<p>^^^
This sounds similarr to a class called “Methods of Mathematical Physics” or “Applied Math for Engineers” (two different classes I took for separate majors which had a lot of overlap).</p>
<p>I can’t remember if these classes were classified as upper or lower division, or something sort of in between. THese wre classes beyond the normal math sequence most people took (Diff, Int, MV, ODE, Lin Alg).</p>
<p>Of course, maybe I’m mixing up classes with books I remember. THat’s also a possibility. Anyway, the class described seems like a survey class in advanced applied math. I took a whole semester of complex analysis and they offered more (as treetop noted).</p>
<p>Just to correct myself, the class that I took was called ‘Advanced Calculus’, same as the text name. I just assumed that someone referring to ‘Calculus IV’ would be referring to this sort of class, one that has Calc I - III as prereqs. You may be right, it may be called a variety of names.</p>
<p>At a typical semester system school, a fall or spring semester course will go at half the speed of a summer course. But students typically take twice as many courses in a fall or spring semester as in the summer.</p>
<p>It does look like he is now back on track and is no longer behind a semester in math, which is a good thing in terms of the prerequisite sequences for future courses in his major.</p>
<p>Congratulations on passing a course that has probably prematurely ended the careers of more physical science and engineering students than any other. I was convinced that if he really just went all out, and he did at six hours of studying per day, he had a good shot at finishing Calculus II strongly.</p>
<p>Thank you. If he follows “our plan”, he will have </p>
<p>Fall Semester S.H.</p>
<p>ENGR 200 Statics 3
MATH 234 Calculus III 4
PHYS 201 Intro to Elec & Mag 4
____ ___ University Core 3 (something about philosophy)</p>
<hr>
<p>14</p>
<p>The school’s plan includes “ELEC 210 Electric Circuit Analysis 3” with a prereq of “ENGR 160 Algorithms & Applications (3)”, and a total of 17 credits. </p>
<p>But, I am no longer the “parent of an engineering freshman”, so…</p>
<p>Shrink - I have taught Statics six times. The homework can take a lot of time. Be forewarned. I used to tell the students to plan on 1/2 to 1 hour per problem, 15 problems/week. Someone would invariably ask if that was a typo in the syllabus. Sadly, no. And if they aren’t assigning that many problems, then he should be doing more on his own :).</p>
<p>Statics is a very entertaining class - I don’t know how they teach it in your student’s school but it does involve LOTS of problem solving. What we found useful was to get additional books and work on additional problems especially together in a study group. Math was not a big deal for this class (Dynamics is where math is a big deal :)).</p>
<p>“He got a C. Whew.” - HOORAY! Fantastic news. </p>
<p>I liked my Statics class… AFTER I got over the hurdle of using matrix math methods instead of my simplified cheater methods (trying to calculate one dimension at a time, inelegantly).</p>
Lol, cm. Students sometimes asked me why I was making things so difficult when we used vectors to do two-dimensional problems. I tried to reassure them that problems in three dimensions were not so easily tractable, and that they would be thankful to use vectors then, but they often had to learn that the hard way. :)</p>
<p>I can trace my computer programming roots and subsequent software career on Statics… I decided to NOT do it by hand like every other kid in class and taught myself BASIC… Needless to say the Western Elbonia College of Mines and Engineering (or something like that) never thought of teaching Linear Algebra or programming ahead of Statics…</p>
<p>Son is back home for a few days bad asked me if I had updated my cc friends. He is increasingly receptive. He also said he doesn’t think he could have done it without me/ us. Aww! </p>
<p>I’m going to treat that as a good thing, and pass this last stuff on, including he got past a hurdle, but starting from a C in summer school will not be the strongest position in tne class. The stuff about why do it THIS way when you can do it THAT way sounds vaguely familiar.</p>
<p>Email from son…no, I am no longer a parent of an engineering freshman…</p>
<p>“So neither of my books are the correct math book. I’m going to look into selling the 2 books. Meanwhile This is the book that I need for this semester.”</p>
<p>Yay! …Stewart, right? Can there BE another “Early Transcendentals”? Amazon says…“Instant Order Update forShinkrap. You purchased this item on August 27, 2012.”</p>
<p>Then “Other than that, classes are going well
Although…I’m kinda having little snippets of interest in Electrical Engineering”</p>
<p>Try to get the ISBN number for the textbook. That way you’ll know the exact version & author. It’s like a SSN for books–each book has a unique ISBN. This helps reduce oops & having to buy & resell mistakes.</p>
<p>A suggestion for your son, Shrinkrap: Keep all of the math/science/engineering texts. Sell back the books from other courses, if they are no longer of interest.</p>
<p>If one has understood any topic from a particular textbook presentation, it is much faster to go back to that textbook for review than to try to refresh one’s understanding by following a different author’s approach.</p>
<p>I kept all of my math/science/engineering texts, and just this year (40 years later) referred to one of my freshman texts for the conditions on functions in a proof I rarely use.</p>
