I am not sure if this is the right place to ask this but I usually ask for help here. I am a computer science major currently taking a calculus 2 class. I am able to do the problems presented in class from looking at examples of similar problems and understand concepts presented. But when it comes to sitting down with the textbook and reading various proofs I have a very hard time understanding them. I have spent hours searching online for different explanations on a particular proof and still do not fully understand it. I have also asked about this proof on this website. I know I can pass Calculus 2 without understanding the proofs but part of me wants to know why this works and how.
Moreover, even if you're not so interested in theoretical CS, if you wish to become a truly good programmer, you will need to know math at the level of fairly complicated proofs. At the very minimum, you will need a good understanding of algorithms and complexity theory, the study of which is quite heavy in proving theorems.
The good thing is that Calculus 2 is not really an introduction to proof-based mathematics. Your performance in Calculus 2 should not intimidate you with regard to your career as a programmer. You may have encountered epsilon-delta proofs. They are confusing, and in my experience, not a very good introduction to proofs at all. You should take some introductory classes to real analysis and linear algebra to really get exposed to proof-based mathematics, and you should read Daniel Velleman's How to Prove It to get acquainted with reading and writing proofs.
I do both computer science and math and feel that computer science is vastly improved with an understanding of proofs. For the theory more than the programming. Calculus proofs may be useful in an algorithms class when trying to prove the big O of algorithms.
Technology provides dynamic opportunities for instruction in math and STEM classrooms. We can enhance the learning process and make concepts come alive through engaging and interactive media. We may also offer additional supports to address the needs of all learners and create customized learning experiences. Here are some important ways that students can benefit when we incorporate technology with our math and STEM lesson instruction.
Multimedia brings learning to life! We can bring videos, animations, interesting movies and other media into the learning process to help our students develop skills and understandings. And it can help to motivate and excite our students about their learning!
The movies are so enjoyable to watch that kids play them again and again and ask for more on different topics! Compared to prior school years, Mr. DeMaio has found that this multimedia approach to blended learning has led to better retention and increased student understanding of the concepts, even in math and STEM lessons.
One excellent platform for teachers and students is the web-based graphing calculator, Desmos. The Desmos classroom activities page is a great starting point to engage students in playing with and testing mathematical ideas and also sharing and collaborating.
Teachers can use technology to help students see how concepts they are learning in the math or STEM classroom can be applied to everyday life. Instead of giving her students a problem-solving worksheet, educator Jennie Magiera recorded a short video in the dairy aisle of the supermarket, posing the real-world problem of deciding what would be the best deal. She challenged her students to figure out what brand and size of cheese to buy based on the prices and promotions seen on the shelves. Recording videos of scenarios outside of the classroom such as this can be done easily with a smartphone and then shared on YouTube or the class website.
Integrating technology in the math classroom allows students to interact with people outside of the classroom to help broaden their understandings and perspectives about what they are studying. Teachers can set up live interactive video calls with experts on a wide variety of curricular topics using sites such as Skype in the Classroom and Nepris. One teacher on Nepris posted a request for industry experts to share ways they use math concepts in their daily work, and as a result students were able to virtually meet a playground designer who demonstrated how he uses measurement, multiplication, and more in his decision-making and planning.
In addition to digital versions of the Teachers Guides and student-facing print materials, the Bridges Educator Site (BES) includes videos, an extensive professional development library, and tips from Bridges classroom teachers. The BES also offers district leaders, principals, and coaches resources to support implementation at the school or district level.
I got pulled aside by one teacher who was so excited because the students in her class who had used Bridges the previous year were noticeably better math thinkers. She said they can think of more ways to solve problems and come up with math solutions rarely produced by first graders.
A "Math Placement" represents the numerical assessment of a student's math skills, in terms of the courses they are eligible to take. A math placement level is created by on of three ways: a placement assessment, SAT/ACT/Smart Balance (SBAC) scores, or the successful passing of a college (including preparatory) math course with a grade of a C- or better. Below you will find information on the different classifications of Math Placements at SOU.
Students who complete the Math Placement Assessment can have any of the following placements in prepatory mathematics, these courses are meant to help prepare students for a successful performance in college-level math, and are not included in degree credit:
This course will help students understand the pursuit of mathematical understanding as a human endeavor. Students will discover how mathematics has developed over the past 5000 years in a variety of cultural and historical settings, including the rise of geometry and number theory, arithmetic and algebra, analysis and foundations, and a variety of other topics.
A variety of mathematics topics will be examined in their historical context. Topics chosen will include, at a minimum, examples from (1) the development of mathematics as the axiomatic sciences of geometry and number theory in the ancient world, (2) the development of arithmetic and algebra in the early and late middle ages respectively in India and the Islamic empire, and in renaissance Europe, (3) the development of analysis in post-renaissance Europe, (4) the rise of formalism and foundationalism in the modern period, and (5) the advent of computer science.
In addition to lecture, students will work collaboratively on assignments created to help students understand the mathematics introduced throughout history. Calculators and mathematics software (such as Geometer's Sketchpad and Excel) will be used to present and work on the material presented in class, as appropriate. A project will be presented by the students on a topic chosen by the instructor.
Students will develop an understanding of and appreciation for mathematical rigor and inquiry along with problem-solving in mathematics throughout history. Students will examine the interconnection among the different branches of mathematics and the expansive nature of mathematical development. They will build knowledge of the role of mathematics in understanding the world and of how this understanding can be developed in their own classrooms. They will appreciate mathematics as a culturally shared endeavor.
Mathematics and statistics play a critical role in our efforts to understand the nature of the physical universe and in the continuing development of our technological society. Students majoring in mathematics and statistics gain skills related to abstract thinking and critical reasoning through courses across a variety of mathematical disciplines. Mathematicians and statisticians are in demand in all sectors of society, ranging from government to business and industry, to universities and research labs. Undergraduate training in mathematics and statistics also provides an excellent background for graduate study in these and related computational fields.
Students majoring in mathematics must satisfy the sets of requirements for either the Specialty in Pure Mathematics, the Specialty in Applied Mathematics, or the Specialty in Statistics. Courses may be credited toward the major only if a grade of C or higher is earned. Unless otherwise noted, all courses are 4 credit hours.
Students can use at most one of CAS MA 411 and CAS MA 511 to fulfill the requirements of this specialty. Students planning to go to graduate school in a related field are strongly encouraged to take CAS MA 412, CAS MA 511, and CAS MA 512, as well as a numerics course. A major advisor can approve one roughly equivalent upper-level course, either inside or outside the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, as a substitute for one of the courses in one focus area. The Probability and Mathematical Statistics track is meant for students working in mathematics and related applied fields who are looking to use the fundamental tools of probability and statistics in their field of study. Students who plan to pursue graduate study or a career in statistics should, in consultation with their major advisor, consider pursuing the Specialty in Statistics.
A 2015 review of studies found that people with the inattentive type of ADHD tend to be more likely to have trouble with mathematics than people with the hyperactive type. In a nutshell, the same genetic factors that affect your ability to focus may also have an impact on your mathematical abilities.
State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.030, the Gordon Rule, requires that students complete with grades of C or better 12 credits in designated courses in which the student is required to demonstrate college-level writing skills through multiple assignments and six credits of mathematics course work at the level of college algebra or higher. These courses must be completed successfully (grades of C or better) prior to the receipt of an A.A. degree and prior to entry into the upper division of a Florida public university.
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