Which of the following is the easiest?
Discrete Math
Calculus II
Linear Algebra
discrete maths
>>8052690
is it really?
>>8052708
yes
>>8052684
linear algebra
>>8052684
Calc II requires the least thinking though it might require some practice
Depending on your discrete maths course, it might be easy af, and same goes for linear algebra
>>8052684
>Discrete Math
That's what the CS people learn in their first semester at my school.
So it can't be harder the highschool maths.
>>8052943
It's not, considering I finished my high school maths early and took discrete math at a local uni before I graduated HS.
>>8052690
>maths
I swear to god, if anyone said that gay shit near me, I'd knock them out.
>>8053006
>2 out of 3 of the best unis for maths are from the UK
m8
>>8053006
>I'd knock them out
pic related: it's you
>>8052988
They are talking about the CS class named "discrete math". It's basically a dumbed down overview of basic modular arithmetic, drawing a few examples of graphs and learning what a binomial coefficient looks like.
>>8053013
I win again
>>8053020
You sure did buddy.
>>8053006
gr8 b8 m8, i r8 8/8
Now go study your extremely difficult mathematic.
Linear Algebra is not that hard
it gets insanely abstract at times, but if you just keep your head cool, anyone can learn it
if you just need it for engineering, then you can "ignore" the abstract stuff and just focus on computing and applications (tensor strength, optimization etc)
>>8052684
It depends what you're like. Calc II is probably the most familiar, so you might struggle in linear algebra or especially discrete math purely due to how alien it might seem compared to what you've seen previously in your education. I would say that calc II requires the most work, but discrete requires work that is less doing endless practice problems. Linear algebra is somewhere in between (depending how it's taught).
tl;dr: If discrete clicks for you, you'll probably find it easier than calcII/LA, but if it doesn't, you'll probably find yourself having a lot of trouble with it. It's not hard, but it's different.
Also, it really depends what your linear algebra course is like. Does it have proofs?
>>8052943
Calc II and Linear Algebra are also usually 1st year courses...
>>8053147
>Calc II and Linear Algebra are also usually 1st year courses...
So?
>>8053158
By similar logic linear algebra can't be harder than highschool maths, same with calc I. And Calc II is only a few months away from calc II. At my uni discrete is semester 2, calc II is semester 2 (assuming no AP), and linear algebra is semester 1 or 2.
>>8053161
First year linear algebra really is no harder than highschool maths.
What is calc I? I get that it's calculus I but the area is too broad - it splits into real analysis, vector analysis, differential geometry, differentiation...
>>8053172
Calc I is integration(u-sub, integration of polynomials, integration of trig functions, and some applications of integration)/limits/differentiation.
http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/CalcI/CalcI.aspx
This shows a stereotypical calc I course from North America. Keep in mind it's common among STEM majors to do this in senior year of highschool as AP Calc AB.
It just seemed like you were trying to discredit the intro discrete math course when the same argument applies to all three courses, as they are indeed introductory freshman courses...
Calculus easiest, then linear algebra, then discrete math. Who ever says discrete math is easy can go fuck themselves because either they have no fucking idea what they're talking about or their professor is a dumbass fucktard teaching a bunch of idiots who can't even learn any real shit
>>8053186
I think what's happening is that once you reach a certain level of mathematical maturity and understand proofs/rigour/etc then an intro discrete math course seems pretty trivial, whereas the other courses are still a decent amount of work (lots of algebra..). When you're first taking it though if you've never been exposed to rigourous mathematics and are now expected to be able to prove things it comes as quite a shock and can be quite difficult relative to the other two, as they are more amendable to the method of simply looking up how to solve problems of a certain type and remembering the steps, as the solutions to the problems tend to be more algorithmic in nature.
>>8053186
>Who ever says discrete math is easy can go fuck themselves because either they have no fucking idea what they're talking about
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, cs majors...
>>8053184
>Calc I is integration(u-sub, integration of polynomials, integration of trig functions, and some applications of integration)/limits/differentiation.
This is highschool maths here. I can't speak for all universities, but a course with this content isn't available here - it's already assumed that you know it.
>It just seemed like you were trying to discredit the intro discrete math course when the same argument applies to all three courses, as they are indeed introductory freshman courses...
I realise that it's unclear who is who.
This is NOT me >>8052943
This is me >>8053158 >>8052988
I just didn't understand what point you were trying to make.
>>8053193
What country are you in? In America there's a lot of variance in the level of courses offered between highschools, so while it is common among STEM students at schools that offer it to take calculus I and II (AP Calc AB/BC), universities still have to offer it because not all students would have access to such courses. Plus for people changing majors from something non-STEM to something STEM - those people wouldn't have taken calculus in highschool most likely, even if it was offered.
>>8053198
UK.
It may just be me, but I hadn't even heard of the term STEM until I came to /sci/, so I guess this kind of distinction doesn't appear here.
The university I'm at takes in a lot of international students, so prior knowledge does vary, but we have a foundations course in first term to get everyone to the same level (any missing knowledge you're expected to learn). I know one guy who used to come here without knowing anything about matrices, so it was up to him to learn it by himself - he's a member of staff now.
That said, there are a lot of hints at what you're expected to know, e.g. "recall from A-Level...". Apart from the first term foundations course which is compulsory, there are no such catch up classes.
What does Calc II contain?
>>8053213
You also have to remember that we don't have the 2 year "college" thing you guys have before university.
Calc II contains:
http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/CalcII/CalcII.aspx
Bear in mind for math majors some universities off an "honours calculus" course which is much more in-depth.
>>8053186
brainlet detected
>>8053227
>You also have to remember that we don't have the 2 year "college" thing you guys have before university.
You're absolutely correct, I forgot about that. At what age do people enter university there?
Indeed, Calc I and II are covered in the 2 year "college" thing we have.
>>8053232
Depends when they're born in the year, can be 18, can be 17.
>>8053239
Do you guys have an extra year of highschool then? We also start at 17/18.
>>8053245
Yeah, highschool is longer. It's more that we can't be specialized into people who are going to uni vs not going to uni, so we get lumped in with the mexicans and blacks until university.
>>8053248
That makes me curious - how is subject choice in highschool? Can you choose what you want or do you need to choose from, for want of a better explanation, a "list" of subjects?
So you have a group of students who chose list A, a group who chose list B and so on.
>>8053254
It probably depends a lot on the state/etc. I'm from Canada and our system is similar to the USA. We had to have a grade 11 or 12 science (choice of chem 11/2, bio 11/12, physics 11/12 and I think bigger schools got stuff like geology), had to have a grade 11/12 social science (history, law, etc), had to have a grade 11 or 12 math, but the math was into a few categories, there was the retard math (hurr fractions, percents, for people working in gas stations), then the normal math (logarithms, trig, basic combinatorics (ie how many ways to arrange n people in a dinner table such that x and y don't sit beside each other, etc), graphing functions, general algebra, some geometry. and then everyone had to have an english course 11 and 12 (regular english vs english literature vs retard english). There were a few other requirements too. You had a choice, but the choice wasn't that much since your choice was from a small list of 2-3 courses for each option, if there was any choice. I was from a small school so we didn't have AP calculus (or AP anything), since there probably would've been like 2 people in the class if that, so if they didn't offer calc I and calc II in university it would be pretty discriminating against people from small rural schools.
CS fags. we hate you because its really easy for you to get a job in your field that pays very well with just a bachelors.
if you are in physics or chem, you know the pain of the job market. PhD or die
>>8053359
i.e. you're jealous
Discrete math at my school was offered in two different departments math and CS. I believe he CS version assumed you knew no math and taught basic proofs including induction. The math version was a junior level and already assumed you had math chops. It was more like an advanced graph theory/geometry course mixed with computational complexity. We had to do research and most did research in topics of complexity theory. The professor was hard and people did so badly on exams he had to curve them kek. I made an A+ without the curve. Was a fun class. Heard the CS version was kiddy tier.
>>8052684
Depends
Calc 2 isn't bad. Most people just get really tripped up by series. It's confusing at first but after doing a few problems you're sure to understand.
Linear is just can you solve a matrix and proving that there exist some number to transform the matrix to whatever you want.
Discrete is easy as shit. I remember problem on one of my exams was 4!. I seriously spent 10 minutes trying to figure out if it was a trick question or something.
>>8052684
there is extremely hard discrete math, and intro-level linear algebra is literally arithmetic in parallel. Calc II requires you to remember some weird trig stuff, but if you're solid on trig and can recognize patterns it's not too bad.
Look at thread
>calc 1 and 2 are first year courses
>Took calc 2 junior year of university
Damn it feels good to be a gangster
Surprised I don't feel any bit insecure
>>8052684
Both linear algebra and discrete maths extend well beyond what you learn in an introductory course, so difficulty will depend entirely on the uni you go to and how much they choose to teach you.
Overall, discrete math seems to be the easiest. The difficulty depends on the university tho. Some universities don't even teach proofs. Some have students constantly writing formal proofs and go deep into number theory.
>>8053485
I did this too. I took it as my 11th math course after taking some junior/senior-level math courses, abstract algebra, etc. It was mostly just a prereq for other calculus courses, as taking linear algebra/abstract algebra/etc opened up a lot more pure math doors.
>>8053493
>Some universities don't even teach proofs
...what? Isn't discrete usually the "intro to proofs" courses that people take? What is it then, highschool combinatorics?
>>8054207
>be me
>chem major
>calc1,2,3 are required along with la and diffeqs
>But only for pchem in 3rd and 4th year
>take calc2,3 and diffeqs as a 3rd year student
>blitz all of them and end up doing a pchem specialisation
>feelsgoodman.jpg
