How good are you at mathemathics?

[Drogue]

Originally posted by Lul Thyme
No mathematicians think that engineers do any real math...
Most engineers barely take any math besides some first year University calc like any economist or even manager, and then maybe a couple extra numerical methods...

I'm not sure about the US, but I know some of the Engineer's I talk to do at least 2/3 of their degree as maths, and most economists would be between 1/3 and 2/3 maths, depending on which options you'd choose. The Cambridge engineering course does more maths than the maths degree at my local uni, and requires maths (and recommends further maths) A levels, which go beyond US College first year calc before you've even got to uni.

Indeed, my brother's PhD is in maths, but is actually done with the engineering department in part, and paid for by Rolls-Royce. Any engineering degree worth it's salt will include some 'real' maths, as do all the decent Economics degrees over here.

[Asher]

Maybe there's just some confusion.

Engineering is an applied math. It doesn't make much sense for them to spend 2/3 of their courses doing pure math.

I would say 90% of their courses are applied math (at least in Canada...my brother, bf, dad, and a bunch of my friends are or were taking Engineering in Canada).

Computer Science is about 50% applied, 50% pure.

[civman2000]

1. General topology, differential real analysis, and a little bit of modern algebra and geometry.
2. Very well
3. Yes. A lot more.

Anyhow, to answer the questions seriously:

I've taken about 4 courses in analysis (real, complex and on metric spaces in general)

4 in modern algebra (theory of rings, groups, fields)

2 in differential equations (1 ordinary, 1 partial)

1 in differential geometry

2 in modern geometry/topology

It's difficult to say which of these involved the "highest" level of mathematical knowledge. They are all in different branches. All rely on lower math understanding (set theory, calculus etc.)

I grasped it well enough to pass and I remember it as well as could be expected.

I am very likely going to learn more.

Ooh! I want to be you in a couple years! Except minus the differential equations and with a stronger understanding of everything!

Math is fun! Especially things involving the Axiom of Choice (I just was doing a homework problem involving ultrafilters (I had to show there was a 1-1 correspondence between the elements of teh Stone-Cech compactification of a discrete space and the set of ultrafilters over the space) and I had to show there was a unique ultrafilter with a certain property. What was interesting was that as soon as you can show there is at least one such ultrafilter (using the axiom of choice), you can completely specify what the elements of the unique ultrafilter are, but if you don't know one exists, you can't figure out what it is (well you can but the process of doing so is practically equivalent to proving that one exists).

[Dis]

Mathematics (beyond the basic you learn in elementary school) is worthless.

I took all the way up to calculus. While I found it interesting, and I aced all my classes, it didn't seem to have much relevance to real life (unless I went into a mathematics related field of work)

[ColdWizard]

1. Calc II
2. Not at all.
3. **** no.

[Verres]

Re: How good are you at mathemathics?

1. What is the highest level of mathemathics you have so far studied?
GCSE. Pretty basic stuff really, most of the UK have probably scraped through this exam (since it replaced CSE/O-levels of course) which I suppose makes it more or less essential now - in the sense that very few employers will even interview if you don't have it.


2. How well have you grasped what you were taught?
Not well. Learnt it off by heart for the exam, and that was about it. Having been classed by staff and fellow students as an 'arts student' from the age of about 12, no one seemed to care I was totally inept at maths and I was pretty much encouraged not to bother - which I regret.


3. Are you going to learn more?
Not officially; obviously forms no part whatsoever of an English degree. However, I keep trying to maintain some level of competency through occassionally looking at the stuff economics students here are given to do. It's hardly advanced, as economics is taught as part of 'social and environmental studies' so basically all they need is a vague grounding in algebra-type-stuff and reminders of what numbers are...but its better than nothing I suppose.

Always wished maths was something I was actually good at. Studying an arts subject is pretty useless - anyone with a reasonable degree of intelligence can list art/literature etc as one of their hobbies and discuss it without having an official qualification. My degree won't be worth the paper it's written on, and shall certainly not be respected; a science subject would give me kudos and superiority...life is most unfair

[Dinner]

I got through multivariable calculus & diferential equations by the skin of my teeth. I could always do higher math but unlike some people I really had to study and do my home work if I wanted to do well. Algebra, Geometry, and single variable calculus were easy to me but multivariable was an ass kicker.

[Provost Harrison]

Re: Re: How good are you at mathemathics?

Always wished maths was something I was actually good at. Studying an arts subject is pretty useless - anyone with a reasonable degree of intelligence can list art/literature etc as one of their hobbies and discuss it without having an official qualification. My degree won't be worth the paper it's written on, and shall certainly not be respected; a science subject would give me kudos and superiority...life is most unfair

You really believe that? My life trying to build a career in the sciences has been an uphill struggle and even after over half a decade there is no light at the end of the tunnel and I am looking at doing something else. It's been responsible in part for my depression and anxiety and will send me back there at this rate...

[Gibsie]

Six months unemployed with microbiology degree

[MikeH]

A level Maths and Further Maths

There were maths courses for my physics degree but I didn't go to any of the lectures for them, despite that I passed all but the 4th and final one.

I found it easy but boring, hence not bothering attending the lectures.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Gave maths up at 16.

Stopped paying attention in maths lessons at 14.

Have never found any use for anything I learned in maths lessons after the age of 13.

[MikeH]

You never sit around and ask questions like, what would happen to the length of the day if I made the earth a little bit bigger?

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

No. I sit around and ask questions like "Why did they stop making Texan chocolate bars?".

[Drogue]

Originally posted by Lazarus and the Gimp
"Why did they stop making Texan chocolate bars?".

Because of he miner's strike in 1984. Some problem with the strike upsetting production at the Nestle plant where they were made (in Halifax IIRC).

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Blimey. Is that what you learn in maths lessons?