<p>For a ME Major, which course would be more appropriate, Ma 1b practical, or 1b analytical? Is analytical harder than practical in general? What type of majors have to (or would) take the analytical track? Please answer the corresponding question for Ma 1c also. Thank you very much!</p>
<p>If you've already taken math past calculus, the analytic track will be more interesting for you. If you're any type of engineering major, the practical track will probably be more useful. The analytic tracks tend to take less time, particularly if you're good at proofs, and the practical tracks have long sets that you don't really have to be too clever on, and are very doable even if you suck at proofs. The analytic track is only really super useful for math and CS majors, and maybe physics majors, since other fields don't require much knowledge of proofs. On the other hand, if you enjoy proofs, go for the analytic track regardless of major. Even if you don't get as solid a foundation on, say, solving differential equations in Ma 2a, you'll have to take ACM 95 anyways, so you won't be losing out on too much. It's pretty easy to switch between the two tracks, so feel free to mix and match terms (though it can be tough going from prac to anal.)</p>
<p>Core math isn't split into tracks until after first term. First term, everyone has to take the analytic calculus class, so you'll get a good idea if you enjoy it or not. If you're not sold on either track, pick each term based on the lecturer. I wish I'd done something like Ma 1b anal -> Ma 1c prac -> Ma 2a prac.</p>
<p>As Antiquark said, the analytic track is much more proof intensive. If you absolutely hate proofs, you probably shouldn't take it. But Ma 1a, in my opinion is not representative of the difficulty of Ma 1b and 1c analytic. Ma 1b and 2c move at a slightly slower pace. If you've had exposure to even a little bit of linear algebra (by that I mean, you know what a matrix and a determinant are and what Gaussian elimination is), the analytic track for Ma 1b is probably better. The analytical track as a whole isn't directly useful for ME, but it teaches you to think in a unique way, which is one of the reasons I came to Caltech. The analytic tracks definitely do not take less time though. My roommate is in prac math and he takes much less time on his sets than I do, and I would say that our mathematical abilities are about equal (we had around the same amount of math in high school, etc.). You have to be quite good at proofs to be able to an analytic set faster than a prac set.</p>
<p>Overall, if you don't really dislike proofs, I would suggest taking analytic, it's good for you and you don't really miss out on anything, (at least in Ma 1, apparently you don't do Laplace transforms in 2a analytic but you do in 2a prac., which probably helps in ACM 95b). Math 2b is one class for everyone again.</p>
<p>You really shouldn't worry about it too much yet though. Talk to upperclassmen when you get here and decide then. Ma 1a should give you enough to worry about.</p>
<p>I always took prac math/anal phys and never regretted it.</p>
<p><-- EE Major. </p>
<p>(I hated Math 1a with a passion though)</p>
<p>Thank you for evervyone, especially for Antiquark for always giving very informative answers. How is the difficulty level for Math 1a class? Is it harder than Math 1b and/or Math1c?
For incoming freshman with average math skills, is Math 1a supposed to be a real difficult class? If so, what precisely makes it difficult? Thank you for any of your thoughts.</p>
<p>For most people, Ma 1a is tough. The median Techer probably got a 5 on the Calculus BC exam, but has had little or no experience with proofs. Ma 1a expects you to already know the fundamentals of single-variable calculus and teaches you the basics of proof, so you can derive everything from base principles. I don't think it's any harder than Ma 1bc analytic, but it may seem harder depending on your high school background since when you take it you haven't gotten used to the Caltech level of work yet. Don't worry too much over it -- it is on pass/fail. A large percentage of people bomb the final and pass by a single point. They don't fail very many people.</p>
<p>Let's just say that if the Ma 1a final is the test you do the worst on while at Caltech you're in really good shape. :D</p>
<p>I got a 28% on the first math 1a midterm (there are two of them). I think the average was like, 50%? I dunno, I just know I failed it hardcore. Math 1a is by far the worst performance I ever had in a class--but I think part of that is getting used to Tech. If I had tried to take some of the classes I am taking now first term frosh year, I would die...</p>