The Math Thread!!!

[Infamous Impact]

I hate math, but I just got back my score for my Geometry final. 95/100 in a class I had a C in
Also did something with fractals today in math. It was pretty cool how they work in nature.

 

[ddtonfire]

I'll join the party... I got a BS in engineering (aero & mech), but I also minored in math.

Engineering is just really, really shady and dirty applied math.

 

[BucketheadRules]

I just did my final GCSE maths exam today. Assuming I did an OK job I'll never have to do maths again.

It's always been my worst subject, a real thorn in my side. Tell you what though, my teacher for the last two years has been really awesome. I was getting 30-35% on most tests but since he's been teaching us it's risen to 50-60% on most exams.

On a practice paper I did for revision yesterday I got 69%

If I pass maths I have him to thank. If I screwed it up it's my fault, his teaching was so great that I really have no excuse.

Anyway... this is irrelevant to your clever-person discussion. Continue.

 

[ellengtrgrl]

I do graduate engineering work and have a bachelors in engineering, I make math cry at how badly I abuse/misuse it

Amen brother. I'm in the same boat

Yuppers! Nothing like an engineering degree or two (BS in Nuclear Engineering, and a BS in Manufacturing Engineering)! I remember burning my brain out in a 600 level grad. math course offered in the Univ. of Wisconsin's Nuclear Engineering dept. in 1987 (I was short a few credits for graduation, and in spite of being an undergrad, took the course, since it was the only departmental course being offered in the summertime), and having to do non-ordinary, and non-linear differential equations.

The guy who taught the class, gave us the sickest equations (he was on sabbatical for the summer from the Oak Ridge National Lab). I remember taking 4 pages to solve one problem. I asked the instructor, how he ever came up with such a nasty one! He told me he found it in an Indian civil engineering journal/magazine. The equation was the mathematical representation they came up with for a soil erosion problem, that was occurring in a location, where terrace farming was practiced. After being told that, a light went on in my head, and I said to myself, "well, whatta you know, there is a use for this stuff, outside of theoretical applications!"

 

[ellengtrgrl]

I'll join the party... I got a BS in engineering (aero & mech), but I also minored in math.

Engineering is just really, really shady and dirty applied math.

Of course it is!, due to so many equations being slimmed down into smoothed/simplified forms, that'll "get you there" resultswise!

 

[ellengtrgrl]

Only a math nerd will truly get this.

Ah yes!! The celebrated HAND WAVING, practiced by math, physics, and engineering profs. in college!

If you think differential calculus sucks you should try vector analysis or a combination of differential equations with imaginary numbers in Schrodinger formalization trying to make sense quantum dynamics. That is beautiful and sucks so much ass at the same time

Yep! I remember that stuff! I had Quantum mechanics in my Junior year of college (my proffessor looked like Mark Twain's little brother!). So many more people talk about Heisneberg, Bohr, etc., but don't know that Erwin Schrodinger is the guy who really described quantum mechanics, bu putting it to math! Lots 'o diff. eqs. were used! The funny thing is, you can cheat relativistic physics with DeBroglie's derivations of the quantum mechanics equations. I remember using DeBroglie's equations in an ssingment, where we had to make the fallacious proof that the propogation velocity of Debroglie Waves (they are another way to describe matter - as a closed waveform) is greater than C (the speed of light), which is not true at all.

 

[ellengtrgrl]

Just been doing Fourier transforms. Whoopee.

F.Y.I. - in electronics, Fourier Transformations, can be used to describe the different overtones in a square wave signal (ala a guitar amp that is clipping/distorting).

 

[ddtonfire]

...and having to do non-ordinary, and non-linear differential equations.

The guy who taught the class, gave us the sickest equations (he was on sabbatical for the summer from the Oak Ridge National Lab). I remember taking 4 pages to solve one problem. I asked the instructor, how he ever came up with such a nasty one!

That reminds me of some of my grad courses in fluid dynamics, solving the Navier-Stokes equation. When passing out one of the homeworks, the prof said it should take about 14 pages of work... and it did.

 

[Rook]

I'm just glad you limey bastards aren't adding extra vowels like usual. I was expecting something like Mauthes.

EDIT:

Full word; Mauthemautices.

Heuy, that's nout funny maun.

At least we don't abuse the letter z...

Analyse

Or put our e's in the wrong place....

Theatre

 

[SirMyghin]

Also @ SirMyghin, I love how much you can bend this stuff with Engineering!

"Mmmm.... That's not the number I was expecting... Screw it, it'll be fine"

Real math is messy shit. Numerical approximations are nice functions that as you refine the steps/boundaries on approach the real solution anyway with much less hastle. Close enough but really fast is much preferable.

 

[MFB]

Theatre

No, in our version it's just phonetic

 

[-42-]

Goldbach's Conjecture.









































trollface.jpg

 

[Cadavuh]

Since i choose math 8 and sciences i feel obliged to post here B-)

Next year going to have 8 hours of math, which is the highest math level for 17 and 18 year olds in our country. Diff eq, complex numbers and matrices are all waiting for me.

When you say complex numbers do you mean complex analysis? As in Calculus in the complex plane? That would be pretty advanced for an 18 year old.

 

[Devotion]

When you say complex numbers do you mean complex analysis? As in Calculus in the complex plane? That would be pretty advanced for an 18 year old.

Nah, more simple,

.
I'm not familiar with the English educational terms, so I don't know what calculus is, and with 17 year old I meant something like 5th grade, the year before the year before you go to university, or something like that

Looked it up a bit, and we'll see integrals, differential functions etc. in the following 2 years (5-6), so I don't know how advanced that is or not

 

[ellengtrgrl]

That reminds me of some of my grad courses in fluid dynamics, solving the Navier-Stokes equation. When passing out one of the homeworks, the prof said it should take about 14 pages of work... and it did.

Ouch!! Yeah, that is a NASTY ONE to solve (I had fluid mechanics). I feel for you!

Regarding math profs. - I had a prof for Advanced Calculus (basically Calc. 5 - lots of calculus with complex numbers, etc.), who not only was late by as much as a half hour for his one hour office times, when you could ask him questions, and for help (he had them twice a week), he never made up the lost time. Oh yeah, and the final was so bad, that this prof. ended up extending it from its 2 hour time limit, to over 3 hours. As it was only 2 people finished it: A.) this little guy named Lou, who either cheated on everything, or was a genius (he seemed to often be doing crosswords from the student newspaper, instead of taking notes), and did well on all of the exams, finished it a little over 2 hours; B.) The other student who finished it, finished it in about 2 hours and 45 minutes, and I heard him say to the prof., "this is the first test I've ever taken, where I felt useless." That guy also did well on the exams. I remember the prof. having this dumbfounded look on his face, when the guy made the above statement.

 

[Rook]

EDIT: Never mind

 

[Orio11]

Just about to finish my second year at Sixth Form(UK)
Not sure what the US equivalent is >.>

Going to Uni to take a Bachelors of Science in maths in September

 

[Rook]

I think our sixth form college (age 16-18) is the same as high school... I dunno... We go school until we're 16 - college 16-18 (non compulsory, quite often the same place you went to school) - university (where you get your degree, which is basically what you need to get any kind of professional job).

Also why did you say 'bachelor of science', why didn't you just say degree?

 

[Orio11]

Ahh that makes sense.
And im not quite sure >.> must be an ego thing >.<

 

[SirMyghin]

Just about to finish my second year at Sixth Form(UK)
Not sure what the US equivalent is >.>

Going to Uni to take a Bachelors of Science in maths in September

States is tricky, not sure what you do in sixth form, but I know American high schools (and consequently a lot of university programs, at least engineering) are near the equivilant of 1 year back from Canada. This obviously only applies to undergrads, post grad for engineering is through the roof from undergrad anyway you slice it.