What branch of Mathematics did you find most difficult?

Definitely calc. Trig is relatively easy with all those identities, I've found. I never really got into higher level anything (I just took intro Trig and intro Calc classes), but I definitely got the lowest grades and had to try the hardest in my high school Calc class.
 

Joemonkey

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2001
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need to add discrete mathematics... that stuff sucks! I dropped the class haflway through, and i thought calc was easy as pie

EDIT: Here is a link describing what discrete math is for those who haven't gotten into it yet...
 

dighn

Lifer
Aug 12, 2001
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trig?! wait til u get to high level calclulus (multivariable/diff equation/complex variables)
 

gopunk

Lifer
Jul 7, 2001
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calculus... i dunno it seems easier 3 years after i took it though, maybe it was a maturity issue.
 

XZeroII

Lifer
Jun 30, 2001
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I find most Calc pretty simple, it's just the advanced algebra problems that start showing up that really mess you up. Of course I am only in my first year of Calc, so there could be harder stuff to come.
 

notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
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Originally posted by: jumpr
Definitely calc. Trig is relatively easy with all those identities, I've found. I never really got into higher level anything (I just took intro Trig and intro Calc classes), but I definitely got the lowest grades and had to try the hardest in my high school Calc class.

Huh, you msut be the opposite of me cause I think the identites are what make trig hard. I could never remember them... there's like 1,000,000 of them.
 

calpha

Golden Member
Mar 7, 2001
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Originally posted by: yoda291
linear algebra fscked me up good. So I guess algebra.

I love linear algebra.

Absolutely love it. Wish I could find a game programming job somewhere b/c they use all sorts of it in there ;0

That being said....Topology really took me over the edge. And Difficult---no----but the class I struggled the most in was Discrete Math because that had to be the most boring 2 hours a week I've ever endured in my life. I'd rather have banged myhead on the wall for an hour a day.
 

dighn

Lifer
Aug 12, 2001
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maybe ppl should say what level of education they current have otherwise the poll is kind of meaningless :p
 

Joemonkey

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2001
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Originally posted by: calpha
Originally posted by: yoda291 linear algebra fscked me up good. So I guess algebra.
I love linear algebra. Absolutely love it. Wish I could find a game programming job somewhere b/c they use all sorts of it in there ;0 That being said....Topology really took me over the edge. And Difficult---no----but the class I struggled the most in was Discrete Math because that had to be the most boring 2 hours a week I've ever endured in my life. I'd rather have banged myhead on the wall for an hour a day.

well thats now 2 votes for discrete math, add it to the poll!!

however, only those w/ 3+ years of college will even know wtf it is i suppose
 

eLiu

Diamond Member
Jun 4, 2001
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meh..it's all pretty easy to me, lol. I haven't had any analysis courses yet, so I guess I'm not really qualified to say on Calculus...

oh...since someone asked for education level, i'm currently in HS, have taken all the alg/geo/trig junk...and AP calc AB/BC (single var) and calcIII (multivar) and applied difeq I over at ncsu.
 

Originally posted by: notfred
Originally posted by: jumpr
Definitely calc. Trig is relatively easy with all those identities, I've found. I never really got into higher level anything (I just took intro Trig and intro Calc classes), but I definitely got the lowest grades and had to try the hardest in my high school Calc class.

Huh, you msut be the opposite of me cause I think the identites are what make trig hard. I could never remember them... there's like 1,000,000 of them.

It's all about writing a program for your TI-83 with the trig identities in it. Geek cheat. :)

Also, my teacher would OCCASIONALLY let us have a notecard. That was sweet.
 

notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
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Originally posted by: jumpr
Originally posted by: notfred
Originally posted by: jumpr
Definitely calc. Trig is relatively easy with all those identities, I've found. I never really got into higher level anything (I just took intro Trig and intro Calc classes), but I definitely got the lowest grades and had to try the hardest in my high school Calc class.

Huh, you msut be the opposite of me cause I think the identites are what make trig hard. I could never remember them... there's like 1,000,000 of them.

It's all about writing a program for your TI-83 with the trig identities in it. Geek cheat. :)

Also, my teacher would OCCASIONALLY let us have a notecard. That was sweet.
The class I'm taking now is Calc 2. I don't find any of the calculus itself particularly difficult, until it requires trig. I suck at trig substitution. I don't know the derivative of sec^3x. I don't know the values for sin, cos and tan from 0 - 2pi in pi/6 and pi/4 increments. I jsut can't remember all those things. I'm not allowed to use calculators or notecards in my class.
 

atom

Diamond Member
Oct 18, 1999
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Algebra. Algebraic topology would own me if I ever had to take that course.
 

Originally posted by: notfred
Originally posted by: jumpr
Originally posted by: notfred
Originally posted by: jumpr
Definitely calc. Trig is relatively easy with all those identities, I've found. I never really got into higher level anything (I just took intro Trig and intro Calc classes), but I definitely got the lowest grades and had to try the hardest in my high school Calc class.

Huh, you msut be the opposite of me cause I think the identites are what make trig hard. I could never remember them... there's like 1,000,000 of them.

It's all about writing a program for your TI-83 with the trig identities in it. Geek cheat. :)

Also, my teacher would OCCASIONALLY let us have a notecard. That was sweet.
The class I'm taking now is Calc 2. I don't find any of the calculus itself particularly difficult, until it requires trig. I suck at trig substitution. I don't know the derivative of sec^3x. I don't know the values for sin, cos and tan from 0 - 2pi in pi/6 and pi/4 increments. I jsut can't remember all those things. I'm not allowed to use calculators or notecards in my class.

Remembering the unit circle values was always tough, but as for the actual identities, I never really had a problem with it.

EDIT: forgot to mention that I had a great analysis/trig teacher. He taught at my HS and at the local comm. college, and I think he's the best math teacher I've ever had.
 

BamBam215

Golden Member
Feb 17, 2000
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anything up to and including all three years if calc is a cakewalk compared to real analysis.