What is Decision Maths like?

To be fair, in pretty much all the maths modules, getting over 90% is mainly about not making small mistakes.

I disagree. I feel that for most maths modules, if you have good understanding, you should get 90%+, making a few small mistakes. For decision, it is much easier to lose marks, from what I remember you can lose 6 marks to a numerical slip.

Reply 41

Hunarench95

13

I'm going to buck the trend here and say I quite enjoyed it!

I like the fact that it's super applied and is potentially one of the more useful modules.

(It's also quite straightforward if you work through the problems carefully)

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Reply 42

Magnesium

17

Original post by FrozenSteph

Hey everyone! I'm taking Decision Maths as one of my A-levels when I go to college next year and was just wondering what your opinions on it are? I sometimes enjoy maths but sometimes I find it a bit frustrating if I don't understand how to solve something. I took decision maths because I am also studying computer programming & software development so it would really help!
I just want to know what you like and dislike about the subject, anything you think I should know etc

Thanks all! :tongue:

D1 isn't as boring as they say, I quite enjoy it :tongue:

I think it's just longwinded, and so it gets a bit tedious after having to repeat a few questions on the same topic. You just need to memorise algorithms and their conditions and apply this in the exam :tongue:

Reply 43

Placeboo123

19

It's lovely, the mathematics is primary school level. Such a grade booster.

Reply 44

FrozenSteph

OP

7

Thanks everyone! :biggrin:

Reply 45

TeeEm

19

Original post by FrozenSteph

Thanks everyone! :biggrin:

you are welcome

Reply 46

Hey111

1

Original post by FrozenSteph

Hey everyone! I'm taking Decision Maths as one of my A-levels when I go to college next year and was just wondering what your opinions on it are? I sometimes enjoy maths but sometimes I find it a bit frustrating if I don't understand how to solve something. I took decision maths because I am also studying computer programming & software development so it would really help!
I just want to know what you like and dislike about the subject, anything you think I should know etc

Thanks all! :tongue:

Decision is visually the hardest of the three applied, mathematically it's the easiest. Decision is by far the closest to Computer Science you can get and is just about the only field that it relates to.

I took the exact same subjects (Computing and Software Dev) and am currently doing D1. I would say it's the dullest and most confusing out of the three applied choices. It's totally prone to human error and very long winded. It's unnecessarily random.

I would (in your case) only recommend it to students going into Computer Science although to be honest Computer Scientists are often highly advised to have Double/further Maths.

The content of Decision 1 comprises of really three main things (Spanning Tree Networks, Inequality graphs and number sorting). The networks and number sorting involve algorithms (kind of visual step-by-step methods for computers to understand addition/arrangement basically) are incredibly dull. Linear Programming (Inequality graphs) on the other hand are simple and fun to draw/ solve. I would say that drawing the networks is the most enjoyable part of the whole thing though it's unlikely that they'll make you draw the networks in the exam but it'll help you better visualise the problems.

Just buy and flick through a D1 textbook and see if the content matches your preferences.

If you find D1 at AS too boring, you can always do M1 or S1 the next year or if your school/college let you then try changing to a different applied unit M1/S1 when you enroll. Maybe look at all three of the applied before your decide ('decide', that's a parodox of irony).

I also have many acquaintances in Computing who did M1/S1 instead. My brother in law (who works in Road technology ironically) recommended D1 for me.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 47

Jammysmithy

Hey steph I'm doing decision maths too :biggrin:

Reply 48

WillWalker23

7

Everyone in my further maths class but me hates decision, but I enjoy it. I take Computer Science alongside it, so find it useful, and because I liked D1, I'm teaching myself D2 this year and it is a lot more interesting. Game Theory is a very nice easy but interesting topic. The Simplex Algorithm on D1 is good for the maths side of it and D2 is certainly a lot more mathematical (but still simple) than D1 and is a much better compromise.

We've just had mocks and just to show how easy D1 is, everyone got at least a B in D1. Whereas in FP1, most people got Cs, Ds and Es.

Reply 49

username1560589

20

Original post by WillWalker23

Everyone in my further maths class but me hates decision, but I enjoy it. I take Computer Science alongside it, so find it useful, and because I liked D1, I'm teaching myself D2 this year and it is a lot more interesting. Game Theory is a very nice easy but interesting topic. The Simplex Algorithm on D1 is good for the maths side of it and D2 is certainly a lot more mathematical (but still simple) than D1 and is a much better compromise.

We've just had mocks and just to show how easy D1 is, everyone got at least a B in D1. Whereas in FP1, most people got Cs, Ds and Es.

I just have to mention that simplex is in D2 for some boards. Most people I know found it very difficult initially to get their heads around game theory.
I self study some computer science, so found D1-2 more useful than it is for most people.

Reply 50

WillWalker23

7

Original post by morgan8002

I just have to mention that simplex is in D2 for some boards. Most people I know found it very difficult initially to get their heads around game theory.
I self study some computer science, so found D1-2 more useful than it is for most people.

I do OCR and have Edexcel books and in both it is in D1. I know Simplex is D2 for AQA though.

I find Game theory the simplest bit of the D2 course. It just really helps with the Simplex as well - especially when you see that the slack variables at the end are the strategies for the other player.

Personally, I find Computing helps D1 with standard algorithms and D1 helps AS Computing re sorting, but Decision altogether helps with A2 Computing, especially AQA COMP3 with all the graph theory.

What is Decision Maths like?

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