Anyone good at calculus?

[martindcx1e]

Hey guys I'm currently taking Calculus 1 and will be taking 2 & 3 in the next couple semesters and I'm wondering if anyone here knows their stuff when it comes to calc. Everything's cool at the moment, but it would be cool if there was someone on here that I could pm or something if I needed an explanation of a problem or something.

[Hawk]

I used to be good at it, but it's been 7-8 years, so I've forgotten most of what I learned. If you can't find anyone else who STILL knows their stuff, I'd be more than willing to try to clear out the cobwebs with you. Math was always my best class.

[martindcx1e]

I used to be good at it, but it's been 7-8 years, so I've forgotten most of what I learned. If you can't find anyone else who STILL knows their stuff, I'd be more than willing to try to clear out the cobwebs with you. Math was always my best class.

thanks hawk. everything is pretty simple right now (basics of derivatives and average/instantaneous rates of change), but i will keep you in mind if things present any trouble.

[mcatdog]

I've been a teaching assistant for calculus a couple of times, I can help you out if you're having trouble.

[martindcx1e]

cool mcat thanks.

[Zee Devee]

I doubt I can handle anything that mcat can't, but I finished Calc 2 last year and am taking 3 in spring, so I know a little. If mcat isn't around you can come to me.

[kingnat]

I don't mean for this to sound like a brag, but I have a PhD in Physics. I know shit-tons of Calculus... so I should be able to help with anything you need... however, taking grad-level physics courses usually steers one to think about calculus in a different way than most math folk do... so some of my answers might seem incomplete or ignoring particular hangups that math people get all up in arms about.

I think that math courses do a shitty job of conveying the usefulness of various methods and derivations; favoring instead to just cram students with a dozen or more examples of f(x) = some random function of x... and forcing students to integrate or whatever.

I personally believe that the biggest leaps in my own understanding about calculus were made when I spent a lot of time considering graphical representations of functions, derivatives, etc. Taking a thermodynamics course my junior year of college really made me realize what partial derivatives were... and things really started clicking for me after that. Anyway... Calc I is just boring, Calc 2&3 cover a few more topics... getting used to the various coordinate systems can be highly frustrating.. and to this day... I still hate converging/diverging proofs for infinite series... I still think those are fucking stupid.

[martindcx1e]

interesting nat. thanks for the insight. so is calc 1 going to be pretty repetetive then? if so then i guess that's good news since it's really really easy so far.

[Rabid Dog]

I took Calc and Analytic Geometry 1, 2, and 3 in college. I thought Calc 2 was the toughest, and Calc 3 was the easiest. Then ended up never using it and can't remember any of it at all now. Its been around 10 years or so since I finished Calc 3. The only thing I remember was my instructer telling me after I was already taking 3 was that I should have taken differential equations after Calc 2 and before Calc 3. Something about differential equations uses alot of what you learn in Calc 2 and it was easier taking it after Calc 2 while everything was fresh in your mind. I ended up not even taking differential equations. Well I enrolled in it, but dropped it a couple weeks in when I stepped away from school to enjoy watching my son grow up.

[gabe]

just post it here and we will race to see who solves stuff first

it will be great for you

[Pelion]

whats your phd in kingnat? Im starting a photonics one in october.

[sinky]

18 yrs since I have had to do any differentiation or integration. Thank God.

[WildBobAA]

I can help you too.

[kingnat]

whats your phd in kingnat? Im starting a photonics one in october.

I started out in CMP but quickly determined that the reason I went to grad school was so that I could be a college prof... so rather than developing the next quantum nano-widget, I began doing rigorous studies on the extent to which students understand and learn physics. This helps explain the gobble-di-gook that I wrote up above about understanding calculus in terms of graphical representations and things of that kind.

Have you started a project yet? What school are you attending? Have you passed all the entrance requirements (writtne comprehensive exam, oral-prelims)?

[bigred]

I'm gonna partial your derivative all night long. Yeah, I went there.

[WildBobAA]

That doesn't make any sense as a joke or as a math statement. You want a math joke?

sine, cosine, tangent, and e^x are all having a party. e^x is standing alone in the corner. So sine goes up to him and says "Why don't you integrate yourself into the party?". e^x replies, "It wouldn't matter anyway"

BAM

[Warpe]

^^^Nerdiest joke ever.

[WildBobAA]

^^^Nerdiest joke ever.

MATH FUCK YEA

[gabe]

sine, cosine, tangent, and e^x are all having a party. e^x is standing alone in the corner. So sine goes up to him and says "Why don't you integrate yourself into the party?". e^x replies, "It wouldn't matter anyway"

[koolmoe]

That doesn't make any sense as a joke or as a math statement. You want a math joke?

sine, cosine, tangent, and e^x are all having a party. e^x is standing alone in the corner. So sine goes up to him and says "Why don't you integrate yourself into the party?". e^x replies, "It wouldn't matter anyway"

BAM

d(r^3/3)

[spoonitnow]

That doesn't make any sense as a joke or as a math statement. You want a math joke?

sine, cosine, tangent, and e^x are all having a party. e^x is standing alone in the corner. So sine goes up to him and says "Why don't you integrate yourself into the party?". e^x replies, "It wouldn't matter anyway"

BAM

easily the funniest thing i've ever read in this forum that didn't involve rippy or po$$e$$ed

[Pelion]

what do you get if you cross an elephant with a cat?



















elephant cat sine theta

[Pelion]

Have you started a project yet? What school are you attending? Have you passed all the entrance requirements (writtne comprehensive exam, oral-prelims)?

Im in the UK so it probably works differently. Im joining the ORC at southampton university after finishing a masters at the university there . They emailed me after my results came through and asked if I was interested. I had a look around + interview and they seemed to like me so here I am. I dont really know what project im doing yet. There are 3 or 4 going on that Im going to be involved with and I get to play with them all before I decide which one to focus on.

[bigred]

That doesn't make any sense as a joke or as a math statement. You want a math joke?

sine, cosine, tangent, and e^x are all having a party. e^x is standing alone in the corner. So sine goes up to him and says "Why don't you integrate yourself into the party?". e^x replies, "It wouldn't matter anyway"

BAM

I think it gets the point across.

[kingnat]

what do you get if you cross an elephant with a cat?

elephant cat sine theta

that is fucking funny.


I have a better calculus joke:

A constant and an e^x are walking down the street... suddenly the constant ducks into an alley and looks petrified.

The e^x asks, "What's wrong man?"

The constant replies in a whispered tone, "Don't you see what's up ahead?.. it's a derivative!!! Do you KNOW what HAPPENS if I meet a derivative?? I'm finished!! I'm zilch, I'm NOTHING!!"

The e^x boasts, "Pshaw!! A derivative doesn't bother me. I'm e^x.. if I meet a derivative I just keep on walking.. it doesn't faze me a bit."

Undeterred by the constant's fears, e^x struts down the street, walks right up to the derivative and spouts, "What's up derivative? I'M e^x"

And the derivative replies, "Hi, I'm partial with respect to y."

[bigred]

I'll partial your respect to y.

[Pelion]

I'll partial your respect to y.

for some reason i cant stop laughing at this

[swiggidy]

I tutored all levels of calc for 6 months until I found a job. However, Gabe's observation is spot on. Math homework help threads always end up being long with everyone throwing their 2c in.

Pickup Line:
You know, if you were sin^2 and I was cos^2, together we'd be one.