Math Is Fun Forum

renjer

Member

Registered: 2006-04-29

Posts: 50

Hello

Renjer here, some of you guys probably know me already. I consider myself to be quite average in maths, not too good, not too bad either. I'm not the Olympiad kind of guy who claims to know everything there is to know about Maths, I find it quite difficult too sometimes.

I'm in uni in Western Australia, doing Biotech and Chemistry major, and Maths minor. This year I have to do this calculus unit which is sometimes bordering on the impossible part of things. I did vectors and partial derivatives already; just finished Vector Calculus which I find really difficult, now studying 2nd order Differential Equations. And finally, we'll end with a topic on Linear Algebra and matrices.

Next year, I'm still doing maths (not for the 2nd semester of this year though), and I'm really scared of taking Fourier analysis (after seeing how hellish this 2nd year calculus unit can be), so I've decided to take Environmental and Biological Modelling. I guess it'll be much easier, and for once, it's an open book exam! How I wish my calculus unit now were an open book exam.

I post quite a lot of my assignment questions here and questions that I can't do, I hope you guys can help me. I'm quite amazed by the prompt reply too. Thanks.

Jai Ganesh

Administrator

Registered: 2005-06-28

Posts: 48,395

Re: Hello

Hi renjer,
Welcome to the forum!
Sure, we'd do our best to help you, in whatever way we can!

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It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.

Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: Hello

GDay renjer, nice to hear some more about you! Why not post some nice pictures at the Member Images topic: http://www.mathsisfun.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1688 (if you have any you want to share)

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

Patrick

Real Member

Registered: 2006-02-24

Posts: 1,005

Re: Hello

Hello Renjer, and welcome Besides posting pictures, you should also add yourself to the frappr-map! Look at the top of the page..

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George,Y

Member

Registered: 2006-03-12

Posts: 1,379

Re: Hello

even bio major need to know DE now...... IT CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!

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X'(y-Xβ)=0

renjer

Member

Registered: 2006-04-29

Posts: 50

Re: Hello

It's not that, but this has a little story behind it.

A biotech major has to take stats (originally). With chem, he has to do a slightly harder unit called Applied Maths (which of course involves DEs).

Now with me, I saw what the Applied Maths syllabus was and I was shocked. Most of it, I've covered in college! So, I applied for a preclusion (which shouldn't have been granted because later I found out, whatever you did in college didn't count in uni. Turns out I was lucky.)

Also, no one in the world (I think) would do such a degree as I'm doing (Biotech, Chem, maths minor) in 3 years because I think it is really stressful.

And yes, Bio major needs to know DE now, we use a lot of it in modelling. With partial derivatives too I think.

George,Y

Member

Registered: 2006-03-12

Posts: 1,379

Re: Hello

Do you need to master special solutions to all types of DEs? Frankly, I find solving a DE manually is not a good idea.
for PDEs, I think there are virtually no manual solutions. We have to count on computing softwares.

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X'(y-Xβ)=0

renjer

Member

Registered: 2006-04-29

Posts: 50

Re: Hello

Yes of course, I know that in Applied Maths, we have to use the I formula (which is like replacing something with Ie^ something, I don't remember) for DEs that are not separable. There's also separable DEs, 2nd order DEs and non-homogeneous DEs. I wonder how I'm going to put all those down into my 2 pages of notes.

How I wish this exam was an open book exam, just like Maths Modelling. Actually I think all maths exams should be open book since, anyone with the right state of mind won't take any problems directly out of the book, right?

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: Hello

Actually I think all maths exams should be open book since, anyone with the right state of mind won't take any problems directly out of the book, right?

Yes, exams should have somewhat original questions!

I prefer open book - it is closer to the real world (how many bosses say "I need the report by 11:00, and you aren't allowed to refer to any books or notes" ... ?)

Anyway, if you have to spend too much time thumbing through books you will fail anyway.

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

krassi_holmz

Real Member

Registered: 2005-12-02

Posts: 1,905

Re: Hello

Hi renjer.

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IPBLE:  Increasing Performance By Lowering Expectations.

sabdulsamee

Member

Registered: 2006-05-11

Posts: 9

Re: Hello

My name is S. Abdul-Samee.
I am an Independent Associate of Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.
My question is as follows:

How much is infinity divided by zero?

renjer

Member

Registered: 2006-04-29

Posts: 50

Re: Hello

Can't do it.

Last edited by renjer (2006-05-11 12:56:08)