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Old 03-30-2008, 07:57 PM   #1
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The Hardest Math Class

What do you think is the hardest math class youve taken in your x years of engineering school.
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Old 04-01-2008, 01:14 AM   #2
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I'm going to say Linear Algebra or Complex Analysis so far. Both are pretty abstract.
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Old 04-01-2008, 02:09 AM   #3
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Advanced Engineering Math. The one where you "learn" about Bessel and Fourier.

That is not the class to slack off in.
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Old 04-01-2008, 07:48 PM   #4
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My math teachers have said that Abstract Algebra was very dificult.
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Old 04-01-2008, 09:22 PM   #5
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I'll second Advanced Engineering Math. At my school, it's full of proofs and memorization of formulas. Us engineers didn't see the point in learning proofs. I was very surprised it was supposedly an engineering math class, but had less real problem solving than my other math courses.
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Old 04-01-2008, 09:33 PM   #6
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Linear Algebra
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Old 04-01-2008, 11:56 PM   #7
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Quote:
Advanced Engineering Math. The one where you "learn" about Bessel and Fourier.

That is not the class to slack off in.
lol

I'm taking that class (well, I'm learning that in Advanced Differential Equations) ... in HS.
I've been absent for the last two classes :S and we're supposed to have started learning about Bessel functions.
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Old 04-02-2008, 04:58 AM   #8
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i guess it depends on the person, because most ppl at my school consider linear algebra to be the easiest compared to diff. equations and vector calculus. imo, it's vector calculus.
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Old 04-02-2008, 05:39 PM   #9
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Partial Differential Equations is pretty hard. It's a combination of differential equations, linear algebra and multivariable calculus. You spent most of the time learning various techniques to solve different kinds of problems, and sometimes it gets very complicated and difficult to follow.
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Old 04-02-2008, 05:47 PM   #10
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I think Diff Eq was the most abhorrently wretched and incredibly difficult course, let alone *math* course, that I've ever taken, but this is probably because the guy who wrote our book was also our (really awful) professor, we received a couple of looseleaf chapters of the textbook at a time because he was writing the second edition (now with more typos!), it was HORRIBLY written and had no example problems, the class was at 8 AM, and it was in the darkest windowless lecture hall on campus.

I still have horrible flashbacks of searching frantically for "CHAPTER FIVE" the night before the exam. Ugh.
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Old 04-02-2008, 08:34 PM   #11
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No way, I'm in the same boat!

My professor writes his own notes, and no textbook is "required" in the class. We have to print out the notes he posts online, usually 15-20 pages.
You know what's funny? He's in front of me right now. I'm in the adv. diff eq lab class right now. Awful stuff. Not paying attention at all.

In my case, however, the class is at 6:25. I have high school from 8:40-4:00 ... then I got to take the bus to get to this class. Energy bars barely keep me alive.

I'm regretting taking this class as a dual enrollment class. Seems it won't even be transferred to GATech.

Last edited by fesago; 04-02-2008 at 08:41 PM.
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Old 04-02-2008, 10:27 PM   #12
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You should look at buying a real textbook to go along with your class. There are plenty of decently rated Diff Eq books out there. I used this book: http://www.amazon.com/Elementary-Dif.../dp/0471319988 except an edition or two older when I took Diff Eq. for the first time. You ought to be able to find a version that's an edition or two old for less than $30 on abebooks.com or one of those sites if you try.
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Old 04-02-2008, 10:43 PM   #13
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I think that Gee i'm a tree is the hardest class there is...
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Old 04-03-2008, 01:08 AM   #14
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Algorithms
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Old 04-03-2008, 01:38 AM   #15
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For me, Linear Algebra was hard to grasp the concepts. I found it difficult to visualize the transformations.

Other than that, I also think Advanced Differential Equations is difficult. It was very difficult to follow the proofs of the different Bessel equations. I don't think it comes up often unless in research.

The most tedious for me are series solutions. Not very useful but could be a very long process to solve.
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