Math 53 Multivariable Calculus

<p>I'm wondering if I should take Math 53 when I start in spring. I got 5s on AB and BC Calc. I'm wondering if I need to know BC material very well in order to succeed in this class. Honestly, my BC material was shaky during the AP test, and I've forgotten most of it (especially divergence and summation). (my AB skills helped pull me through) And if I do need to know any BC material, what do I need to know? Thanks!</p>

<p>Math 1b is a pain in the a$$. If you can skip it and go directly to 53, i would. I'm in 53 now and the material is pretty easy, though it does get harder near the end of the semester.</p>

<p>You don't really need to know divergence and summation. You need to know basic differentiation and integrals. Heck, I think you can go into Math 53 straight from AP Calc AB without too much trouble. Oh yeah, knowing polar coordinates helps too.</p>

<p>I suggest skipping. I went straight from AP Calc BC senior year to Math 53 in the Fall and I'm doing fine. My friend is taking 1B and says it's hell.</p>

<p>Yeah, skip Math 1B. You don't need any sequence/series stuff for 53.</p>

<p>Thanks for the many responses!</p>

<p>Vicissituedes: Do you mean doing calculus with that or just knowing them?</p>

<p>With what? Polar coordinates? They'll assume you don't know what it is, but it helps to know it already. You should know how to do basic differentiation and integrals well (power rule, product rule, chain rule, u-substitition, natural logs) because a large part of Multivariable Calculus is just those topics, but with x,y,z instead of x,y. There are also some stuff like Green's Theorem but you can't really prepare for that.</p>