the fact that I love the guy personally, he is an incredibly confusing lecturer who can be near impossible to follow. However, the topics covered in the class are interesting and the workload is not very difficult. Before each exam you'll feel like you have no idea what's going on, but that's okay because everyone is in the same state you are. The problem sets and exams are easier than the lectures will lead you to believe and the book is actually pretty good. Often Prof. Paul will tell you in class exactly what the difficult problems on the exams and then if you go to him for help he will solve them for you. Though I had to take the class, I though it was pretty good and I would definitely recommend it as an elective.

Even I had read horrible things about him, I was one naive freshman who though I'd be fine. NO! Don't take him unless you taken BC. The first few weeks are not that bad, but then no on has no clue of what is going on.