Frederico Ardila's Axioms:

  • Axiom 1. Mathematical potential is equally present in different groups, irrespective of geographic, demographic, and economic boundaries.
  • Axiom 2. Everyone can have joyful, meaningful, and empowering mathematical experiences.
  • Axiom 3. Mathematics is a powerful, malleable tool that can be shaped and used differently by various communities to serve their needs.
  • Axiom 4. Every student deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.


  • My advice for navigating an undergraduate math degree at UBC:

  • First Year Students:
  • If you do not have credit for first year calculus (or even maybe if you do) take Math 120/121 in your first year.
  • If you do have credit for first year calculus try to take Math 226 and 227 in first year so you will be eligible for real analysis in second year.
  • Try to take Math 223 in the second semester of your first year.
  • Some good electives for first year math students are: Phys 106, Phys 108 and CPSC 110
  • Second Year Students:
  • If you are eligible, take ONE of Math 320/321, or Math 322/323 in second year. I personally recommend Math 320; I think most second year students will not be adequately prepared for Math 322/323 the way they are structured at UBC.
  • Math 300 is a good course to take in second year.
  • If you do not have the prerequisites for most third or fourth year courses, consider taking some computer science courses like CPSC 221, CPSC 213, CPSC 303 (secretly a math course) or CPSC 320. Also consider taking Philosophy 222/320/323, these are basically math courses.
  • Join the Undergraduate Math Society