# Shiva Chidambaram — Courses & Reviews | UW–Madison [View on UW Courses](https://uwcourses.com/instructors/SHIVA_CHIDAMBARAM) ## Dataset ### revision e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349 ### repository twangodev/uwcourses ### schema version 6 ### importer version 7 ### projection id 94468b7d4154126ca413937bb4738a6d21e0c2277f6fa397a6078ad80a32384f ### observed at 2026-09-07T15:55:43.033547+00:00 ### built at 2026-09-10T23:19:01.870283+00:00 ### courses 8951 ### current instructors 5754 ### limited false ### terms * 1272 * 1264 * 1262 * 1254 * 1252 * 1244 * 1242 * 1234 * 1232 * 1224 * 1222 * 1212 * 1204 * 1202 * 1194 * 1192 * 1184 * 1182 * 1174 * 1172 * 1164 * 1162 * 1154 * 1152 * 1144 * 1142 * 1134 * 1132 * 1124 * 1122 * 1114 * 1112 * 1104 * 1102 * 1094 * 1092 * 1084 * 1082 * 1074 * 1072 ### term 1272 ### departments | subject | count | | --------- | ----- | | AAE | 90 | | ABT | 20 | | ACCTIS | 36 | | ACTSCI | 14 | | AFAERO | 10 | | AFRICAN | 87 | | AFROAMER | 71 | | AGROECOL | 21 | | AMERIND | 53 | | ANAT\&PHY | 7 | | ANATOMY | 2 | | ANESTHES | 8 | | ANSCI | 57 | | ANTHRO | 95 | | ART | 125 | | ARTED | 10 | | ARTHIST | 121 | | ASIALANG | 129 | | ASIAN | 109 | | ASIANAM | 28 | | ASTRON | 38 | | ATMOCN | 69 | | BIOCHEM | 51 | | BIOCORE | 10 | | BIOLOGY | 14 | | BIOMDSCI | 18 | | BME | 66 | | BMI | 41 | | BMOLCHEM | 10 | | BOTANY | 69 | | BSE | 44 | | C\&ESOC | 73 | | CBE | 48 | | CHEM | 101 | | CHICLA | 52 | | CIVENGR | 133 | | CLASSICS | 47 | | CNP | 10 | | CNSRSCI | 50 | | COMARTS | 137 | | COMPBIO | 15 | | COMPLIT | 11 | | COMPSCI | 138 | | COUNPSY | 78 | | CRB | 19 | | CS\&D | 71 | | CSCS | 40 | | CURRIC | 193 | | DANCE | 93 | | DERM | 8 | | DS | 88 | | DYSCI | 35 | | ECE | 155 | | ECON | 145 | | EDPOL | 114 | | EDPSYCH | 97 | | ELPA | 70 | | EMA | 53 | | EMERMED | 17 | | ENGL | 206 | | ENTOM | 40 | | ENVIRST | 148 | | EP | 15 | | EPD | 67 | | ESL | 16 | | F\&WECOL | 60 | | FAMMED | 22 | | FINANCE | 50 | | FOLKLORE | 40 | | FOODSCI | 43 | | FRENCH | 63 | | GEN\&WS | 145 | | GENBUS | 72 | | GENECSLR | 17 | | GENETICS | 60 | | GEOG | 113 | | GEOSCI | 83 | | GERMAN | 82 | | GLE | 48 | | GNS | 38 | | GREEK | 27 | | HDFS | 41 | | HEBR-BIB | 13 | | HEBR-MOD | 10 | | HISTORY | 233 | | HISTSCI | 56 | | HONCOL | 13 | | ILS | 43 | | INFOSYS | 9 | | INTEGART | 7 | | INTEGSCI | 22 | | INTER-AG | 18 | | INTER-HE | 11 | | INTER-LS | 22 | | INTEREGR | 16 | | INTLBUS | 21 | | INTLST | 50 | | ISYE | 83 | | ITALIAN | 53 | | JEWISH | 56 | | JOURN | 88 | | KINES | 128 | | LACIS | 26 | | LANDARC | 61 | | LATIN | 24 | | LAW | 120 | | LEGALST | 48 | | LINGUIS | 35 | | LIS | 89 | | LITTRANS | 78 | | LSC | 52 | | M\&ENVTOX | 7 | | MARKETNG | 62 | | MATH | 153 | | MDGENET | 8 | | ME | 130 | | MEDHIST | 43 | | MEDICINE | 60 | | MEDIEVAL | 32 | | MEDPHYS | 39 | | MEDSC-M | 29 | | MEDSC-V | 41 | | MHR | 68 | | MICROBIO | 45 | | MILSCI | 16 | | MM\&I | 22 | | MOLBIOL | 6 | | MS\&E | 59 | | MUSIC | 165 | | MUSPERF | 126 | | NAVSCI | 20 | | NE | 44 | | NEURODPT | 11 | | NEUROL | 7 | | NEURSURG | 4 | | NTP | 11 | | NURSING | 111 | | NUTRSCI | 65 | | OBS\&GYN | 18 | | OCCTHER | 39 | | ONCOLOGY | 14 | | OPHTHALM | 5 | | OTM | 43 | | PATH | 34 | | PATH-BIO | 29 | | PEDIAT | 26 | | PHARMACY | 31 | | PHILOS | 77 | | PHMCOL-M | 11 | | PHMPRAC | 45 | | PHMSCI | 60 | | PHYASST | 37 | | PHYSICS | 88 | | PHYSIOL | 3 | | PHYTHER | 37 | | PLANTSCI | 52 | | PLPATH | 35 | | POLISCI | 192 | | POPHLTH | 58 | | PORTUG | 33 | | PSYCH | 101 | | PSYCHIAT | 22 | | PUBAFFR | 54 | | PUBLHLTH | 23 | | RADIOL | 11 | | REALEST | 41 | | RELIGST | 90 | | RHABMED | 9 | | RMI | 24 | | RP\&SE | 102 | | S\&APHM | 17 | | SCANDST | 73 | | SLAVIC | 89 | | SOC | 149 | | SOCWORK | 87 | | SOILSCI | 46 | | SPANISH | 83 | | SRMED | 21 | | STAT | 94 | | STDYABRD | 52 | | STS | 8 | | SURGERY | 25 | | SURGSCI | 33 | | THEATRE | 91 | | URBRPL | 60 | | UROLOGY | 5 | | ZOOLOGY | 89 | ## instructor ### instructor uid instructor\_6419be81226c791349ad5519 ### source enrollment ### source instructor id chidambaram3 ### identity basis netid ### identity status source\_identified ### name Shiva Chidambaram ### email CHIDAMBARAM3\@WISC.EDU ### first observed at 2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00 ### last observed at 2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00 ### ratings #### review count 23 #### quality 2.43 #### difficulty 3.74 #### quality count 23 #### difficulty count 23 #### profile id rmp:3064250 #### source url #### match basis exact\_name #### observed at 2026-09-07 16:05:46.191162+00:00 #### courses ##### course 7e12e6bf6be7a81f7ca74420 ###### review count 2 ###### quality 3 ###### difficulty 4 ###### quality count 2 ###### difficulty count 2 ##### course 6bc496e4640fd08f71e1b041 ###### review count 21 ###### quality 2.38 ###### difficulty 3.71 ###### quality count 21 ###### difficulty count 21 #### bayesian quality 3.0019468760681836 #### prior mean 3.6596857835465957 #### prior weight 20 ### current true ### courses | course\_uid | course\_id | title | credits\_min | credits\_max | gpa | | -------------------------------- | ------------- | ----------------------------------------- | ------------ | ------------ | --- | | course\_dcdb624e3fb8cbaf9a557ab9 | MATH/STAT 431 | INTRODUCTION TO THE THEORY OF PROBABILITY | 3 | 3 | 3 | ### revision e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349 ### instructor url /instructors/SHIVA\_CHIDAMBARAM ## history | term | course\_uid | course\_id | title | | ---- | -------------------------------- | ------------- | ----------------------------------------- | | 1272 | course\_dcdb624e3fb8cbaf9a557ab9 | MATH/STAT 431 | INTRODUCTION TO THE THEORY OF PROBABILITY | ## timeline | term | courses | | ---- | ------- | | 1272 | 1 | ## term 1272 ## courses ```json [ { "course_uid": "course_dcdb624e3fb8cbaf9a557ab9", "course_id": "MATH/STAT 431", "title": "INTRODUCTION TO THE THEORY OF PROBABILITY", "credits_min": 3, "credits_max": 3, "gpa": 3, "badges": [ { "id": "grade-outcomes", "label": "Lower grades", "tone": "negative", "evidence": "Spring 2026 · latest released grades before Fall 2026: 3.21 GPA across 97 letter grades, versus 3.62 for UW–Madison (1283 courses). Requires a difference of at least 0.20 and 30 letter grades. Historical outcomes, not predicted difficulty.", "sources": [ { "label": "Grade history and sources", "href": "/courses/MATH_STAT_431#grades" } ] }, { "id": "lecture-size", "label": "Small lectures", "tone": "neutral", "evidence": "Fall 2026: median 29 enrolled students across 6 recorded lecture sections. Small means 30 or fewer; large means 100 or more. Enrollment at scan time, not capacity or typical historical attendance.", "sources": [ { "label": "Sections and enrollment", "href": "/courses/MATH_STAT_431#schedule" } ] } ], "description": "Introduction to the theory of probability covering axioms, distributions, and limit theorems", "discovery": { "term": "1272", "offered": true, "history": { "counts": [ 404, 132, 274, 84, 130, 47, 25 ], "count": 1096, "gpa": 3.1177007299270074, "topShare": 48.9051094890511, "firstTerm": "1224", "lastTerm": "1264" }, "instructors": [ { "course_uid": "course_dcdb624e3fb8cbaf9a557ab9", "uid": "instructor_6419be81226c791349ad5519", "name": "Shiva Chidambaram", "quality": 3.0019468760681836, "quality_count": 23, "instructor_url": "/instructors/SHIVA_CHIDAMBARAM" }, { "course_uid": "course_dcdb624e3fb8cbaf9a557ab9", "uid": "instructor_2a02136af51764ad77d8ae3b", "name": "Ander Aguirre Zarate", "quality": null, "quality_count": null, "instructor_url": "/instructors/ANDER_AGUIRRE_ZARATE" } ], "instructorHistory": { "counts": [ 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 ], "count": 0, "gpa": null, "topShare": null }, "courseComparison": { "counts": [ 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 ], "count": 0, "gpa": null, "topShare": null }, "claim": null, "reviewFiles": [ "/data/e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349/reviews/course_dcdb624e3fb8cbaf9a557ab9-0.json" ] } } ] ``` ## reviews ### items ```json [ { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:05:46.191162+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQzMzg0NTE5", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:3064250", "instructor_name": "Shiva Chidambaram", "course_label": "MATH541", "course_id": "MATH 541", "course_uid": "course_7e12e6bf6be7a81f7ca74420", "review_date": "2026-08-24 06:41:09 +0000 UTC", "comment": "It's obvious shiva is not properly planning out his lectures beforehand because his thoughts are scattered and difficult to follow. That being said, abstract algebra can just be extremely unintuitive at times. Biggest complaint is homework is graded unnecessarily harshly. Textbook is really good and it saved me on homework/exams. ", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/3064250", "quality_rating": 3, "difficulty_rating": 4 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:05:46.191162+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQzMzAwNzE4", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:3064250", "instructor_name": "Shiva Chidambaram", "course_label": "MATH541", "course_id": "MATH 541", "course_uid": "course_7e12e6bf6be7a81f7ca74420", "review_date": "2026-07-13 17:02:25 +0000 UTC", "comment": "Will read from the book. Is a nice guy and definitely has potential as a teacher, but for now seems to just copy the textbook. Occasionally gets a little confused and has to redo a lot of work. Hardest exams I have ever seen, but he will lower the grade cutoffs significantly at the end. Will go over at the end of class. Again, really nice guy.", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/3064250", "quality_rating": 3, "difficulty_rating": 4 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:05:46.191162+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQzMDA4NDY0", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:3064250", "instructor_name": "Shiva Chidambaram", "course_label": "MATH222", "course_id": "MATH 222", "course_uid": "course_6bc496e4640fd08f71e1b041", "review_date": "2026-05-03 05:41:28 +0000 UTC", "comment": "Just walked in, read the slides out, underlined words on slides and walked out. Because it was his first time teaching the course, he seemed nervous and wouldn't really say anything when people disturbed class, that grace could be given to him. But overall, even if u attend lecture, you'll have to teach the material to yourself ", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/3064250", "quality_rating": 3, "difficulty_rating": 4 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:05:46.191162+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQyOTQyNzcy", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:3064250", "instructor_name": "Shiva Chidambaram", "course_label": "MATH222", "course_id": "MATH 222", "course_uid": "course_6bc496e4640fd08f71e1b041", "review_date": "2026-04-27 16:16:45 +0000 UTC", "comment": "Calc 2 is an inherently hard class and shiva only made it harder for me. The only reason I passed was because of TA doing gods work lemme tell you. I took it in the fall and all of the freshman in the class would just talk over him the entire time. Along with allowing himself to be treated like a door matt his lectures were hard to understand.", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/3064250", "quality_rating": 1, "difficulty_rating": 4 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:05:46.191162+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQyODM3OTg4", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:3064250", "instructor_name": "Shiva Chidambaram", "course_label": "MATH222", "course_id": "MATH 222", "course_uid": "course_6bc496e4640fd08f71e1b041", "review_date": "2026-04-14 23:02:42 +0000 UTC", "comment": "Lowkey he is chill and gives good examples, but it was kind of hard to understand him sometimes because the examples were not really related to things we did in discussion. ", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/3064250", "quality_rating": 4, "difficulty_rating": 3 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:05:46.191162+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQyNTU1NzIy", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:3064250", "instructor_name": "Shiva Chidambaram", "course_label": "MATH222", "course_id": "MATH 222", "course_uid": "course_6bc496e4640fd08f71e1b041", "review_date": "2026-01-27 20:32:41 +0000 UTC", "comment": "Shiva's lectures were extremely hard to follow and understand, and he spent a lot of time doing proofs rather than clear examples. The class felt like I had to teach it to myself with him as my professor.", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/3064250", "quality_rating": 1, "difficulty_rating": 5 } ] ``` ### total 23 ### page 1 ### courses | course\_uid | course\_id | | -------------------------------- | ---------- | | course\_6bc496e4640fd08f71e1b041 | MATH 222 | | course\_7e12e6bf6be7a81f7ca74420 | MATH 541 | ### matched true ## social Image true