Hey, I'm pretty sure a good number of people here are engineering majors. I mean the name of the site is 'evageeks.org, lots of geeks are engineers that are fairly far along. So on to the question . . .

Do you think Calculus IV sucks?

On a side note, my friend helped kill a tree by using 20 sheets of paper for an assignment in a certain class.

The mathematics in the engineering program at CMU consisted of (at least in 1992) Calc (placed out from AP), Calc 2, Calc in 3d, and Differential Equations. If Calculus 4 is equivalent to Differential Equations, I didn't really like it that much but was required for the Analog Circuit design class.

The Math/CS program had Analysis 1 and 2 (didn't need to take either for my Mathematics degree), then Advanced Calculus 1 and 2, which consisted mostly of delta-epsilon proofs, Cauchy sequences and the like, verification of Calculus/Analysis concepts without basing it on limits. Those 2 were awesome classes.

Dude, Calculus I sucks. I don't even wanna think about Calc IV right now.

At my school there's Calc I-IV. IV being basically differentials and integrals with multiple variables. Then there's a whole plethora of other math classes that most non-math majors don't ever need to take. Differential Equations is its own separate class.

Calculus is just math with pre-determined equations. I really don't find it all that difficult, since the problem solving for each question is usually a generic (insert this formula and solve) strategy.

The one exception is matrices. I hate matrices.

I have probably managed to forget about 80% of my maths degree over the last 20-odd years, since I've not needed to use any of it.

When I used to work on satellite antenna design, I needed a fair bit of calc (quadruple integrals for determining the interference between elements of a compound array of radiating elements), but that was back in the mid-80s.

The Bastard King wrote:Calculus is just math with pre-determined equations. I really don't find it all that difficult, since the problem solving for each question is usually a generic (insert this formula and solve) strategy.

The one exception is matrices. I hate matrices.

I second that!

I did better in Calc III and Physics IV than I did with that stupid Linear Algebra which consisted of matrices and moooore matrices =)
One mistake and boom, you're doomed.

Back on topic, my Computer Engineering program does not have Calc IV. It has Calc I, II and III, and differential equations, that may qualify as Calc IV, I dunno...

Hey - don't diss Linear Algebra. Together with probability it's great background material when doing error correcting codes (e.g. Reed-Solomon) - and let's not forget about finite fields and... and...
Erhm - sorry I got carried away there, I'll ooze back under my rock.

Calculus was hard for me, but I always wished I had the capacity to take it farther. There's always more mathematics out there to learn.

I hated Calculus. That is all.

From what I am learning on my own, it seems quite interesting, but quite a waste of money (the amount of paper that is used, which is eventualy thrown away anyway)

well, I have a few friends who have had Calc IV and I've heard mixed "reviews"

one was specializing in aerospace engineering and he was pretty "on board" with it, though it did tired him out

one was in electrical engineering and he passed the course but he thought it was ultimately a waste of time

since, "academically" anyway, I'm more into the economic/financial/social science side of things, I wouldn't know

so, if you're not into the physics side of science or maybe mathematics/statistics, I would say it would suck major donkey balls

The Imperialist wrote:From what I am learning on my own, it seems quite interesting, but quite a waste of money (the amount of paper that is used, which is eventualy thrown away anyway)

what?


im a mathematics major and i've never even heard of calc 4.

slothen wrote:what?


im a mathematics major and i've never even heard of calc 4.

I'm guessing the definition of 'calc IV' varies from school to school. It's really just regular calculus with multiple variables at my school. Yeah, I get the stuff pretty easily since I got a good base in calc I and II, but damn, it sure uses a lot of trees to do about 20 problems.

The Imperialist wrote:From what I am learning on my own, it seems quite interesting, but quite a waste of money (the amount of paper that is used, which is eventualy thrown away anyway)

So recycle.

I am.... I am using papers which one side has already been printed, and I am not using it anymore.

May I introduce you to pencil and eraser?
Rather than thinking it oldfashioned, I consider it proven technology

majlund wrote:May I introduce you to pencil and eraser?
Rather than thinking it oldfashioned, I consider it proven technology

I never got used to pens. Pencils and erasers are my best friends since what, elementary school?

Oh, just to say, don't try to do it with real quill pens (I tried). The pen will erode within a few hours,and it is generally irritating.

Iron Rooster wrote:Do you think Calculus IV sucks?

The sequel is never as good as the original. Though I rather liked Calculus III: The Integral Strikes Back.

People wrote:words about writing implements

It's not the tool -- it's how you use it. That being said, I have some kind of mechanical pencil fetish. I am only slightly more picky about pens. However, that's only while drawing -- when doing math work, any mechanical pencil will do, more or less. The wooden ones with the pink erasers are useless, and pens are not worth even owning in terms of writing things -- if you are inking something, then maybe they're useful, but if you are writing something, pens are useless. If you want something permanent, write it on the computer and print it -- it's just as permanent as any other ink on paper, but actually legible, not to mention that you have the ability to edit it while writing without making a mess of the paper.

And fyi, I am currently in the process of failing Calculus I. And yes, I'm an engineering major. I like it okay, but the book sucks, and the prof isn't helping much. The book only explains the stuff in english (if you want to explain math, explain it in MATH, ffs!), and the prof isn't even fluent in english (she speaks maths okay, but she can't mesh with the book at all because she can't figure out what it's trying to teach). Perhaps I should just read the page on Real Analysis on wikipedia and then come in and ace the final suddenly.