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maths

patterspatters
edited September 2007 in General Chat
i wonder how many people on the forums have continued doing maths studies after compulsory teaching has ended

i am doing a levels in maths and further maths and am planning to go to university to study maths

Comments

  • Guybrush ThreepwoodGuybrush Threepwood
    edited August 2007
    No way, man! I hate Maths!
  • ErwinErwin
    edited August 2007
    I gave up maths very early as well, although later, in university, maths returned shortly in relation with some of my programming courses.

    Maybe I'm just not seeing it, but so far I didn't use any of that theoretical mumbojumbo when programming and designing business solutions in the past 3 years I've been working as a developer.

    --Erwin
  • Harald BHarald B
    edited August 2007
    I've done a BSc-equivalent in Maths followed by an MSc in Logic (which combines aspects of math, philosophy, linguistics and computer science).
  • patterspatters
    edited August 2007
    Erwin wrote: »

    Maybe I'm just not seeing it, but so far I didn't use any of that theoretical mumbojumbo when programming and designing business solutions in the past 3 years I've been working as a developer.

    i believe that a large amount of mechanical mathematics is used in the production of physics engines in games, mainly FPS and driving
  • Harald BHarald B
    edited August 2007
    Certainly. Amongst other things, mathematics helps keep the inevitable rounding errors in check, helps discover and implement good approximative formulas, and helps replace inefficient algorithms by efficient ones.
    Efficient programming especially is not to be scoffed at. The difference in efficiency between bad algorithms and good ones can be orders of magnitude large; in fact often it's even worse than that, the edge in efficiency being an arbitrarily rising function of the size of the problem.
  • patterspatters
    edited August 2007
    i'm getting the results for my as levels in maths and further maths not worried at all really i should have got all a's
    i took modules in
    core 1
    core 2
    statistics 1
    further pure 1
    mechanics 1

    also in january i am sitting
    core 3
    core 4
    mechanics 2
    stats 2
  • ErwinErwin
    edited August 2007
    patters wrote: »
    i believe that a large amount of mechanical mathematics is used in the production of physics engines in games, mainly FPS and driving

    Certainly. There's a huge difference between programming business solutions and games, though.

    --Erwin
  • HaggisHaggis
    edited August 2007
    I know it's not exactly mathematics, but knowing your arithmetic can be quite useful for business solutions, right?
  • xChri5xxChri5x
    edited August 2007
    Wow, this is a random topic!
  • BadwolfBadwolf
    edited August 2007
    I did take on maths at college, but I'm pretty sure I've completely failed it.

    I used to be pretty good at maths as well, but I think this was a step too far for me, and I don't think spending half of every lesson drawing Hugh Bliss (don't ask) dancing stickmen, Mario and the moon from Majora's Mask really helped the situation.

    Still, the time I need to use to use cosines or the Chinese Postman alogrithm on a day to day basis, I'll probably end up having a break down and spend the rest of my life thinking I'm a pixie called Bopie, soon after.
  • ShauntronShauntron Telltale Alumni
    edited August 2007
    Am I the only one who thinks maths is a weird pluralization of math? You can just say math. Or mathematics if you're feeling saucy. Maths just sounds redundant, like geeses or womens.

    Maths.
  • ChuckChuck
    edited August 2007
    pssst... they're British. They say "maths" over there. Because they usually have to repeat the class multiple times, unlike the US, where we learn it right the first time.

    (Or more likely: because it's short for "mathematics," which does have an 's' at the end. You wouldn't say 'mathematic,' no matter how saucy you're feeling.)
  • Guybrush ThreepwoodGuybrush Threepwood
    edited August 2007
    Chuck wrote: »
    pssst... they're British. They say "maths" over there. Because they usually have to repeat the class multiple times, unlike the US, where we learn it right the first time.

    (Or more likely: because it's short for "mathematics," which does have an 's' at the end. You wouldn't say 'mathematic,' no matter how saucy you're feeling.)

    ukflag.gif

    :D
  • tobeasttobeast
    edited August 2007
    I'm a Technomathematics student in university (math with minors in Engineering and Computer Science), just finished my third year :)

    To the OP: Note that majoring in math at university is not like the math you probably ever did at school. Basically it's all about proofs. If you don't want to do that, I strongly suggest going for an engineering route instead - where you will be dealing more with the computing side of math ;)
  • purple_monkfishpurple_monkfish
    edited August 2007
    I have dyscalculia or something, maths and I don't get along.
    My A levels were, oddly enough, Archaeology, Geology and Psychology and I LOVED EM!
    I'm doing computer animation as a degree now and omg I hate it, I loathe every moment of it. It isn't very creative which pisses the artist in me off, it's mostly programing and math.. which as I mentioned, we don't get along.

    My partner did Alevel maths, wants to teach science.. so yeah. He's a qualified Archaeologist, unlike me who switched courses after my first year (I kinda regret that to be honest)
  • patterspatters
    edited August 2007
    proofs are one of my strongest points along with most of mechanics and calculus.
    personally i do not enjoy statistics as it only really involves number crunching

    i have also talked to several people about maths at university such as my teacher and some people who have gone to university from our school to study maths (or to make the americans happy math)

    doing an a level in further maths gives you a head start over others who haven't
  • Guybrush_ThreepwoodGuybrush_Threepwood
    edited August 2007
    I used to hate maths before studying informatics. Now I realized that you can't go anywhere without maths. I wonder how many calculations they had to do when making Season One... I assume a lot :D
  • SquinkySquinky Telltale Alumni
    edited August 2007
    My advice is to take up a musical instrument.
  • patterspatters
    edited August 2007
    i play guitar and a little bass

    and harmonics are based on mathematical equations
  • Guybrush ThreepwoodGuybrush Threepwood
    edited August 2007
    Squinky wrote: »
    My advice is to take up a musical instrument.

    I've taken up and given up guitar a fair few times. I'm on 'given up' at the moment. :D
  • SegSeg
    edited August 2007
    For a primer on Maths, please view this informative video programme:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9UXw0fQmno
  • MelMel
    edited August 2007
    AnimanFan wrote: »
    For a primer on Maths, please view this informative video programme:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9UXw0fQmno

    That was awesome! :D Maths is important as evidenced by the creative math in the shipping notification emails being sent. :p
  • patterspatters
    edited August 2007
    pure genius all that can be said
  • ChuckChuck
    edited August 2007
    Awesome, I've been looking all over the BBC sites trying to find that series, and never even thought to look on YouTube.
  • MolokovMolokov
    edited August 2007
    Ahh Look Around You, that was brilliant. First series was better than the second, but it's just so *real* and yet so *over the top* that it's hilarious.
  • BadwolfBadwolf
    edited August 2007
    AnimanFan wrote: »
    For a primer on Maths, please view this informative video programme:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9UXw0fQmno

    Awesome, somebody else who's seen the programme. I still find myself quoting both of the series years after I first saw them.
  • Pvt._PublicPvt._Public
    edited August 2007
    For some reason something inside my head went snap last year and I have been unable to learn anything more about maths. Seriously, no matter how hard I try I simply couldn't get anything to stick, I had no problems in any of my other classes, just Maths. Which is a pity when I'm working on my first year of the International Baccalaureate programme. Luckily I picked up the option of Math Studies which is essentially stupid person maths. I love it. I don't even have to listen. And I still get at least 95% in all the tests. Me and maths do not get along too well though.
  • -=[The_Razgriz_Ace]=--=[The_Razgriz_Ace]=-
    edited August 2007
    Well, I've had to do loads of maths (whether I like it or not) because Im almost finished an electronics course...although, thankfully I dont actually have to do any of the really mind bending stuff (for me anyway) like calculus and stuff...
  • peoplespeoples
    edited August 2007
    Even if I wouldn't wan't to, I need mathematics daily. Harmonics, dimensional-analysis, laplace and so fort. This is what I have now in polytechnic.
  • Guybrush_ThreepwoodGuybrush_Threepwood
    edited August 2007
    LAPLACE... damn that man! And mr. Taylor too!
  • patterspatters
    edited August 2007
    i like maths its just the way my brain works

    back next week to do some more in 6th form
  • Guybrush_ThreepwoodGuybrush_Threepwood
    edited August 2007
    Maths open your mind... but sometimes are annoying too
  • patterspatters
    edited August 2007
    Guybrush_Threepwood wrote: »
    Maths open your mind... but sometimes are annoying too

    i think things like statistics are the most annoying as it is just processing numbers personally i prefer pure type maths and mechanics
  • RabidZombieRabidZombie
    edited August 2007
    AnimanFan wrote: »
    For a primer on Maths, please view this informative video programme:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9UXw0fQmno

    1) Look around you is one of the funniest programs ever.

    2) If I'm good at anything, it is Maths (and Physics).

    Also,
    10 PRINT "LOOK AROUND YOU ";
    20 GOTO 10
    RUN
  • jmmjmm
    edited August 2007
    RabidZombie wrote: »
    10 PRINT "LOOK AROUND YOU ";
    20 GOTO 10
    RUN

    Ahh... memories
    patters wrote: »
    I think things like statistics are the most annoying as it is just processing numbers personally i prefer pure type maths and mechanics
    Yep, statistical analysis is boring and annoying.
  • Guybrush_ThreepwoodGuybrush_Threepwood
    edited August 2007
    Sure. Studies of probability are often included within the same course of statistics, and that's the only thing that I like about it. It's fun to know random stuff about dice :p
  • ChristovskyChristovsky
    edited August 2007
    I'm doing maths at uni at the moment, and yes, probability is a golden beacon amongst the otherwise dire statistics options. What you currently call pure is actually applied, which I bet you've already been told :p I was, too, but I didn't believe them!

    We had a great lecturer for probability, actually. He was so enthusiastic, you came out thinking maths was the most wonderful thing in the world, even after an early-morning lecture. Which uni are you going to?
  • Harald BHarald B
    edited August 2007
    Yeah, I liked Stochastics (ie probability); things like Buffon's Needle and the Monty Hall Paradox are very nice. But the topic I really loved was Topology. There's some truly mind-bending stuff there. For a small taste: one of the easy assignments is showing that a sphere with a line segment connecting its poles on the inside is no different from a sphere with a (bendy) segment connecting its poles on the outside. In one of the harder assignments you identify (treat as the same) opposite sides of an octagon as well as all its corners, then have to determine what it contracts into.
  • patterspatters
    edited August 2007
    Harald B wrote: »
    Yeah, I liked Stochastics (ie probability); things like Buffon's Needle and the Monty Hall Paradox are very nice. But the topic I really loved was Topology. There's some truly mind-bending stuff there. For a small taste: one of the easy assignments is showing that a sphere with a line segment connecting its poles on the inside is no different from a sphere with a (bendy) segment connecting its poles on the outside. In one of the harder assignments you identify (treat as the same) opposite sides of an octagon as well as all its corners, then have to determine what it contracts into.

    don't you just love crazy maths
  • Bruno83Bruno83
    edited September 2007
    I study physics, so I need a lot of math.
    I know how to deal with numbers, but I am awfully bad at mental arithmetic.
    Thank god there are pocket calculators.
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