Help me pick my math class

[hans030390]

I'm trying to pick a math class for next semester (freshman). I'm currently taking Calc 2, and am not doing so great in it (enough to get a C, but I have a lot of trouble in the class and am only passing because of the curve). So, I'm looking to take the easiest math class that will fulfill what I need for my major (Computer Science). So, here's a list. If you have any comments or recommendations on what will likely be easiest, let me know:

1. Linear Algebra for Undergraduates - Intro to the theory of real vector spaces. Coordinate systems, linear dependence, bases. Linear transformations and matrix calculus. Determinants and rank. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors.

2. Calc 3 - Elementary geometry of 2, 3, and n-space; functions of several variables; partial differentiation; minimum and maximum problems; multiple integration.

3. Intro to Differential Equations with Applications - Ordinary differential equations and methods for their solution, including series methods and the Laplace transform. Applications of differential equations. Systems, stability, and numerical methods. Partial differential equations of mathematical physics, Fourier series.

4. Intro to Probability and Statistics - Elementary concepts of probability and statistics. Combinatorics, conditional probability, independence, random variables, discrete and continuous distributions, moments. Statistical inference, point estimation, confidence intervals, test of hypotheses. Applications to social, behavioral, and natural sciences.

5. Intro to Mathematical Reasoning - Elementary logic, techniques of proof, basic set theory, functions, relations, binary operations, number systems, counting. Bridges the gap between elementary and advanced courses.

6. Number Theory - Numbers and their representation, divisibility and factorization, primes and their distribution, number theoretic functions, congruences, primitive roots, diophantine equations, quadratic residues, sums of squares.

I don't know if this helps anyone, but I'm currently at Indiana University (Bloomington).

 

[BarneyFife]

#4

 

[Aluvus]

Differential equations is typically the follow-on to calculus (in engineering majors). Probability and statistics is usually stupidly simple. What's your major?

 

[Savij]

Originally posted by: BarneyFife
#4

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

I personally found Linear Algebra far easier than Calc, and it has a lot of real-world uses. What's your major, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[EvilYoda]

If you have any background with probability and stats, I would think that that would be the easiest course. I'm not sure what 5 and 6 are all about so maybe describe those a little more?

Math is different for everyone...I found 1, 2 and 3 quite easy and enjoyed them. Probability bored the hell out of me and once again, I don't know what 5 and 6 are.

 

[Ricemarine]

I can only tell you which classes are easier from what I took (first 3 on the poll). From easiest to hardest is:

Linear Algebra
Differential Equations
Calculus 3.

Although, most schools have pre-reqs which force you to finish calculus 3 to take those classes (the first 3 I'm referring to).

 

[hans030390]

Originally posted by: Ricemarine
I can only tell you which classes are easier from what I took (first 3 on the poll). From easiest to hardest is:

Linear Algebra
Differential Equations
Calculus 3.

Although, most schools have pre-reqs which force you to finish calculus 3 to take those classes (the first 3 I'm referring to).

From what my course book says, I'm able to take them. The pre-reqs are Calc 2.

For everyone else, I added course descriptions and my major to my first post (Computer Science).

Once again, I'm looking for something easy. I'm not too concerned about it applying to my major or being useful in the real world (unless it's REALLY useful). Like I said, I do NOT like Calc 2 (Calc 1 was OK, but that was in high school), and I need something to bring my GPA back up.

 

[CraKaJaX]

Diff EQ is cake, really. I'll be done this semester with it. Next semester I have Calc 3 & Linear Algebra. Join the boat

 

[Fox5]

My CS major required Calc 1, 2, Linear Algebra, and Prob and Stat. Check to make sure yours doesn't, OP.

That said, linear algebra or prob and stat are still the obvious choices depending on what you want to go into. And even then, linear algebra will be the more helpful math class for just about all the CS courses that need math.

BTW, you're probably having a hard time in calc 2 because....
1. It's one of the hardest math classes to 'get'. It introduces a lot of new concepts.
2. You had calc 1 in high school, and most high school calc teachers seem to suck.

Intro to mathematical reasoning also sounds like a class that was required for my CS major, and would be the easiest of all the math classes listed and the most relevant to computer science theories.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

I took differential equations as an Electrical Engineer. I also took Calc 3. Of the two, I found Diffy Q much more interesting. It's basically introduction to the mathematics of control systems (talking about moving masses around with motors and electrical circuit stuff).

 

[blinky8225]

I'm surprised your school lets you take all those freshman year. I would start with something fundamental that you use in your other math classes, which would be linear algebra. I have no idea how you school does it, but linear algebra is a pre-req for differential equations here, and calculus is one for probability.

 

[hans030390]

Originally posted by: Fox5
My CS major required Calc 1, 2, Linear Algebra, and Prob and Stat. Check to make sure yours doesn't, OP.

That said, linear algebra or prob and stat are still the obvious choices depending on what you want to go into. And even then, linear algebra will be the more helpful math class for just about all the CS courses that need math.

BTW, you're probably having a hard time in calc 2 because....
1. It's one of the hardest math classes to 'get'. It introduces a lot of new concepts.
2. You had calc 1 in high school, and most high school calc teachers seem to suck.

Intro to mathematical reasoning also sounds like a class that was required for my CS major, and would be the easiest of all the math classes listed and the most relevant to computer science theories.

My CS major requires 3 "advanced math" classes, one of which has to be Calc 1. I then had a list of other classes that met the requirements. Calc 2 was one, so I only have one more class to pick from the list.

I actually had an excellent Calc 1 teacher in high school. And it's not so much the concepts of Calc 2 that I don't get, it's just doing everything is so complicated and hard to figure out...though I can't say I don't completely get the concepts. It varies.

 

[hans030390]

Edited my first post to show that I go to IU Bloomington.

 

[Fenixgoon]

linear algebra or diff EQ

 

[videogames101]

For computer science, mathematical reasoning would REALLY help.

 

[imported_Imp]

Linear Algebra. Easier than calculus for me, except the matrixes are a bitch to do on a test without a computer. Teacher will usually break it down into a doable 3x3 or 2x2 though.

 

[SsupernovaE]

Mathematical reasoning or linear algebra. Seriously, you probably won't use the others very much in your computer science career.

 

[Kirby]

Originally posted by: videogames101
For computer science, mathematical reasoning would REALLY help.

Ya, we called it Discrete math. Pretty easy too.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: Fox5
2. You had calc 1 in high school, and most high school calc teachers seem to suck.

Based on your experience of 1 high school calc teacher? My students get college credit for calc 1, plus when they contact me from college (I have a lot of former students on facebook), I usually hear stuff like "Calc II is a freakin joke! You already taught us all of this stuff. I have to explain a lot of it to my friends."

Oh, and #5 sounds a bit like my discrete math course. It's too hard to point to any of those courses and say "this will be the easiest for you." Number theory kicked my ass, but that's because I skipped a week of classes as an experiment (with the prof's permission), because I had planned on being a math teacher & wanted to find out what it was like to not have a clue during math class. Still got my A, and I recognized that the course was probably easy if I was there, but I was completely lost for about a month. Those were the only tests I ever took where I walked out without a clue if I had an A or an F.

 

[tailes151]

#4

Stat is really easy if you take a little time to look at the equations.

 

[hans030390]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: Fox5
2. You had calc 1 in high school, and most high school calc teachers seem to suck.

Based on your experience of 1 high school calc teacher? My students get college credit for calc 1, plus when they contact me from college (I have a lot of former students on facebook), I usually hear stuff like "Calc II is a freakin joke! You already taught us all of this stuff. I have to explain a lot of it to my friends."

Are you teaching Calc AB or BC? With AB (what I had), there's no way I'd have learned Calc 2 material with any teacher. We only covered what was required and covered in the AP Calc AB exam, which did not have any Calc 2 material in it.

 

[Fox5]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: Fox5
2. You had calc 1 in high school, and most high school calc teachers seem to suck.

Based on your experience of 1 high school calc teacher? My students get college credit for calc 1, plus when they contact me from college (I have a lot of former students on facebook), I usually hear stuff like "Calc II is a freakin joke! You already taught us all of this stuff. I have to explain a lot of it to my friends."

Oh, and #5 sounds a bit like my discrete math course. It's too hard to point to any of those courses and say "this will be the easiest for you." Number theory kicked my ass, but that's because I skipped a week of classes as an experiment (with the prof's permission), because I had planned on being a math teacher & wanted to find out what it was like to not have a clue during math class. Still got my A, and I recognized that the course was probably easy if I was there, but I was completely lost for about a month. Those were the only tests I ever took where I walked out without a clue if I had an A or an F.

It seems to be a common complaint about high school teachers. It's rare that I've met someone who felt their high school teacher did a good job of presenting calc 1, especially after taking a college course. (in my school, out of 50 students taking the AP test, 48 failed, and I've heard lots of similar stories from others) That's not to say every high school calc teacher sucks, but out of commonly taught AP courses, it seems to be the one that suffers the most.

BTW OP, I really gotta say go with Intro to Mathematical Reasoning. Your algorithm and data structure classes will build right off of it.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: hans030390

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: Fox5
2. You had calc 1 in high school, and most high school calc teachers seem to suck.

Based on your experience of 1 high school calc teacher? My students get college credit for calc 1, plus when they contact me from college (I have a lot of former students on facebook), I usually hear stuff like "Calc II is a freakin joke! You already taught us all of this stuff. I have to explain a lot of it to my friends."

Are you teaching Calc AB or BC? With AB (what I had), there's no way I'd have learned Calc 2 material with any teacher. We only covered what was required and covered in the AP Calc AB exam, which did not have any Calc 2 material in it.

I'm teaching Calc I and most of Calc II. We don't fiddle around with AP crap. I'm working with one of the state universities; sent in my resume, credentials, course outline, sample tests & materials, etc., and was approved as "voluntary adjunct professor." (Although I receive a stipend for my work.) My students pay $120 tuition (total) for a 4 credit hour Calc I course. The grade they get in my class shows up on their college transcripts exactly as if they had attended on campus.

It seems to be a common complaint about high school teachers. It's rare that I've met someone who felt their high school teacher did a good job of presenting calc 1, especially after taking a college course. (in my school, out of 50 students taking the AP test, 48 failed, and I've heard lots of similar stories from others) That's not to say every high school calc teacher sucks, but out of commonly taught AP courses, it seems to be the one that suffers the most.

I believe the way the AP is set up, 20% get 5's, 20% get 4's, 20% get 3's, etc. If 96% of the kids in your school "failed", that's balanced out somewhere by some teacher having 96% of his/her students passing. There are plenty of schools, and plenty of people on ATOT have posted that almost everyone in their class got 5's on the Calc AP exam.

 

[hans030390]

Originally posted by: Fox5
BTW OP, I really gotta say go with Intro to Mathematical Reasoning. Your algorithm and data structure classes will build right off of it.

Ok, but will it be easy? Not just compared to Calc 2, necessarily.

Also, a friend of mine from the same school(used to be a going for a math major but had to drop out due to depression issues) said to "definitely take Calc 3". As much as I value his opinion (and he is good at math), I'm not hearing much from anyone else suggesting the same.