[Guardsman]

Hey all,

Another question regarding math, engineering, school, etc.

What kind of math would I be doing in engineering school, and using day-to-day?

I've been trying to figure the whole algebra thing out, and a guy's example for his elementary school-aged son has been the best help so far (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) -

http://www.osteele.com/archives/2004/12/gr...grounded-proofs

The algebra itself is stupidly simple - one problem I'm having is deciphering the intent of the problem.

In any case, I'm seeing that there is a "theoretical math", where guys who apparently have nothing better to do discover that there was some number that we didn't really know about yet (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

Then there's the math that normal people actually use to accomplish things.

I'm going to take the College Math CLEP test for the math requirement for my Associates.

That has the "what is the square root of i?", and other similar philosophical math questions, and, as I understand it, a lot of statistics.

So, do I just need to learn enough to pass the CLEP, and then concentrate on the higher math, or is the "square root of i" going to come into play in electronics engineering?

Thanks again guys.

John

[00 Trans Ram]

OK, not an engineer, but I'll weigh in on the "math" part.

You sound like me. I did not find Algebra itself hard - at least the actual calculations. But, I had a hard time understanding the underlying principles. For instance (basic example), youve got a train going x^2+4x+3 miles per hour. That's all well and good, but where the heck did the equation come from? In real life, some guy would have had to measure the speed of the train, then deduce an equation. If he measured the speed of it first off, then why do I have to solve some stupid equation to find it - why can't the guy just tell me?

Well, when you get your first Calculus course, you find out why. You find that, by reducing the equation to 2x+4, you now know the accelleration of the train (as opposed to constant speed). You can now not only figure out how long it will take him to get from point A to point B, but also how much distance and time to allow for him to reach his cruising speed.

Then, you begin to learn how to find the equations. For me, even though I don't do it on a daily basis, it's always interesting to floor the gas on my car, and know that there is an equation that expresses the exact accelleration and speed of my car. Yeah, I'm a bit odd, but that's me!! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)