<p>Hey, I was just wondering if there are any current UVa students here that could advise me on some math courses. I'm a second year and plan on doubling with Commerce and Mathematics. I mistakenly took two econ courses this semester, and only 1 math thinking I was going to do econ and comm instead. However, plans have changed and I'll be doing 3 math courses next semester to compensate. Definitely Math 312 (mathematical statistics) and Math 325 (Differential Equations), but I'm deciding between Math 331 (Basic Real Analysis) and Math 351 (Linear Algebra). I know either way its going to be quite a bit of work, but does anyone have any thoughts/recommendations? Anyone have experience with these courses? Diff Eqs and Linear Algebra in one semester not a good idea?
Thanks, I'd appreciate any input.</p>
<p>Totally off topic, here, but I have a college guide that, in effect, says that the UVA Math department is HORRIBLE and that kids take math from the Engineering department just to avoid it. Is there any semblance of truth there?</p>
<p>I cannot confirm anything in the MATH but APMA (Engineering Math) is terrible. The department has the lowest number of students getting A's in the entire E-school which includes electrical engineering, computer engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, chemical engineering, civil engineering, and systems engineering. The math is harder to excell in than the concepts that apply them. Taking Diff Eq with Linear Alg is not a good idea. Both course give out A LOT of work no matter the school your in. Take an ENWR or somthing than both of them. Notice I did not touch Real Analysis...</p>
<p>I'm a CS+Math major. So I do have plenty experience with both APMA and MATH.</p>
<p>Personally, I never found anything so terribly bad about APMA, nor MATH. In fact quite a few people teaching APMA courses teach MATH ones. While it is true that both APMA and MATH departments have their own professors that you may not wish to take, overall both are perfectly fine.</p>
<p>As far as, "kids take math from the Engineering department just to avoid it" - that's wrong. E-School students generally don't have much choice but to take APMA. APMA is purposefully there to seperate engineers from other math/science majors as far as introductory courses, and allow some of those courses to cater slightly differently to their crowd. If your primary major is in the e-school, you have to take introductory math courses in APMA (there's a way of petition for cirriculum modification, but it requires you to hunt down your advisor, head of your major program, and e-school dean for signatures, which is complicated, and generally wanting to take math rather than apma isn't a good enough reason to get this petition passed).</p>
<p>I took the Diff. Eq. and Linear Algebra from APMA (equivalent to math courses, APMA 213 = MATH 325 and APMA 308 = MATH 351). I took basic real analysis (MATH 331). Currently, relevant to previous things, taking MATH 531 and 551 (real analysis, advanced linear algebra).</p>
<p>Diff Eq I would suggest MATH 325 rather than APMA 213. It's the exact same material, but the APMA department easily assigns double or tripe the homework amounts of MATH. If you think more hw is a good thing (which it can be, depending upon how easily you pick up things) and want to take APMA, avoid Daria Snider, no idea about any of the other two people teaching it. Interesting to note that Fulgham is teaching diff eq next semester, both in APMA and MATH. Another illustration why it's the same course (but APMA assigns more homework). Difficulty wise, I'll probably get disagreements on it, but overall Diff. Eq. really isn't a hard class - it's essentially memorization of several recipes and applying them, not any more difficult than calculus I-III.</p>
<p>Math 351 and APMA 308 while being counted equivalent courses though, do vary widely in content. Order of presentation is very different, and the style of the course. MATH one is much more theoretical and doesn't introduce one of the primary things (bases - you'll be wondering why the hell you're learning all this until this) until late in the course. APMA is also less about proofs but more on problem solving. 351 is taught by Triggiani and Hill. Triggiani is good, but very very proof centric, which may or may not be your cup of tea. Generally be aware lin algebra is a lot about defitions, so in a way those will be meh proofs in some lights. Hill is a new post-doc (phd from mit this past august). 308 is taught by McCrimmon and Wang. McCrimmon is the person I took it with (and he's also my current major advisor at the moment) - he has a unique teaching style that takes some time to get used to it (attendance required, you will never need to open your book, he publishes amazing notes, homework are very worksheet oriented but look at past semester for a very good idea of how to do them, he really cares about you and is a very nice guy), but once you do get used to it, he's excellent.</p>
<p>Finally, 331 Basic Real Analysis. This is probably the first "true" math major course. What I mean by this, if you want an easy litmus test if you'd enjoy being a math major, this course works decently well for that. COntent wise, it's Calculus I + II, but in a rigorous format. You won't be solving any equations, but rather proving every significant calculus theorem and getting to know definitions on a more rigorous level. If you don't love proofs, you will learn to love them by the end of this course (and yes, math is about proofs, not solving things).</p>
<p>Taking both lin alg and diff eq, I'd say it's perfectly doable and you'd be fine. There is some content overlap, so it will actually help your understand a bit in a few places, and work load is perfectly doable. Although of course, this depends upon how motivated you are, your math background, etc. Lin Alg is generally noticable easier than Real Analysis.</p>
<p>If you want to talk about this more directly: ok6b. Above are some general thoughts, but I may be able to give you better advice knowing your particular background.</p>
<p>I opted out of 331 this semester for 354 which is basically the best course ever - if you're a pure math kind of person. Lots of proofs and number theory, but I looooove the class. Still a fair amount of problems, though, too. I might like it so much because of the teacher, though (K Parshall).</p>
<p>I came in with Calc I-III and Diff Eq so I dunno about those classes; planning to take 312 in the spring too.</p>
<p>Either way 331 and 351 seem like non problem solving proof classes.... 331 maybe more so. Lin Alg is such dry stuff I wish I did not have to take it. I heard the teacher for 331 (Irena L something?) is nice though.</p>
<p>I've heard from a lot of people that the math department is horrible, I dunno, I like my math classes. I guess the fact that Calc 2 is the most failed class would add to that reputation.</p>
<p>The math department here is not "horrible" or "weak". It's fine. The professors I've had so far have have been extremely knowledgeable while at the same time being very interesting characters. Sure, they're not going to stand and give vivid accounts of the Visigoth's sack of Rome in 408, but if you're into the material, it should keep your attention. People tend to heap negativity onto departments that are inherently rigorous and dry but, in many cases, it simply isn't true. The classes aren't supposed to be fun - they're supposed to elucidate a particular area of mathematics to the students in a way that is fair and reasonable. I honestly don't understand where all this criticism is coming from. BTW, I'm taking math310 this semester and will likely be taking 351, 312 and 514 next semester.</p>
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I guess the fact that Calc 2 is the most failed class would add to that reputation.
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<p>One of the biggest myths out there...</p>