<p>I'm currently debating which calculus sequence to take, either the one that starts with Math 19 (which is over 3 quarters) or Math 41 (which is accelerated over 2 quarters). Math has never been my forte (I almost failed pre-cal) but then again I'm not sure if I studied properly or had the best teachers in high school. I'm thinking of doing a social science major, which would involve some upper-level econ classes for which multivariable calculus (Math 51, I think) is required. </p>
<p>So, my question is, how much faster/different is Math 41 from Math 19? I'd rather take Math 41 to save myself a class but then again I really wouldn't want to make life that much more agonizing in terms of class difficulty.</p>
<p>If anyone is familiar with both these sequences and would have more info, that would be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>Can anyone comment on Math 51/52/53 also? I just got my Calc AB score back (5), so I placed into Math 51. I’m going to try Engineering first I guess (maybe take a seminar or something) to see if I can handle it/like it, and 51 is recommended for Engineering majors. However, I never took BC calc so I don’t know any of those topics. Do I need to know them for 51? Should I just review the BC stuff over the summer?</p>
<p>My S had a 5 on BC, so he had an easier time for 51, struggled a little for 52, and an easier time for 53. I believe all three were taught by PostDocs, and there were many sophomores taking 52. </p>
<p>There are students who are supposed to take H series, but instead, they take 51/52/53 series.</p>
<p>I didn’t take BC at all, but had a 5 on AB and found 51 to be a cinch and 53 to be pretty good. You really don’t need the BC material so you’ll be fine. As to the original poster, if you do not have a solid math background I’d start at 19.</p>
<p>What math classes are there for the kids who don’t like math very much, have had no pre-calc or calculus (I took AP stats), and just want to take one math class so they can get it over with? My major is completely non-math-related, and I just want to get that GER out of the way as painlessly as possible.
Thanks!</p>
<p>soxfan2048, you should try a statistics class. That’s what I would take but my major forces me to take Math 51 eventually because of the econ requirements.</p>
<p>llpitch- Yes, I checked the Stanford bulletin already. Math 15 looked like the best option for someone like me. However, it said (and, I would imagine, still says) “not offered this year” underneath it. I’m not sure if this applies to the '08-'09 school year, or if it’s for this coming year. If that’s unavailable, then I’m not sure what I’ll do. I didn’t see any statistics classes listed, but I only skimmed the list.</p>
<p>Stanford recognizes freshman aren’t too sure which math they take. They let you basically switch between 51/42 quite easily for instance.</p>
<p>If you think you can handle the 40 series, just go to the first couple lectures. If it’s not a good fit, you can go down to 19 pretty easily, the math department is very open about that. Going from 51 to 42 isn’t a big deal either. Switching from 19 to 41 may be tougher, since 41 is a faster pace, but I think if you’re willing to work, math 41 is a good fit. I’m not too sure on the courseload/difficulty of math 19, but you will work for math 41/42. Unless you’ve seen the topics before, you’ll probably end up doing a fair amount of work.</p>
<p>A lot of the 51 topics revolve around linear algebra, with a brief foray into multivariable derivation.</p>
<p>If you’re going to be an econ major, it is in your interest to take 41/42, or even 51 if you think you are ready. Although you want to be in a class for which you are a good fit (e.g. can get a good grade in with proper amounts of work), any upper level econ course (past 1A, 1B, and 102A) requires Math 51. The way the econ major is setup, you have a very steady progression of classes (1A/1B->econ 50->econ 51->econ 52). Getting rid of these requirements is in your interest. The biggest gripe I hear from my econ friends, is that they’re essentially locked into these required classes, as the department is very strict about keeping requirements and keeping electives off limits until the requirements are complete.</p>
<p>It’s kind of clear from indications that the more accelerated version is best, and moving through to getting a solid math background early is the way to go for an economics major – that is, if you’re doing the economics major for sure. If you really want to do it as of now, why not take a look at the books for the more challenging version of your schedule, and start reading them? None of us can tell you why you almost failed precalculus without much more background info, and probably best would be self-reflection.</p>