Dumbed down math classes are such a waste.

DVK916

Banned
Dec 12, 2005
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I was helping my cousin study for his Calculus in Social Science and Business class and realized what a joke classes like this are. They don't even learn the real material.

Example:

* They barely covery limits, and ignoring the all important epsilon delta proofs.
* They go over derivative, by no proofs of the theorems. I.E no proof of chain rule, power rule, ect.
* They ignore vital concepts like Taylor Series and Maclaurin Series.
* Necessary knowledge of Hyperbolic Trig isn't even covered. How can you finish calculus and not know what the derivative of sinh is.

Such a waste. They should require these people to take real calculus, were they will learn important information. Not some dumbed down calculus.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
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It does not surprise me that the concept of a class tailored for a specific major goes over your head. The reason it is "dumbed down" is because a BUSINESS major doesn't need to know as much about calculus as someone in the sciences.
 

DVK916

Banned
Dec 12, 2005
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I am not saying everyone should take calculus, but if you are going to require it then require the same ones math and engineers take. or don't require it at all.
 

Dumac

Diamond Member
Dec 31, 2005
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Most of those concepts aren't needed for business majors, especially deriving theorems such as chain and power rule.
 

novasatori

Diamond Member
Feb 27, 2003
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I took business calc, we learned proofs for the different theorems, but half that other stuff you mentioned I'm going to venture and say we didn't.

however imo I feel I learned enough and haven't run into any problems with not knowing enough for my finance, stat, and other classes.

I also agree with mugs, why do we need to know calc inside and out if we're not going into math. We learn enough to help us with finance, stat, etc.
 

ponyo

Lifer
Feb 14, 2002
19,688
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You just need to know how to count, add, subtract, multiply, and divide.

Everything else is just fluff.
 

Elderly Newt

Senior member
May 23, 2005
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They learn enough for their major. Also, I finished calc (AP Calc) and we never did Taylor Series, Maclaurin Series, or Hyperbolic Trig. I don't even know what sinh is, let alone its derivative. I received AP credit, so I don't take calc in college right now, so I can't say for certain, but I'm 99.9% positive those are not covered in Calc 1 here either.
 

DaWhim

Lifer
Feb 3, 2003
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Originally posted by: novasatori
I took business calc, we learned proofs for the different theorems, but half that other stuff you mentioned I'm going to venture and say we didn't.

however imo I feel I learned enough and haven't run into any problems with not knowing enough for my finance, stat, and other classes.

I also agree with mugs, why do we need to know calc inside and out if we're not going into math. We learn enough to help us with finance, stat, etc.

if you want to get advanced in finance, you will regret for not taking more math.
 

novasatori

Diamond Member
Feb 27, 2003
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Originally posted by: DaWhim
Originally posted by: novasatori
I took business calc, we learned proofs for the different theorems, but half that other stuff you mentioned I'm going to venture and say we didn't.

however imo I feel I learned enough and haven't run into any problems with not knowing enough for my finance, stat, and other classes.

I also agree with mugs, why do we need to know calc inside and out if we're not going into math. We learn enough to help us with finance, stat, etc.

if you want to get advanced in finance, you will regret for not taking more math.

I'm an Accounting major, so no I don't plan on taking but maybe two or three classes in Finance.
 

WildHorse

Diamond Member
Jun 29, 2003
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Help your cousin by suggesting that he read this clear & easy calculus primer.

Originally posted by: Dumac
Most of those concepts aren't needed for business majors, especially deriving theorems such as chain and power rule.
Exactly the opposite is true. Extremely advanced math in biz, chaos theory to model behavior in securities markets, mainframe supercomputers, etc. Business grad school was mostly 4 years of advanced math.
 

BigJ

Lifer
Nov 18, 2001
21,330
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Originally posted by: scott
Help your cousin by suggesting that he read this clear & easy calculus primer.

Originally posted by: Dumac
Most of those concepts aren't needed for business majors, especially deriving theorems such as chain and power rule.
Exactly the opposite is true. Extremely advanced math in biz, chaos theory to model behavior in securities markets, mainframe supercomputers, etc. Business grad school was mostly 4 years of advanced math.

You're talking about the graduate level. For my major (Econ), Business Calc is fine for undergrad. However, I plan on going to graduate school, so I've already taken Calc I, II, and III, and I also have to take Lin. Alg. and DiffEq just to be considered for admissions at my current undergrad.