Inactive Account Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Because I'm kind of getting owned by math right now. Who likes math? I actually find it tolerable to interesting, depending on subject matter... but I'm kind of getting owned by induction/algorithms/the like right now. Which makes me wonder why I'm a Computer Science major. Anyway, calculus and the like are pretty awesome IMO, because you can actually see how they apply to things... Other thoughts on math? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikethfc Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 You've found a way to apply maths to other things :o because I have no idea where finding the equation of a hypothetical circle with three given points will ever come in handy Regardless it can be quite fun especially when you go wrong and end up breaking maths when you end up with 3=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tables Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Maths is awesome :D. I'm not sure I understand the US Majoring system, or what level it applies (16-18 year olds? university?), but I'm doing Maths at Uni next year and generally looking forward to having about 35 hours of it per week :D. I like just about everything in maths - I don't like Geometry quite so much though, I tend to miss relatively obvious tricks in it, but the others are good fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Alear Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 I am pretty bad at making simple algebraic mistakes. So I decided to go ahead and take Calc A in math to do get practice, even though I knew enough calc to get through intermediate micro. For example, even though I have known how exponential functions work for a long time, I recently graphed several exponential equations as though a number to the 0th power was equal to 0 rather than 1. Oops. I voted other along with calculus and algebra and stats because I like what I have done of discrete math (not all that much). I do not know what combinatorics or algorithms are (though I might know and not know that I know). EDIT-I do know what an algorithm is, but I haven't really studied the construction of algorithms in any detail or anything like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fayt Zelpher Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 I'm an econ/math double major, so I really hope that I am as good at math as I have led myself to believe. Anyway, I should ask what you mean by "algebra". If it's elementary algebra (i.e. middle school and high school level), I'm all for that. However, if you should take a class in linear algebra or matrix algebra, be prepared, for that class will kick your sorry behind. :( It did so to mine, and my ego is still bruised. Calculus and Probability theory are also fun, though I'm not so hot over the proof side of things; I prefer the applications, myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inactive Account Posted January 19, 2010 Author Share Posted January 19, 2010 By algebra I'm referring to the basic stuff; Matrix is indeed another beast, and in my opinion, an evil one (though my high school's idea of teaching it wasn't particulary well-done.) I'm taking Matrix Algebra properly now, and while I don't much like it, it's all right. The computer-math is kind of depressing me at present, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fayt Zelpher Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 By algebra I'm referring to the basic stuff; Matrix is indeed another beast, and in my opinion, an evil one (though my high school's idea of teaching it wasn't particulary well-done.) I'm taking Matrix Algebra properly now, and while I don't much like it, it's all right. The computer-math is kind of depressing me at present, though. I took it the fall before last, and it was the first math class I had any real trouble in. Partial Differential Equations wasn't as bad as that class was. :( And PDE's is the class that separates the math majors from everyone else so if you don't do well there, it might be a good idea to not be a math major. Unfortunately, linear algebra is harder, and required at the university I attend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ansem Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Thank god there are no jackass's that voted they hate all math. I find calculus intresting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icon of Sin Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 I liked doing statistics and probability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inactive Account Posted January 19, 2010 Author Share Posted January 19, 2010 Heh, nobody loves geometry... Yeah, I can understand people who dislike math to an extent, because it can get boring sometimes (not to mention difficult)... people who declare math to be "icky," however, are ... irritating, to put it kindly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fayt Zelpher Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Heh, nobody loves geometry... Yeah, I can understand people who dislike math to an extent, because it can get boring sometimes (not to mention difficult)... people who declare math to be "icky," however, are ... irritating, to put it kindly. Well, some people just don't understand the gentle elegance of mathematical formulae. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrhesia Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 I write stuff during Maths class. Basic algebra is interesting and quick, and statistics can also be interesting. Anything else...ranges from 'meh' through 'zzzzz' to 'gluh'. Problem I sometimes (read: very often) have with maths is the early stuff is tedious and takes ages, and you can do it easily...then you kinda stop doing it properly, then...*BAM!* massive new subunit you can't get yer head around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whase Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Because I'm kind of getting owned by math right now. Who likes math? I actually find it tolerable to interesting, depending on subject matter... but I'm kind of getting owned by induction/algorithms/the like right now. Which makes me wonder why I'm a Computer Science major. Anyway, calculus and the like are pretty awesome IMO, because you can actually see how they apply to things... Other thoughts on math? I'm in my first year studying computer science (at least, my dictionary tells me to translate it that way), I think all aspects of Math can be interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Alear Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Calculus and Probability theory are also fun, though I'm not so hot over the proof side of things; I prefer the applications, myself. I find proofs pretty interesting. However, they are also pretty new to me (didn't really work with them in high school) so beyond memorizing "steps" to a proof given by a teacher, I pretty much suck at them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyperactive Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 My garbage, their medicine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fayt Zelpher Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Calculus and Probability theory are also fun, though I'm not so hot over the proof side of things; I prefer the applications, myself. I find proofs pretty interesting. However, they are also pretty new to me (didn't really work with them in high school) so beyond memorizing "steps" to a proof given by a teacher, I pretty much suck at them. I'm in a class that's all about mathematical logic and the basis of proof work and theorem proving. We'll see if this class changes my mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quanta Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 However, if you should take a class in linear algebra or matrix algebra, be prepared, for that class will kick your sorry behind. Crazy talk. Linear algebra is le awesome. Why? Because linear algebra + calculus = differential geometry, and differential geometry is the form of mathematics that most elegantly handles basically all of classical physics (i.e. not quantum physics). Now actual abstract algebra? I.e. ring theory/field theory/galois theory. That stuff is horrible. I really don't like how it takes about 200-300 pages of prerequisite material to prove that there is no general formula for the solving polynomials of order 5 and higher. I like pretty much all the math you listed except I didn't vote for algebra and trig. I don't really consider them as being full mathematical subjects in their own right unless you include ALL of algebra, in which case... I don't like algebra. Operator algebras are a form of concentrated evil. I find proofs pretty interesting. However, they are also pretty new to me (didn't really work with them in high school) so beyond memorizing "steps" to a proof given by a teacher, I pretty much suck at them. That's pretty normal. Even in graduate level math, there are certain core theorems you are not expected to be able to prove for various reasons (difficulty, length, amount of knowledge required, etc.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fayt Zelpher Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 However, if you should take a class in linear algebra or matrix algebra, be prepared, for that class will kick your sorry behind. Crazy talk. Linear algebra is le awesome. Why? Because linear algebra + calculus = differential geometry, and differential geometry is the form of mathematics that most elegantly handles basically all of classical physics (i.e. not quantum physics). Now actual abstract algebra? I.e. ring theory/field theory/galois theory. That stuff is horrible. I really don't like how it takes about 200-300 pages of prerequisite material to prove that there is no general formula for the solving polynomials of order 5 and higher. I like pretty much all the math you listed except I didn't vote for algebra and trig. I don't really consider them as being full mathematical subjects in their own right unless you include ALL of algebra, in which case... I don't like algebra. Operator algebras are a form of concentrated evil. I find proofs pretty interesting. However, they are also pretty new to me (didn't really work with them in high school) so beyond memorizing "steps" to a proof given by a teacher, I pretty much suck at them. That's pretty normal. Even in graduate level math, there are certain core theorems you are not expected to be able to prove for various reasons (difficulty, length, amount of knowledge required, etc.). This makes me not look forward to my graduate-level classes in math over the upcoming three years... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral "Bull" Halsey Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Math has always been my least favourite subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowofchaos Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 **** Crapulus... Ugh... I hate UNLV and not counting my IB Calculus Courses >.< I'm stuck in MATH 182 (Calculus II) right now ._. Anyways... I'm undeclared right now... but I'm planing to declare a major in computer science once I finish this semester (I can't until I finish this semester ._.) I like the APPLICATIONS of the mathematics... not the actual process itself ._. I want to learn ASM (Assembly) for more than just hacking GBA stuff... but it would help this little project in my head of mine ._. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inactive Account Posted January 20, 2010 Author Share Posted January 20, 2010 quanta, that post fills me with fear and respect. So does your sig. Epic, sir. At this point I am extremely owned by my homework (induction and algorithms and bears oh my). The homework is also late. For some reason, I have stopped worrying about this. This can't end well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 My biggest mistake in the summer before my senior year of high school was persuading my Algebra II teacher to let me take AP Calculus with him, without having taken all of the requirements. Before that I'd been decent in my high school math classes, but that year I ended up the second-slowest in the class (which had a total of seven students.) I became the slowest after one of the others dropped the class at the end of the first semester. The teacher was great and I could do the work when I applied myself in taking notes and studying to memorize everything, but to do an assignment of four to ten problems properly for that class could easily take twice as long as all my other daily work together. I definitely came out of the class more confused than when I went in, except about one thing: I was going to save my future educational ambitions for the liberal arts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fayt Zelpher Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 quanta, that post fills me with fear and respect. So does your sig. Epic, sir. At this point I am extremely owned by my homework (induction and algorithms and bears oh my). The homework is also late. For some reason, I have stopped worrying about this. This can't end well. What class is it? If it's like an intro to proofs and logic, I'm in a similar class now. If it's about computer programming for math, I just got done with one. Either way, I can still attempt to help you, though I don't know how much I can really do. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inactive Account Posted January 21, 2010 Author Share Posted January 21, 2010 Proofs, logic, algorithms, the like. I'm understanding it better now. Thanks for the offer, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quanta Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 This makes me not look forward to my graduate-level classes in math over the upcoming three years... Pshaw. It's not so bad. I mean... I don't really like algebra, but I never took grad algebra either. That was my undergrad algebra class. It wasn't hard; it was just long. And I didn't think the results were that interesting overall. But eh. Graduate differential geometry is actually really cool. It's like multivariable calculus on crack. You can prove some really neat things with differential geometry. Mostly about curvature and mapping little chunks of manifolds (which you can think of as a generalization of curves and surfaces in R^3 to higher dimensions) to Euclidean space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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