Post your schedule!

[dark_drake]

Most of the calculus professors I've talked to say that the biggest problem with their students is that the students don't know their algebra and trigonometry.

[rabbit]

I switched my Calc 3 for Calc 4, since I don't actually (as it turns out) need to take Calc 3.  Same time slot though.

[Sidoh]

I switched my Calc 3 for Calc 4, since I don't actually (as it turns out) need to take Calc 3.  Same time slot though.

Wait, you're an engineering major, aren't you?  It would seem to me that Calc 3 should absolutely be required. :S

"Calc 4" is just proving the concepts used in 1-3, isn't it?

[skip]

I absolutely despise math. Yes, I am one of those kids who walk around saying they hate math.

I can't say what I plan on studying though, most likely Criminal Law. I don't think that requires much math...

[dark_drake]

What topics are covered in your calc 3 and calc 4, rabbit?

[rabbit]

From the course descriptions:

Calc 3
Differential equations, Taylor's theorem, sequence and series, convergence, power series

Calc 4
Vectors, curves, partial derivatives, gradient, constrained optimization, coordinate system, multiple integrals, and applications

[dark_drake]

Your calc 3 is covered in my calc 2 and calc 4 is my calc 3. I rule!

[Sidoh]

Yeah, that's partitioned way differently than it is here.  It's about the same as it is at drake's university, I'd guess.  We covered all of those things (plus a few other major topics I can think of) in Calculus 2.  Are these semester-long courses?

We just covered gradients today in Calc 3.

I absolutely despise math. Yes, I am one of those kids who walk around saying they hate math.

I can't say what I plan on studying though, most likely Criminal Law. I don't think that requires much math...

That may be true, but I still recommend you take calculus.

[rabbit]

Kind of.  Drexel does 3 10 week quarters and 1 11 week quarter (fall, because of Thanksgiving and Columbus Day taking off almost a total week).  My adviser told me I didn't have to take Math 123 because I'm an engineer, so eh?

Anyway, my ENGR 231 class is actually Linear Systems.  Go figure.

[Sidoh]

So these are "quarterly" classes?  How weird.

The topics you listed in Calculus 3 are a subset of what's covered in Calculus 2 at this university (and most others I'm familiar with).  Those don't seem as necessary for engineering topics, but they're certainly useful.

Your Calculus 4 is a subset Calculus 3 here (semesters are ~4 months).  Those are the topics that I were saying were useful/necessary to engineers.

There's a "Calculus 4" here, but I'm pretty sure it's just lovingly called that by the people that take it.  I have no idea what it's really called, but I've been told that it's going into painful depth in the proofs of concepts used in Calculus.

[Camel]

What topics are covered in your calc 3 and calc 4, rabbit?

That sounds absurd! Every teacher and professor I've ever had has required proofs before using them as shortcuts.

[Sidoh]

What topics are covered in your calc 3 and calc 4, rabbit?

That sounds absurd! Every teacher and professor I've ever had has required proofs before using them as shortcuts.

Did you quote the wrong person?

I've been required to prove/provide the formal definitions for limits, derivatives, integrals, etc, but I'm sure there's more to some of the other things that are sort of hand waved in the introductory courses.

Like I said, the course is supposed to be "painful" in detail.  It's not really "Calculus 4."  It probably isn't even close to deserving such a title.  I sat in on the last 10 minutes of one session and it looked like combinatorics stuff to me.  There's a girl in my Calc 3 class that apparently took it last semester, so I suppose I could ask the real title of the course and more about what it entails if you're interested.

[Ender]

It's probably Analysis. Analysis = rigorous proofs of obvious things. Combinatorics plays a role in a variety of fields, not to mention it being a field itself (many mathematicians identify themselves as combinatorists).

[Sidoh]

It's probably Analysis. Analysis = rigorous proofs of obvious things. Combinatorics plays a role in a variety of fields, not to mention it being a field itself (many mathematicians identify themselves as combinatorists).

Yep, it sure does.

That could be it; I've still never heard the title of the course.  I'll ask around, though.

[Camel]

What topics are covered in your calc 3 and calc 4, rabbit?

That sounds absurd! Every teacher and professor I've ever had has required proofs before using them as shortcuts.

Did you quote the wrong person?

I've been required to prove/provide the formal definitions for limits, derivatives, integrals, etc, but I'm sure there's more to some of the other things that are sort of hand waved in the introductory courses.

Like I said, the course is supposed to be "painful" in detail.  It's not really "Calculus 4."  It probably isn't even close to deserving such a title.  I sat in on the last 10 minutes of one session and it looked like combinatorics stuff to me.  There's a girl in my Calc 3 class that apparently took it last semester, so I suppose I could ask the real title of the course and more about what it entails if you're interested.

I did quote the wrong person, oops.

I seriously did mean that there was no hand-waving. Everything can be boiled down to mathematical axioms; there's no reason for hand-waving. If you can prove every piece of the puzzle, you've got a solid understanding of mathematics. When I got to college, I was actually shocked to learn that every school system did not work that way.