Math HL - option Differential Equations and Series

Hey guys,

i am doing Math HL and we do the Differential Equations option (topic 10 in the syllabus).

I just realized I am totally screwed since I thought most of the option is on differential equations, but in fact most of it is on limits and convergence and divergence of series.

This is a new topic on the syllabus so there r no past papers I can use to revise. So wut do u guys think is gonna be on P3 on Monday? Can u give me some hints as to wut I should concentrate on or possibly some links to webpages that explain it.

Thanx

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Reply 1

ChaoticRain

Hahaha listen up,

Our class is doing the same option topic as you guys. We have a class full of some really bright people, one of us going to harvard. For our mock paper 3, not a single person got over 50%. The class average was like 10-20% I think...

I have no idea wtf we're going to do for paper 3!

Reply 2

Ichimaru Gin

Just to correct you, CR. that I did get over 50%... beating HIM one more time... mwhahahahaha... But indeed, this topic is hard... And even I fear I might fare this exam poorly... Now let's just pray in name of MASTER LUCIFER... lol..

Reply 3

ch@rly

I don't really think it is too difficult....the syllabus and requirements are less than in other options and they have really few things to answer too so....

Reply 4

mayfer

i got 18/60 from the specimen paper, paper 3.
it really is quite hard

Reply 5

Peter The Magnificient

I gor 22/60 on the mock paper 3, but then we had only gone through half the option at that time so i dunno

Reply 6

CrouchingMooseHiddenLlama

eulers method, differencial eqations type 1/2/3, and maclauren series are fine...oh and the convergent test were u test for a function which is always greater. everything else= i dont even know wut everything else is.

Reply 7

Ichimaru Gin

There are much more methods convergent tests, Crouching&Hidden, if my memory still serves... But other than that, I see very little what you have missed, if that's not enough for one to fear...

Reply 8

jachymczech

I am in the same class as CHMLlama.

I understand: Euler's method, differential equations, mclautran and taylor and L'hopital's rule

I can do easy problems using the Comparison or ratio test

But there is so many different ways of proving convergence or divergence and so many other tests (limit comparison test, squeeze test, etc.) that when I get a problem I have no clue which one I should use. And none of these are in the formula booklet... :frown:

Reply 9

CutCut

Sometimes they tell you which ones to use, sometimes you can choose any one that fits into the condition that they give to you.

Reply 10

CrouchingMooseHiddenLlama

jachyme, if i remember correctly, it all depends on what values u get...like if u get 0 over infinity or infinity over zero then u cant use that test...but then again i could be talking compelte bull, we'll see tomorrow. review lessons FTW!

Reply 11

jachymczech

I know it is not that difficult, but there is like 6 or 7 tests and u have to test all the conditions to see which one to use and even then u can easily make an error while applying the correct test (which often requires integration by parts, etc.)

Reply 12

seba_izqu

People, don't freak out. I sis like **** in my P3 mock. i got 25/60 and still was the best of my class.
Keep in mind that:
24 points will go to McLaurin and taylor, which can be hard
24 points will go to differential equations, and it's probable that 10 out of that 24 points will go to Euler, which is extremely easy.
only 12 points will go to the f!c!ing series limits and so on, so... I WOULDN'T BOTHER IN LEARNING ALL THE RULES... they don't affect the result too mcuh anyway
good luck to everyone, and remember we'll all fail this examn so boundaries will be very low, haha
Sebas

Reply 13

jachymczech

But....

if u look at the syllabus, differential equations are only in part 10.6, which would suggest they are 1/6 of the exam. And as u said, McLaurean and Taylor can also be tricky, so the only easy thing is Euler's method.

I just hope the paper is either gonna be easy or the grade boundaries really low. In the end, it is just 20% of the final grade.

The problem is though that there are no past papers since it is a new option so we have no clue wut we r gonna get.

Reply 14

jachymczech

Btw. which Math HL option topic is considered to be the most difficult and which one the easiest?

Reply 15

seba_izqu

i have a question. my teacher says the P3 is 20%, but i think its 16% and that P1 and P2 are 32% each, which makes quite a difference in the end.
P1 and P2 are 120 points each, and P3 60. The three papers are 300 points. As the IA is 20%, 300 points is 80%. SO, by simple math, you get that:
300------80%
60--------x%

x= (60x80)%300 which is 16%
the point: if you did bad in P1 and P2 and where hoping for a salvation in P3 (like me), you're lost
Sebas

Reply 16

jachymczech

Directly taken from the 2006 Math HL syllabus:

External assessment: 80%
- Paper 1: 20questions - 30%
- Paper 2: 5questions - 30%
- Paper 3: 20%
Internal assessment: 20%

Reply 17

zeeman

I got 50 out of 60 on the specimen p3 (mock exam)
I bet there will be an integral test, L'Hospital Rule, expanding MacLauren/Taylor and using it for estimation, the error of estimation, some small questions with conv/div, ratio test for sure and Euler's method. I guess there will be nothing to surprise indeed. And, yeah, there are no past papers for that so you'd better ask your teacher for some clues if you can (how to get sth to practice).

Reply 18

Ichimaru Gin

lol... just sit and smile, and go over everything you know in your brain, and see if there is anything you don't know... then once you know everything, you are set... lol...

btw, zeeman, that's quite impressive... We all bombed it as the date of our math mock and physics mock kinda coincided, and partially that we were simply slacking off too much... But nonetheless 50/60 is quite impressive considering how everyone did quite bad on the specimen paper... error of approximation part is really easy i think, but there is this Lagrange thing that one should also remember... *grin* I love Lagrange... He's one of my idol mathematician, whom I have heard very little before but suddenly become a large part of my life... lol...

Reply 19

jachymczech

The error of estimation - I didnt find that on the syllabus as well as the Lagrange thingy. I have never heard that term before and cannot find it in the Option DE and series. R u sure its on the syllabus?

OK, never mind, Lagrange IS IN THE OPTION 9 "SERIES, RELATIONS AND GROUPS" not in Differential equations option.