Initial Curriculum

Based on suggestions from @jameshloving

[#173862703]

Authored-by: Waciuma Wanjohi <[email protected]>

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# Changing the curriculum
+OSSU thrives because of the changes made by our many contributors. Read on for details on how to help every student that follows you.
+## Non-substantive changes
+If you have non-substantive updates to make to the curriculum, such as a course's URL having been moved, spelling/syntax errors, etc., please send a [pull request](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/how-to-make-your-first-pull-request-on-github-3/) to fix any mistakes that you have found.
+## Substantive changes
+If you have specific and substantive criticisms of the curriculum, i.e. problems related to the progression/content of courses it would be appropriate to [open an issue](https://help.github.com/articles/creating-an-issue/). While it is acceptable to point out problems, all successful changes naturally require a plan for fixing the problem.
+OSSU’s curricular guidelines are [here](CURRICULAR_GUIDELINES.md). Successful critiques of the curriculum will point out ways that OSSU is failing to uphold these guidelines. Examples are:
+
+* OSSU lists a course as required when the course topics are elective in the curricular guide.
+* OSSU does not having a course to cover required topics from the curricular guide.
+* OSSU lists multiple courses that cover the same topics when fewer courses could suffice.
+* OSSU recommends a course to teach a topic, but there exists a higher quality course that covers the same material.
+## Other ways to contribute
+### Responding to Issues
+Issues require more than just users to suggest them. Issues require active community members to read and respond to proposals. Even adding simple [emoji reactions](https://github.blog/2016-03-10-add-reactions-to-pull-requests-issues-and-comments/) can help the community.
+### Engaging with other students
+Learning is enhanced by engaged peers. You can be that peer for someone new to OSSU. When you see a new person posting in Gitter, ask them a question about themselves. When you see a cohort starting at _almost_ the right time, join in. Doing so will make OSSU a stronger program for everyone, including you.
+# Personal Customization
+If you want to customize the curriculum for yourself, you are encouraged to [fork this project](https://help.github.com/articles/fork-a-repo/)!

CURRICULAR_GUIDELINES.md

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# Curricular Guidelines
+
+[Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics Curriculum Guide](https://www.maa.org/node/790342)
+
+The 2015 CUPM Curriculum Guide is prepared by the MAA’s Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics with the support of the Mathematical Association of America, the National Science Foundation DUE-1228636, the Educational Advancement Foundation, and the professional advice of more than 250 mathematicians and scientists in the community. The guide is written to help departments design and maintain robust math major programs.
+
+## Organization publishing:
+
+### Mathematical Association of America
+
+_"The Mathematical Association of America is the world’s largest community of mathematicians, students, and enthusiasts. We further the understanding of our world through mathematics because mathematics drives society and shapes our lives. The mission of the MAA is to advance the understanding of mathematics and its impact on our world. Our members include university, college, and high school teachers; graduate and undergraduate students; pure and applied mathematicians; computer scientists; statisticians; STEM professionals, and many others in academia, government, business, and industry. We welcome all who are interested in the mathematical sciences."_

FAQ.md

@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+# Frequently Asked Questions
+
+This page answers some questions that we frequently receive about the curriculum.
+If you have questions that aren't answered here, try asking through one of our [community channels](README.md#community).
+If it seems important enough or we get asked that question a lot, we will probably add it here.
+
+Alternatively, you could [contribute](#CONTRIBUTING.md) an answer yourself.
+
+## Contents
+
+- [How can I review the math prerequisites?](#how-can-i-review-the-math-prerequisites)
+- [In what order should I take the courses?](#in-what-order-should-i-take-the-courses)
+- [Does every resource in the main curriculum have to be free?](#does-every-resource-in-the-main-curriculum-have-to-be-free)
+- [Are Coursera courses free to access?](#are-coursera-courses-free-to-access)
+- [Is it necessary to purchase the Verified Upgrade for edX courses?](#is-it-necessary-to-purchase-the-verified-upgrade-for-edx-courses)
+- [Why doesn't the curriculum cover/ignore topic X?](#why-doesnt-the-curriculum-coverignore-topic-x)
+- [Why is the curriculum missing some pre-requisites?](#why-is-the-curriculum-missing-some-pre-requisites)
+
+## Questions
+
+### How can I review the math prerequisites?
+Many OSSU students choose to review math topics that they have not studied recently.
+OSSU recommends students use Khan Academy for such a review.
+Below are links to topic assessments.
+After taking an assessment, you should have a clear idea what topics to study, and resources on Khan Academy to use.
+
+- [Arithmetics](https://www.khanacademy.org/math/arithmetic#arithmetic-subject-challenge)
+- [Basic Geometry](https://www.khanacademy.org/math/basic-geo#basic-geo-subject-challenge)
+- [Pre-algebra](https://www.khanacademy.org/math/pre-algebra#pre-algebra-subject-challenge)
+- [High School Math 1](https://www.khanacademy.org/math/math1#math1-subject-challenge)
+- [High School Math 2](https://www.khanacademy.org/math/math2#math2-subject-challenge)
+- [High School Math 3](https://www.khanacademy.org/math/math3#math3-subject-challenge)
+
+(Math 1, 2, 3 covers all of algebra, pre-calculus, high school geometry, trig, stats. It interleaves the order of these topics.)
+
+### In what order should I take the courses?
+
+You have a few different options:
+- You can progress linearly from top to bottom of the page.
+- You can progress linearly through each individual section, but studying different sections in parallel.
+- You can design your own custom progression using the pre-requisites to guide you.
+
+We have designed the curriculum to work for any of the above three styles.
+
+### Does every resource in the main curriculum have to be free?
+
+Yes, that is a core goal of OSSU.
+
+At the same time, we recognize that education is a resource that requires payment to instructors to make it sustainable in the long term.
+Therefore, we respect the business model of websites like edX, which make their materials free but with some paid add-ons, like official certificates or extra interaction with course instructors.
+
+So we only require that the *learning materials* of a resource be free to access, not that every possible add-on be free.
+It would be ideal if graded assignments were always free. In the event that free assessments are not available OSSU looks for alternate assessments to pair with a course.
+
+### Are Coursera courses free to access?
+
+Some courses that require payment to access probably do exist on Coursera, but we don't put those on our curriculum.
+All Coursera courses that we put on the curriculum must, at minimum, be **free to audit**.
+For some courses, all course features are available for free;
+for others (especially those that are part of a specialization), you may only be able to access the lecture videos.
+(If you find the policies have changed for any courses on our curriculum, please tell us!)
+
+Unfortunately, for some courses, Coursera's interface is [very aggressive](https://darkpatterns.org/) about convincing you that you have to pay.
+
+You may see something like this on the course page:
+
+<img src="http://i.imgur.com/MxOcYZv.png" alt="Free Trial" style="width: 400px;"/>
+
+When attempting to enroll in such a course:
+- Click the blue "Enroll" or "Enroll Now" button.
+- A pop-up will appear.
+- **Do not click** "Start Free Trial", unless you do want to pay.
+- Find the text that says "Audit this course" at the bottom.
+- Click **Audit**.
+
+![Audit this course](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/3349406/27321369-95ca12e6-55cc-11e7-9b5c-f8fedd8fd643.png)
+
+### Is it necessary to purchase the Verified Upgrade for edX courses?
+
+If you just want to watch the videos, it is never necessary for any edX course on our curriculum. Note that a number of edX courses only allow students to audit a course for the estimated number of weeks it takes to complete. Students should not begin a course until they are prepared to focus and complete the course.
+
+### Why doesn't the curriculum cover/ignore topic X?
+
+You can read more about our curricular guidelines and the qualifications of the guidelines' authors [here](CURRICULAR_GUIDELINES.md). If you find a topic that is required by our guidelines and is not included in the curriculum, we should make a change! Read more about [contributing to a change](CONTRIBUTING.md).
+
+### Why is the curriculum missing some pre-requisites?
+
+The curriculum assumes two things:
+- You are reasonably fluent in English.
+- You have gotten through a standard high school curriculum that included physics and pre-calculus.
+
+Without these assumptions, the curriculum would be out of control with trying to fill in your knowledge gaps.
+For those who want to study math pre-requisites, read more [here](#how-can-i-review-the-math-prerequisites)
+
+Of course, if you find that the curriculum is missing a pre-requisite for a course that isn't part of a normal high school curriculum, please let us know!

HELP.md

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Getting help
+## Check the FAQ!
+Please check our [Frequently Asked Questions](FAQ.md) to see if your question has been addressed.
+## Ask in the chat room
+Join the OSSU [Discord server](https://discord.gg/5pUhfpX)! Discord is an online chat service, similar to Slack or IRC where you can chat with other students and get help.
+### Specific problems
+If you need help successfully completing the content of a course or are having general technical difficulties, first reach out to the resources provided by the course (e.g. the course forum on Coursera, edX, etc). If you need additional help after that, post in Discord. **In your post, mention what steps you have already taken to try and solve the problem**.
+### General problems
+If you have general problems with the program not specific to any course, such as preferring textbook-style learning over MOOCs, Discord is a good place to reach out to people who may have great suggestions. You might form a working group that makes the next improvement to OSSU CS! Read more about contributing [here](CONTRIBUTING.md).

README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+![Open Source Society University (OSSU)](http://i.imgur.com/kYYCXtC.png)
+
+<h3 align="center">Open Source Society University</h3>
+<p align="center">
+  Path to a free self-taught education in Computer Science!
+</p>
+<p align="center">
+  <a href="https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome">
+    <img alt="Awesome" src="https://cdn.rawgit.com/sindresorhus/awesome/d7305f38d29fed78fa85652e3a63e154dd8e8829/media/badge.svg">
+  </a>
+  <a href="https://github.com/ossu/computer-science">
+	<img alt="Open Source Society University - Computer Science" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/OSSU-computer--science-blue.svg">
+  </a>
+</p>
+
+# Contents
+
+- [Summary](#summary)
+- [Community](#community)
+- [Code of conduct](#code-of-conduct)
+- [Curriculum](#curriculum)
+- [License](#license)
+
+# Summary
+
+The OSSU curriculum is a **complete education in mathematics** using online materials.
+It's for those who want a proper grounding in concepts fundamental to all math disciplines,
+and for those who have the discipline, will, and good habits to obtain this education largely on their own,
+but with support from a worldwide community of fellow learners.
+
+It is designed according to the degree requirements of undergraduate math majors, minus general education (non-math) requirements,
+as it is assumed most of the people following this curriculum are already educated outside the field of CS.
+The courses themselves are among the very best in the world, often coming from Harvard, MIT, Stanford, etc.,
+but specifically chosen to meet the following criteria.
+
+**Courses must**:
+- Match our [curricular guidelines](CURRICULAR_GUIDELINES.md) the 2015 CUPM Guide.
+- Be open for enrollment
+- Run regularly (ideally in self-paced format, otherwise running multiple times per year)
+- Be of high quality in teaching materials and pedagogical practice
+
+When no course meets the above criteria, the coursework is supplemented with a book.
+
+**Duration**. It is possible to finish the curriculum within about 2 years if you plan carefully and devote roughly 18-22 hours/week to your studies.
+
+**Cost**. OSSU strives to identify free resources to reach your learning goal. However, some courses may charge money for assignments/tests/projects to be graded.
+
+Decide how much or how little to spend based on your own time and budget;
+just remember that you can't purchase success!
+
+**Process**. Students can work through the curriculum alone or in groups, in order or out of order.
+- For simplicity, we recommend working through courses in order from top to bottom, as they have already been sorted by their prerequisites.
+- Courses in Applications are electives. Choose one subject you want to become an expert in and take all the courses under that heading. You can also create your own custom subject (we recommend getting validation from the community on the subject you choose).
+
+**Content policy**. If you plan on showing off some of your coursework publicly, you must share only files that you are allowed to.
+*Respect the code of conduct that you sign in the beginning of each course!*
+
+**[How to contribute](CONTRIBUTING.md)**
+
+**[Getting help](HELP.md)** (Details about our FAQ and chatroom)
+
+# Community
+
+- We have a Discord server! This should be your first stop to talk with other OSSU students. Why don't you introduce yourself right now? [Join the CS channel in OSSU Discord](https://discord.gg/5pUhfpX)
+- You can also interact through [GitHub issues](https://github.com/ossu/computer-science/issues). If there is a problem with a course, or a change needs to be made to the curriculum, this is the place to start the conversation. Read more [here](CONTRIBUTING.md).
+- Subscribe to our [newsletter](https://tinyletter.com/ossu).
+- Add **Open Source Society University** to your [Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/school/11272443/) profile!
+
+# Code of conduct
+[OSSU's code of conduct](https://github.com/ossu/code-of-conduct).
+
+# Curriculum
+
+- [Introduction to Mathematical Thinking](https://www.coursera.org/learn/mathematical-thinking)
+- [Single Variable Calculus](https://www.edx.org/xseries/mitx-18.01x-single-variable-calculus)
+- [Multivariable Calculus](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/18-02sc-multivariable-calculus-fall-2010/)
+- [Differential Equations](https://www.edx.org/xseries/mitx-18.03x-differential-equations)
+- [Linear Algebra](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/18-06sc-linear-algebra-fall-2011/)
+- [Book of Proofs](https://www.people.vcu.edu/~rhammack/BookOfProof/) ([Assessments](http://www.people.vcu.edu/~rhammack/math300/tests/index.html))
+- [Real Analysis](http://analysisyawp.blogspot.com/)
+- [Abstract Algebra](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLelIK3uylPMGzHBuR3hLMHrYfMqWWsmx5) ([Assignments](https://canvas.harvard.edu/courses/30943/assignments)) ([Solutions](https://canvas.harvard.edu/courses/30943/pages/homework-solutions))
+- Topology (**TODO**)
+- [Probability](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-041sc-probabilistic-systems-analysis-and-applied-probability-fall-2013/)
+- [Statistics](https://www.edx.org/course/fundamentals-of-statistics)
+- Applications (**TODO**)
+
+## Congratulations
+
+After completing the requirements of the curriculum above, you will have completed the equivalent of a full bachelor's degree in Mathematics. Congratulations!
+
+What is next for you? The possibilities are boundless and overlapping:
+
+- Look for a job. Mathematicians go into careers as statisticians, financial analysts, actuaries and more!
+- Join a local math club (e.g. via [meetup.com](https://www.meetup.com/)).
+- Pay attention to emerging ideas in mathematics by subscribing to a math journal or joining a professional math organization.
+
+## How to show your progress
+
+1. Create an account in [Trello](https://trello.com/).
+1. Copy this (**TODO**) board to your personal account.
+See how to copy a board [here](https://help.trello.com/article/802-copying-cards-lists-or-boards).
+
+Now that you have a copy of our official board, you just need to pass the cards to the `Doing` column or `Done` column as you progress in your study.
+
+# License
+<a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-sa/4.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License</a>.