<p>I am a Computer Science major and after taking Calculus 3 in the summer, I will need to take one more math class in the fall. Should I take Differential Equations or Matrix and Linear Algebra? I am currently registered for DiffEq in the fall, but my professor has poor ratings, and the professor ratings for Matrix and Linear Algebra look better, and I've heard that Linear Algebra is applicable to a lot of areas in computer science, but Differential Equations is more applied than Linear Algebra which is more theory. So I really don't know which one I should take.</p>
<p>I think the latter would be more helpful.
Differential equation is more practical than linear algebra? Not really. Some of the stuff you learn in D.E requires some knowledge in linear algebra, i.e. the solutions can be found as linear combination… etc</p>
<p>L.A is probably very useful in CS, if you have to do with numerical computation, graphics, vision, etc, or in general, statistic! </p>
<p>You will find D.E. more useful in physical science, which normally requires modeling physical scenario (filling up a tank with solution while some solution are pouring out. the vibration of a string, etc). You may not find differential equation in classical computer science algorithm because differential equation works in continuous domain, rather than discrete domain.</p>
<p>Of course, you can easily translate D.E. into difference equation (which is discrete). </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/909429-what-math-used-computer-science.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/909429-what-math-used-computer-science.html</a>
Read this. I have very limited knowledge (as a student). I hope I didn’t provide any false information.</p>
<p>I think LA is more useful. </p>
<p>Also, computers are bad at solving equation like DE, but they are very good at solving matrices. </p>
<p>One final word: people don’t use them because they’ve learned them. They use L.A. only when they need it.</p>
<p>If you only plan on taking one more math course as a CS major ===> Linear Algebra</p>
<p>If you want to take other additional math courses that relate to CS, then take:</p>
<p>Differential Equations
Numerical Analysis
Numerical Linear Algebra
Error-Correcting Codes/Cryptology
Combinatorics
Graph Theory
Optimization/Mathematical Programming/Operations Research</p>
<p>Definitely go for Linear Algebra. LA is a powerful tool for solving real-world problems (including basically all DiffEq’s)… You won’t get as much out of a DiffEq class, since people don’t have any chance of solving most DiffEq’s analytically anyway. (You should still take it at some point if you want to go into engineering or applied math).</p>
<p>The tools I learned in my linear algebra class have been INCREDIBLY useful in several other math, physics, engineering, and even programming classes. It really is a great class and it’s not very hard at all. Take it before DIffEQ.</p>
<p>For CS, take Linear Algebra. (I assume you’ve taken discrete math already.)
Engineers should take diffeq. As an aside to engineering students, what would you use linear algebra for in different engineering disciplines (other than industrial engineering and economic/optimization applications)?</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.siam.org/meetings/la03/proceedings/narayanan.pdf[/url]”>SIAM: Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics;
As simple as solving equations - computers are extremely good at solving matrices.</p>
<p>I remember solving simple traffic flow problems in linear algebra. Given a series of nodes, with some pathways between the nodes, and the flow rates at various nodes/pathways. Write up an equation for each node to get a series of m equations/n unkowns. Plug into an m by n matrix, RREF, and it’s solved in seconds. Linear algebra makes you an expert at this and you’ll use it all over the place.</p>
<p>Linear Algebra is a most beautiful and broadly useful subject. </p>
<p>Differential equations is more cookbook. </p>
<p>Take linear algebra, the more abstract (proofs) the better.</p>