18.100A/B is a hard prerequisite for the course. Topology (18.901) was also useful, though unnecessary.
Subject Matter
This topic is foundational and theoretical.
It made one student more comfortable with using foundational tools in analysis.
Course Staff
The course staff was very caring.
The TAs were generous with their time and helped improve understanding of the material.
Lectures
Sometimes the lectures were hard to follow, and handwriting was sometimes difficult to read.
Many got lost during the fast-paced lectures.
Problem Sets
Fair.
The psets were generally fair and easier than material presented in lectures, though they were quickly paced.
Some found psets and office hours to be the most helpful in the class.
Exams
Only a final exam, with little feedback on how it went.
Resources
There was no specific textbook for the course, though students made use out of Analysis on Manifolds by Munkres, Guillemin’s notes, and Spivak’s Calculus on Manifolds.
Professor Melrose also typed notes for the class throughout the semester, which students took advantage of.
Grading
The grading cutoffs were unclear, though grading on the psets was fair.