Hardest math class you've taken?

[stonecold3169]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: RabidMongoose
abstract algebra was weird, but I did well in it even though I still don't know what it was about

lmao, I skipped a week or so of classes, with the prof's permission, to experiment and find out what it was like to struggle in a math class - so I could understand what my students would be experiencing when they struggled in math.

All I can say about that experience is that it made that class a major pita. I was so lost that I didn't know where to begin with questions. I still managed to get an A - so, like RabidMongoose, I "did well in it even though I still don't know what it was about"
I started from scratch during the summer after the course was over and went through everything again until I did understand it.

Otherwise, the hardest math I've done was independent research in understanding extra-dimensional objects by looking at their intersections with 3-d space. Daily headaches as I thought about it and worked on it. Or to put it this way, imagine you live on a line and can only comprehend 1 dimension. You only see a projection of a 2 dimensional image (such as a triangle) on your line. Spin the 2-dimensional image. View how its projection (a line) changes length as the 2-d object is spinning. Now, attain the ability to think in 2-d while you live in your 1-d universe. Figure out what the object looks like.

Now, you can move on to a 2-dimensional plane of existence. This is when I realized I could be more creative. Rather than just looking at a projection of a 3-d object on my two-dimensional space, I could even move the 3-d object through my 2-d space and view the 2-d intersection. ex) if a sphere could move through a piece of paper, its intersections (as it moved through) would start as a point and grow into a circle with a diameter equal to that of the sphere, then decrease back to a point before winking out of existence.

Taking this another step, I wrote a program on Mathematica so that I could view movies of 4-dimensional objects passing through 3-dimensional space. I attempted to train my mind to be able to grasp the shapes of 4-dimensional objects. I think I saw God or something... it gave me horrible headaches.

Otherwise, Real Analysis was one of the more difficult math classes to get an A in... tough prof.

Actually, if you've ever taken Abstract Linear Algebra, you spend a great deal of time looking at the projections of multidimensional objects transformed onto different sized planes (you actually touch on it in Abstract algebra as well, but you are never really told why at that point).

I agree with the point earlier that math is challenging and not hard... at least until you get into analysis, and then it becomes a freaking artform.

The hardest course I ever took on the undergrad level was complex anaylsis 2, which consisted of using proofs and theory to build solid proofs of what you guys did in calc 2 and why you did it. The class was a nightmare.

 

[exdeath]

Originally posted by: KillerCharlie
Runge-Kutta > DifEq

Meh Don't Havok and Karma both use cheap first order Euler integrators?

 

[Dizzymon]

I second this one. Econmetrics was insane. I wish I understood part of it.

Originally posted by: ElFenix
econometrics

 

[stan394]

the hardest for me is Analysis I in freshman year of college. basically the first class a pure math major should take. after that class, I know I can't major in math.

 

[ZH]

Linear and Alinear Chaos Theory Statistics

Makes you want to crap your pants, doesn't it?

...I just made it up.



In truth, mine was Bio-Statistics

 

[yourdeardaniel]

Originally posted by: ZH
Linear and Alinear Chaos Theory Statistics

Makes you want to crap your pants, doesn't it?

...I just made it up.

too late


jk

 

[ScottFern]

Took Calculus 2 TWICE.

 

[msparish]

My toughest class.... I took multivariable calc from a terrible, terrible (and egotistic!) professor. Anyway, he would just bounce around from abstract concept to abstract concept, while not relating anything. Nobody in the class had any clue what was going on.

Anyway, the first test comes around, and everyone did quite well on it. He had give us a practice test the week before, and went through all of the answers with us. The real test was exactly like the practice test, except that about 50% of the problems had a number changed. The kicker: we could have a page of notes. The next week he comes in with our scores, entirely thrilled. He informs us that we had been doing senior and graduate level stuff and that we did very well on the tests. I honestly had no clue at all what was going on, but I scored a 99%. The class was like this for the remainder of the semester. Needless to say, I went about 4 more times...on days they went over the practice tests and on test days.

I have an A on my transcript for calc 3 (and averaged about a 97%)...I couldn't even tell you what you use a gradient for, or what curl and divergence mean. Honestly. I'm just going to have to learn it outside of school, as I am a physics major.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I did fine through Algebra, Geometry, Trig.
I did pretty well in my 3 calc classes.
I did ok in Diff Eq.

The hardest course I ever took was Linear Algebra. Perhaps it's because I rarely attended class, perhaps its because I was drunk all the time when in college, or perhaps justt because I never studied, I failed.

 

[Jmman]

Originally posted by: yourdeardaniel

Originally posted by: ZH
Linear and Alinear Chaos Theory Statistics

Makes you want to crap your pants, doesn't it?

...I just made it up.

too late


jk

Actually my school has an elective called Chaos Theory and Nonlinear Dynamics...you were pretty close.....

 

[mooglekit]

Topology...back during my senior year of college, last math course I had to take for my major...full of proofs trying to explain why, in topological terms, a coffee mug and a torus (donut shape) are the same. Hope you all have the fun of experiencing that, but only if you like math of course...

 

[zmaster]

Vectors. I could create my own diff equations but couldnt grasp vectors in 3d. Holy hell and I hit an A in A level maths. How I have no idea

 

[Jadow]

calc in college. got a D. Never understood it, never will.

 

[Gamingphreek]

AP Calculus AB. Its moderately hard right now, but i hear it gets insanely hard.

-Kevin

 

[The Linuxator]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ
Arithmetic. I couldn't work with numbers over 10 because I ran out of fingers.

My teachers told me it would get easier when I got older, but they lied because I still only have 10 fingers, and I tried my hardest to grow more.

:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: they told me the same thing, :Q

Oh and BTW Engineers > Mathmatecians

 

[xenocyd3]

essentials of math

 

[theMan]

hardest class ive taken is the one im taking now, calc 2 (hey, not bad for 10th grade). its my first college course. ive got an A- now, hopefully ill have an A by the end of the semester.

 

[iskim86]

pre-calc B in junior year in high school

it's not like it was hard, but I had zero interest and paid zero attention. not to mention I did zero homework and got Fs in all quizzes and tests. in othe words, I didn't give a rat's ass cuz the teacher was just plain TERRIBLE. I hope she's fired by now.

 

[DeadSeaSquirrels]

Statistical Mechanics, it was suppose to be a physics class...but damn, when your past quantum, it's all math.

 

[imported_nautique]

Numerical Analysis....college level...

 

[captains]

2nd grade

 

[Sureshot324]

Abstract Algebra, 3rd year university math/comp sci course. Had to drop it the first time i took it.

 

[Sureshot324]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ
Arithmetic. I couldn't work with numbers over 10 because I ran out of fingers.

My teachers told me it would get easier when I got older, but they lied because I still only have 10 fingers, and I tried my hardest to grow more.

Lol

 

[aeroguy]

Highest I got to was calc. III and diff.eq.

Calc III was harder IMO. Got an A in diff.eq. and a B+ in Calc III.

 

[importdistributors]

I think calc was the hardest, but it made the most sense, I kinda liked it!