which area of maths do you LOATHE?

and why?

(anyone for discrete maths?)

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Decision (Algorithms, networks etc)
Vectors
Matrix algebra
Also not a massive fan of mechanics either

As for why... Not sure. I just prefer calculus to be honest

Reply 2

simonli2575

Oh yeah, decision Maths is ****ing annoying.

Reply 3

Kevin De Bruyne

Studying Algebra in my first year at uni, it's absolutely brutal.

I have a module this semester called 'Vector Mechanics'. Two areas of maths I wasn't very good at brought together.

Reply 4

HenryHiddler

I hate statistics; don't get me wrong, it's really important in Maths and Science. But I much prefer the pure and mechanics. Hence why I took up further maths by myself :smile:

Lies, damned lies, and statistics

Hope this helps :smile:

Reply 5

Phichi

Original post by HenryHiddler

Hope this helps :smile:

Who you helping :redface:

Reply 6

rayquaza17

Probability
Linear algebra
Graph theory
Combinatorics
Analysis

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Reply 7

username1200599

Original post by HenryHiddler

I hate statistics; don't get me wrong, it's really important in Maths and Science. But I much prefer the pure and mechanics. Hence why I took up further maths by myself :smile:

Lies, damned lies, and statistics

Hope this helps :smile:

Ugh stats

Reply 8

hmushy

I hate mechanics with a passion!

Reply 9

tabmax22

decision maths. Absolutely hate it.

Reply 10

TenOfThem

Stats

I especially despise the lack of consistency

Reply 11

Cutty

Statistics

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Reply 12

Ocelot60

Not a huge fan of anything unexpectedly easy. Whilst doing my A-level maths, I'd often be thrown off course by basic GCSE solutions that I simply wouldn't think about whilst attempting the questions, leaving me to overcomplicate a lot of things. Though, simply enough, it's one of those things that makes you kick yourself once you figure it out.
Also, yes, Statistics sucks.

Reply 13

poorform

Graph theory. Or at least that's my impression of what I have seen/been taught so far.

Reply 14

XVIII

I think people hate stats the most is because of the tedious and unnecessary calculations when finding out mean, variance etc when it could just be done more efficiently on a comp. But once you get onto the higher modules its not all that bad and the stuff you learn is very applicable

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Reply 15

username1560589

Statistics is my worst area. There seems to be very little understanding at this level, but I hope it will improve later.

In general I don't like numerical methods. I like the satisfaction of finding an exact final answer and this isn't possible using numerical methods. I also feel that there's a deeper level of understanding when finding a solution using algebraic or analytical methods than numerical methods.

Discrete mathematics is also quite boring sometimes at A-level, blindly following algorithms. Again I think it picks up at a more advanced level because you will actually be designing the algorithms.

Reply 16

Dalek1099

Original post by morgan8002

The problem with numerical methods is that it can be done on pretty much everything throw A2 calculus out of the window you can do it all by numerical approximations and thats what is so annoying about it you can invent your own numerical methods but it will always be a way to do more advanced maths using simpler methods.

What I really hate about Maths is visual mathematics I really can't visualise things, they say Mathematicians have a lot of spatial awareness but this is only really true if you are really good at Geometry,Vectors and Mechanics(more of the applied questions that can't be done by rote learning or algebra.I am really good with Algebra and Calculus I actually find a lot of the hard challenge Geometry questions that you use to be given in GCSE Maths classes very hard now I really can't see it and I find it really hard to work out what is going on in Mechanics I have had to work really hard to do well and rote learn a lot of it, for Relative Motion I am using my own very complicated algebraic methods instead of using a diagram that takes about two pages while the mark scheme has a couple of lines :colondollar:

I also hate a lot of Decision Maths but I quite like Game Theory(not doing Simplex as part of it though, this might be to do with it contains Statistics) as it is just tonnes of simplistic calculations that get tiring and it is so easy to mess it all up.i really love Statistics though I don't know why people hate it so much probability is really interesting and can be applied to the real world eg. Poisson to model hurricanes,Binomial hitting targets and I am really starting to love the Hypothesis Testing(although I originally wasn't that much of a fan) in S3 because it gives you the tools to test things that you are told like you could carry out your own investigation to see whether the mass of something is really 10kg to 5% significance.In S3 you learn why something you have always assumed(large samples are good) is true with a good mathematical proof and in S2 you learn how to convert between different probability distributions and calculus of continuous random variables.My favourite area is probably differential equations due to the mathematical beauty of solving the equations and finding particular integrals and you can apply these to real life situations like acceleration,velocity etc(I dislike Mechanics in general but I like Coefficient of Restitution and of of course the real world Calculus elements its all the complicated visual stuff and diagrams that I hate).

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 17

Dalek1099

Original post by morgan8002

What modules of Statistics have you done because from learning S2 and S3 I feel you get a lot of understanding of Statistics from the Hypothesis Tests and probability distributions. I have also looked up PGFs and MGFs which are really interesting and help you prove the means and variances of Binomial and Poisson.