Is it really this easy to get into a UC as a pure math major?

JetForcegeminix
Fri, 04 Jun 2010 05:12:37 +0000

solving a rubiks cube isn’t similar to what upper division math is about. A closer example is the following: if you get into Berkeley and take Math 113( Abstract Algebra) you’ll encounter the notion of group actions on a set which is usually motivated by the problem of counting the number of different positions of a rubiks cube. Try thinking of how you would do that. It is quite different from merely solving the rubiks cube which is something you can memorize an algorithm for.

here’s the solution:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubik’s_cube_group#Total_number

edit:
arcadefire: i agree that the engineering prereqs are probably far more difficult than the math classes at CCC. However, i think there is a dramatic difference once you get to upper div material. My friend just graduated with a double major in berkeley EECS and applied math and got into berkeley again for the EECS phd program. Having been through both programs, he told me that abstract math courses were much more difficult than even his graduate EECS courses.