Differential Equations
- Thread starter Deeko
- Start date
Going to take the calc bc ap test next thursday...that should suck...Ill prolly take it again next year in college just to get a good foundation in calc 
Where's that "Math wouldn't be hard if you weren't stupid" image?
I loooove differential equations btw. Definitley my favorite math class since probably Geometry.
I loooove differential equations btw. Definitley my favorite math class since probably Geometry.
HendrixFan
Diamond Member
- Oct 18, 2001
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Be happy that you are doing those now. After Calculus, the following math courses are generally easier. You are at the peak, enjoy it while it lasts. Mind numbing probability, statistics, linear algebra, etc, etc will follow.
Kadarin
Lifer
- Nov 23, 2001
- 44,296
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In differential equations class, a lot depends on the instructor. The first time I took the course, I could barely pull a D, so I retook it with a different guy and got an A. Weird, because the material was identical. Now that was about 13 years ago, so don't even ask me how to do them now...
HendrixFan
Diamond Member
- Oct 18, 2001
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I think it all has to do with the quality of instruction you get. I took ODE as an undergrad and hated it so much. I also took a graduate level course and it was o much better b.c. the professor just made it seem "easy" (normally I wouldn't put easy and ODE in same realm, but you get the picture).
I love calculus, much more fun/challenging the regular algebra. Although it's probably hell when you dont understand what the **** you are doing, when you do it's pretty cool(I have 1 exam left to do in calc1 and average 91% up to now.....)
Yeah, Deeko... analytical solutions to diff eqns is rather tiresome. BUT, you really have to get used to it.... because (sadly enough), pretty much everything in physics is a diff eqn. Mass-spring-damper systems, inductor-resistor-capacitor systems, quantum... all of it "fundamentally" boils down to an ODE/PDE.
rgwalt--yes, PDEs are more useful... but SO few of them actually have analytical solutions (the wave equation, Bessel's Equation, Legendre Polynomials, the heat equation), that you're basically down to using numerical techniques to find a "solution". Believe me I know.... that's what the whole concept of finite elements is based around (a numerical solution to a PDE). But, fortunately, there are some nice algorithms around that let you find solutions with more or less expediency (my 13-DOF/node, 4000 node, 10 million timestep system still takes forever, though--of course, its super-stiff, so its a real pain).
rgwalt--yes, PDEs are more useful... but SO few of them actually have analytical solutions (the wave equation, Bessel's Equation, Legendre Polynomials, the heat equation), that you're basically down to using numerical techniques to find a "solution". Believe me I know.... that's what the whole concept of finite elements is based around (a numerical solution to a PDE). But, fortunately, there are some nice algorithms around that let you find solutions with more or less expediency (my 13-DOF/node, 4000 node, 10 million timestep system still takes forever, though--of course, its super-stiff, so its a real pain).
Analytical solutions to ODEs or PDEs are very useful, but most problems must be treated numerically. I've worked with finite element analysis, but my research focus deals with solving non-linear equations, so I've never done a whole lot with PDEs outside of my grad classes.
Ryan
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