Hierarchy of Advanced Maths... what is it?

<p>It would be great if someone could shed some light on what order the common maths are in terms of difficulty. I'm taking precalc this year, I'm taking calc I and II next summer, and that year I'll have various options of what to take next... could be calc three, or it could be differential equations... Or it could be something else.</p>

<p>What do you think is most impressive? Is there THAT much new information you get in calc III that isn't in calc II? Is differential equations considered more impressive than Calc III anyway? Thanks!</p>

<p>Calc III is multivariable. Very different.</p>

<p>^Basicly what he said. Since Calc III and Differential equations are each 1 semester classes, if you’ve taken Calc BC your junior year, you can take both of those your senior year.</p>

<p>Pre-cal
|
V
Calculus I (Mostly Differential Calculus)
|
V
Calculus II (Mostly Integral Calculus)
|
V
Calculus III (Integral and Differential Calculus in 2/3 Variables) <-> Differential Equations/Linear Algebra
|
V
Analysis/Number Theory, etc.</p>

<p>Hm. I was wondering about this.
I’m taking Calc II this semester, and I have the option of Diffy Qs or Calc III next. Which would be more advisable?
I’ll take the one I dropped next year (senior year).</p>

<p>I’ve heard that Differential Equations is supposedly easier after Calculus III though you cover basic differential equations in Calculus II.</p>

<p>If however, if you could only take one of Calculus III and Diffy Q’s I would recommend Calculus III because it is very similar most places while many schools will actually teach your basic differential equations and linear algebra classes together.</p>

<p>My path is:</p>

<p>Calc I
Calc II
Calc III/Linear Algebra (at the same time, not the same class)
DiffEq</p>

<p>At the uni where I’m doing my maths Calc III is a coreq to Linalg but a prereq to Diffeq.</p>

<p>Differential Equations without Linear would be interesting, but unless they’re going to teach you eigenvalues and such, I don’t think it would make a whole lot of sense to take Differential Equations before Multi and Linear. I took:</p>

<p>9th: Geometry + Precalc
10th: AP BC Calc (Calc 1 and Calc 2)
11th: Linear Algebra and Multivariable Calc (Calc 3), Problem Solving Seminar
12th: Differential Equations, Fractals and Chaos</p>

<p>Honestly, any course above Calc II will look impressive, but you’d get more out of Calc III than other ones, most likely, since Linear is so abstract and you can’t do too many diff eqs. without linear.</p>

<p>Hm. Interesting. The main problem I run into is the fact that my local Community College for some reason offers Calc I-III and then Differential Equations as its highest level. Linear Algebra isn’t offered. </p>

<p>Should I self study certain topics over the summer to better prepare me in that case? Which ones?</p>

<p>I think I’ll do calc III… differential equations if I have time… Thanks guys, very helpful!! :)</p>

<p>Linear Algebra is sometimes squashed in with diff. eq., but its generally Calc I, II , III (multivariate), IV (diff. eq)…</p>

<p>^
I have only seen a Calculus IV class twice, and it was almost always at a very low tier school which felt like it needed 4 semesters to teach a 3-semester sequence.</p>

<p>^Calc IV is differential equations. They are the same thing.</p>

<p>Not always… but this discussion is rather pointless, the original question has been answered, but I’m perfectly happy to continue some off-shoots. </p>

<p>I think it would be a heck of a lot clearer if a lot of college classes were renamed. Why not just call Calculus I-III Differential Calculus, Integral Calculus, and Multivariable calculus? Then we avoid the whole Calculus I-IV thing, and those schools that really teach Vector Calculus instead of Multivariable.</p>

<p>Calc III is vectors and multivar.</p>