Current Events > Any of you here ever taken differential equations and linear algebra?

(+) Yeah! (+)

which did you find more difficult if you took both? Any real world applications for either one in your opinion?

no

I got an A in Differential Equations. I got a C in Linear Algebra.

It wasn't because linear algebra was more difficult. At the end of my linear algebra class, we covered topics that I knew that I was never going to see again as a computer scientist, so I lost all interest in the class, and I stopped studying

I used both diffierential equations and linear algebra in my electrical engineering class, but I haven't used them since

hexa posted...

I got an A in Differential Equations. I got a C in Linear Algebra.

It wasn't because linear algebra was more difficult. At the end of my linear algebra class, we covered topics that I knew that I was never going to see again as a computer scientist, so I lost all interest in the class, and I stopped studying

I used both diffierential equations and linear algebra in my electrical engineering class, but I haven't used them since

yeah that's what a lot of people say. That you basically never use the stuff. Pretty sad if true.

I only took Linear Algebra, and I didn't think it was especially hard, while everybody complains about DiffyQ, so I assume it's harder.

I took both. DE was harder at first because it's a bit hard to visualize as an extension of what you've done before. Linear algebra feels like a pretty natural extension of algebra involving systems of equations at first, but once more complex matrix operations come into play I found it quite a bit harder.

Nothing compares to partial differential equations though. That class was an otherworldly experience. The entire class was build up just to solve like 2 equations (heat and wave)

bumpo

last bump

We covered both within a single class: "advanced mathematics 2". I definitely had more trouble with LA then DE. That said, many of my friends in that class said the opposite.

(Advanced Mathematics 1 was fundamentals of analysis, and 3 was statistics and PDEs)

teep_ posted...

We covered both within a single class: "advanced mathematics 2". I definitely had more trouble with LA then DE. That said, many of my friends in that class said the opposite.

(Advanced Mathematics 1 was fundamentals of analysis, and 3 was statistics and PDEs)

oh, do you believe that you need to be very intelligent to do well in that stuff? have heard people on both sides of the aisle

I took both, and differential equations was harder for me because I took a harder version of the class. I ended up using a lot of linear algebra because I did a lot of spectroscopy, but I don't use either in my current career.
GranTurismo posted...

oh, do you believe that you need to be very intelligent to do well in that stuff? have heard people on both sides of the aisle

I think it mostly comes down to having a good teacher and learning at a comfortable pace. It's math, so it all makes sense if you think long enough about it.

GranTurismo posted...

oh, do you believe that you need to be very intelligent to do well in that stuff? have heard people on both sides of the aisle

Not necessarily. But you do need general mathematical understanding