Calculus(my update)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1013813/posts ^

[IYAAYAS]

I made the above linked post more than a year ago which generated more than 100 replies. Which means I've been waiting (hoping) for more than a year to make this one. Well I finished! Calculus 1,2,3 and differential equations, including a discreet mathematics class over the summer for good measure. I just got my final grades for calc 3 and DEQ this morning, B and B. DEQ was by far the most difficult class I've ever taken, VERY interesting to me though, I wish I had the time to take DEQ2. This morning I feel like I've finaly won an epic struggle between me and math. I know I still have a lot of math in my future as an engineering major, but now I have the confidence and the ability. WOOHOO I'm so happy! To all who posted advice: Thank You! To any misguided student who comes to FR for math advice read the above linked post and follow the advice!

[beachn4fun]

Listen, I managed to finish all my required math, thank you very much. Intermediate Algebra and College Math were quite enough for me, thanks. I am very much blessed that I did not have to take Trig or Calc!


IYAAYAS - congrats to you. I know what a struggle it was for me just understanding advanced algebra, so what you have done is really a great accomplishment!

p.s. I also know the elation that comes with getting a B in a class like advanced math!

[Professional Engineer]

Well, the main theorem is that the integral of e to the x is equal to a function of u to the n power.

Well stated. I'm getting a vision. LOL

[econ_grad]

I hope you are not using Matlab 6. More and more complicated dynamics is leading to more and more sophisticated differential equations. Instead of using a package routine which may not be optimal for your system, it is highly advisable to learn numerical methods and a programming language. I mostly code in C with help from the GSL library system which has a lot of routine to handle linear algebra stuff. I wish using matrices in C was as easy as in Java.

[Professional Engineer]

I have a 6 year old Math wizard and I am not certain what direction to take so math continues to be so much fun for him.

Activities involving math (even covertly) work well. I did well in math in my youth, but really started to enjoy it when I could the practical appliactions.

[econ_grad]

hardly surprising! With maturity, people learn faster mostly because they have an end goal in sight. I wish I went to grad school with a little real-life experience. I went straight out of college and was clueless for the longest time.

[Nataku X]

Awesome. You obviously faced your demons head-on and succeeded. Few people have that kind of perservance. Congratulations.

[Andonius_99]

You missed out on Linear Algebra? If you're an EE, you'll definitely need that for any controls systems analysis courses you'd need to take...wish I did. (Just finished my controls course as of Tuesday...) Anyway, congrats!

[GRRRRR]

The only reason I took calculus was to sit next to Ingrid Nylen.

I got a C, because I was sitting next to Ingrid Nylen...

Woe woe woe is me...

GeoR

[Joe Bonforte]

I'm getting a vision. LOL

I think I didn't make it obvious enough that my comment was humorous. It's that darn deadpan delivery...

Or maybe it's just humor that only math geeks would appreciate.

[Born to Conserve]

Okay, now how about a nice proof based course on formal languages and automata? That gets real fun.

[jimbergin]

Another Amen! and not just for DE. Use programing and compuers for all sorts of math.

[Chode]

[William Terrell]

discreet mathematics class over the summer for good measure

Discreet math? Means you turn homework in in a plain, brown paper bag? No one under 18 admitted? The classroom door is locked at the bell and the door window painted black on the inside?

[searchandrecovery]

It's been scientifically proven that the more math courses you take, the greater likelihood of "brain explosion" later in life. By the way, SBE (Spontaneous Brain Eruption) is not related to SC (Spontaneous Combustion).

[Ranxerox]

What would be your advice to someone that is about to embark on the calculus and Diff E journey?

#1 - Know your algebra forwards and backwards. Everybody I've ever seen struggle with calculus didn't have good algebra skills.

#2 - Work many, many problems. Redo the ones you get wrong. Repeat ad infinitum/ad nausem.

[Future Snake Eater]

That proof is bogus!

"Girls require time AND money" means: Girls = Time + Money.

If it had said something like "Getting girls is the product of time and money," THEN it would be right.

Jeez...lousy math illiterates!

[IYAAYAS]

Thanks for all the replies and congratulations!

So many Q's, I'll try to answer them all at once:

I actually took calc 3,DEQ AND engineering physics all in the same semester, got an A in the physics course :).

My advice on the conceptual part is to understand the power of e, I think of e as the God number. The higher you go in math the more e shows up, I spent a few sleepless nights lying in bed just pondering e, I love e, he's my buddy.

I'm happy I'm finished with math in one sense, but sad in another. I'll miss calculus, I wish there was more. 3D vector fields was my favorite...mmmmm vectors.

My major is EE. I love electric train sets.

As far as DEQ is concerned, it seems like everything I ever learned in any math class was geared towards eventually taking DEQ. So many obscure concepts came back to haunt me: the mean value theorem, the ratio test for summations, and implicit differentiation to name a few. this was the last problem on my final:
solve using the power series expansion method(x^2+1)Y''-XY'+Y=0. Oh yea, solving SYSTEMS of 2nd order DEQ's was loads of fun.
Discreet mathematics was for the smart people, all the dumb kids were sent to the discrete math class ;). I never bragged I could spell...
I'm seriously considering breaking my "no drinking till dark' rule.
MERYY CHRISTMAS ALL

[ProudVet77]

WOW. I started my professional life as a EE type. But was trained on tubes and transistors :(
They had just come out with the earliest ICs.
Eventually I got into software by way of writing diagnostics for the hardware, and then eventually OS drivers for the hardware and so on.
Just remember in the job market there are a lot more software jobs than hardware jobs, at least in the computer business.
FWIW - It's dark in London right now, so you wouldn't be breaking your rule. :)

[Chode]

since you put it that way, wouldn't it be Time² + Money???
you need time to make the money as well as to chase girls.

i count my self blessed for a degree requiring only algebra, geometry, trigonometry and stats...

[jigsaw]

Would that be Wittenberg Ingrid?