<p>Just curious, what do you guys think is the most important math course for an Engineer (particularly a ChemE, but also in general)?</p>
<p>Ordinary Differential Equations? Linear Algebra? Partial Differential Equations? Calculus? </p>
<p>Btw, what is better between ODE and PDE?</p>
<p>they are all important, but calculus is the most fundamental.</p>
<p>This is from an EE perspective. Calculus by a long shot. Linear algebra was useful in some situations.</p>
<p>Diff Eq was, without a doubt, the most useless math class I have ever taken (if not one of the most useless classes period). I literally never used it outside of the class except maybe twice. Every differential equation was solved numerically, if I had to solve it at all. One professor even told me he had no idea how to solve Diff Eqs and didn’t care because he just did it all numerically.</p>
<p>“Calculus by a long shot. Linear algebra was useful in some situations.”</p>
<p>exactly the opposite. Linear algebra in so much more useful in operations modeling, prediction and obviously, in real life…</p>
<p>An ordinary differential equation is when there’s only derivatives taken with respect to one variable. A PDE has multiple dependences going on (think time-dependent wave equation where you have derivatives with respect to time and position).</p>
<p>i took linear algebra because i was on course for math degree…do most engineering majors tend to learn linear algebra formally or is it more of a pick and choose for what you need?</p>
<p>Linear algebra is only required for EE, CompE, and IE at my school.</p>
<p>Most engineering majors are made to take Lin.Alg. at my school.</p>
<p>I think it’s more important for CS majors than calculus, far and away. For other engineering majors… calculus is probably more important at the lower levels, but I’d wager that Lin.Alg. and Diff.Eq. become more important in advanced coursework.</p>
<p>In MSE, I used basic calculus on a regular basis and continue to use it often in my graduate courses. Used ODEs, PDEs and multivariable/vector calc too, but only in a couple of optional courses. Of all the math I’ve taken, I’ve probably used linear algebra the least.</p>
<p>I’m CS…I’d say linear algebra…although at my school it isn’t required I plan to self-study it. Other than that, discrete math-combinatorics, probability, that sort of thing…maaybe vector spaces?</p>