<p>I'm going to Stony Brook as a computer science major and a business management minor this fall.
For my CS math requirement, I have to take calc 1, calc 2, and one of three: introduction to linear algebra, applied linear algebra, and numerical analysis. Since I got a 5 on AP Calculus BC (5 on AB sub-score as well), calc 1 and calc 2 are out of my way immediately. I can start taking calc 3 in the first semester if I want, but the school doesn't require me to take it. Now, the prerequisite for introduction to linear algebra and applied linear algebra is to finish calc 1 and calc 2 first, in which I did by taking the AP. My question is, will I have a difficult time grasping the concept of linear algebra if I skipped calc 3? I just felt like that there is a HUGE jump between AP Calculus BC (which is taught in high schools) to linear algebra (which is usually what most people take as a 2nd or 3th year college math). Additionally, with the exception to limit, derivative, and integral, I have forgot most of the calc 2 (BC) materials, such as Taylor function, Lagrange error bound, polar/parametric equations, and those god-hating series tests. Do I have to deal with these concepts if I take linear algebra?
Finally, would you guys recommend me taking linear algebra in the first semester of college? If not, what should I take? I heard that a lot of people are retaking calc 2 even if they passed the AP. Would that be necessary for a CS major? Also, I'd really appreciate it if anyone can explain to me a little bit about linear algebra! I learned about some basic matrices (ex: Gauss-Jordan elimination) in precalc. Is that what you're doing all day? If not, please elaborate a little bit.</p>
<p>Anyone?</p>
<p>Easily. Heck, I would recommend it.</p>
<p>Lin Alg is one of the best courses in Math. Definately take it before you take Multivariate Calc.
If you got a 5 on Calc BC, then you probably have Calc 1, Calc 2, and Series and Sequences down (my college separates the classes by said terminology). If you found the previous stated classes to be easy, then Linear Algebra should not be too difficult.</p>
<p>It all really depends on what you want to do…
MV calc uses a LOT of Linear Algebra material, but Lin Alg is not always necessary to learn MV Calc.</p>
<p>Honestly, I would recommend that you just go with Lin Alg. It is not a very big jump in difficulty. The only problem is that it is somewhat abstract. Lin Alg has very little Calc in it (look at the name). The most you would be doing is solving tougher differential equations with eigenvalues, but that is later in the course.</p>
<p>First of all, thank you for your response.
What do you mean by “abstract”? For me, calculus concepts like extreme and mean value theorems are what I would consider to be abstract. Is it similar like that? Do you mean abstract as “understanding concepts without numbers” (ex: physics) or hard to comprehend or something else? I’d really appreciate it if you could elaborate a little bit more!</p>
<p>I am going to assume that you took AP Calculus at your high school.</p>
<p>The AP Calculus course teaches you, in my opinion, more applicable mathematics than other math courses do. </p>
<p>In AP Calculus, you learn the definitions of the Limit, the Derivative, and the Integral, and you learn how to use them all with numbers. You learn how to evaluate different types of integrals, how to differentiate certain functions, you learn how to take certain limits, all with an application in mind.</p>
<p>The Linear Algebra class is fundamentally different from the AP Calculus class. In the introductory Linear Algebra class, you will probably start by reviewing a few Calculus basics, and then going straight into Vectors, and Matrix Algebra. The Vector and Matrix Algebra, in most instances in the introductory Linear Algebra course, actually has very little applicability until you learn more. </p>
<p>The first Linear Algebra course you take will always be the most abstract due to the fact that it is nigh impossible to truly apply linear algebra without understanding all of it in the first place. This is unlike in AP Calculus, where you can learn about the derivative and then apply the derivative, then later on do the same with integrals without understanding ALL of Calculus as a whole.</p>
<p>MVT and Extreme Value Theorems in AP Calc are, in my opinion, not that abstract once you learn them. That is because they are immediately applicable. However, the problem with Linear Algebra is that your class will likely be short of examples until the course is finished…</p>
<p>Now, even though I made the course seem very difficult, trust me it is not that bad. In fact, taking Linear Algebra makes Multivariate Calculus extremely easy, as you would already understand all of the quirks that exist in n-dimensions, and all of the tricks to understand them. I highly recommend you take Linear Algebra first, as it is overall a more encompassing course, and will probably make future math much easier, at the little price of a tougher time right now.</p>
<p>Linear algebra is the most useful math course you will ever take. I agree with everything UMTYMP says. </p>
<p>It can be taught concretely with emphasis on matrices, or abstractly, with emphasis on proofs or somewhere in between. In either case, it’s extremely valuable. </p>
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<p>I would worry a little about having a year off from Calculus based on my experience (especially if you have plans for graduate school which might require Calc 3). I took BC as a Junior in HS, then an easy linear algebra course my Senior year (in HS) - which made the first few college Math courses harder: DiffEq and Multivariable (college is much harder than HS, and perhaps more importantly I forgot a lot of BC with a year between Calculus courses) but did fine in the upper level math after that (higher level Linear Algebra, Calculus based Statistics, Probability, and four or five more).</p>
<p>My son liked Multivariable much more than I - but he didn’t have a gap.</p>