Trig Vs. Calculus? Which is harder?

In summary: You need to know Trig to understand Calculus... usuallyTrig is a prerequisite for any significant calculus.This is because the trig functions that are studied in computational trig tend to be a little more complicated than the trig functions that are studied in traditional trig. This can make the transition from traditional trig to computational trig a little more difficult.
  • #1
Jurrasic
98
0
Just wondering what you find harder? Trig or Calculus?
 
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  • #2
You need to know Trig to understand Calculus... usually
 
  • #3
Trig is a prerequisite for any significant calculus.
 
  • #4
Define "harder."
 
  • #5
Define "Trig". Define "Calculus". There's a significant amount of calculus that involves trig, so I think you'd have a hard time completely separating them, much less comparing difficulty (which, as jtbell said, is something else that needs defining here).
 
  • #6
I never took a class in trig, but I can tell you that it'd probably be 'harder' than calculus. I say this because in calculus, you've improved your mathematical maturity to a much greater level. Perhaps I'm just unique, but by the time I was halfway through calc III, I felt like I understood math pretty well from an applied standpoint, and even knew a little theory. Trig though ... that's just memorizing formulas. I didn't understand what was going on with the identities until I'd practiced my algebra skills in calculus. YMMV
 
  • #7
jtbell said:
Define "harder."

Good thing to define hmmmm how to word that haha :)
 
  • #8
And also why don't you tell us why you have this question? It would help to have some context.

edit: I totally agree with what Angry Citizen said.
 
  • #9
calculus involves the concepts of derivatives and integrals of functions. trig functions are one class of functions. so trig is more the study of one class of examples and calculus is an idea.

in practice one applies the idea behind calculus to examples like those found in trig.

thus if you study calculus purely abstractly, it might seem easier than trig, but if you study the examples of calculus, then trig will be a necessary prerequisite to doing calculus in many cases of practical interest.

I myself learned advanced calculus of banach spaces a la loomis and sternberg before learning trig. a kind of goofy progression. i could prove the graph of a function of bounded variation had measure zero before i learned to integrate tan(x).

i do not recommend this order of topics. in general, walk first, then run.

but one could learn first the calculus of polynomial functions, before knowing trig.
 
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  • #10
mathwonk said:
calculus involves the concepts of derivatives and integrals of functions. trig functions are one class of functions. so trig is more the study of one class of examples and calculus is an idea.

in practice one applies the idea behind calculus to examples like those found in trig.

thus if you study calculus purely abstractly, it might seem easier than trig, but if you study the examples of calculus, then trig will be a necessary prerequisite to doing calculus in many cases of practical interest.

I myself learned advanced calculus of banach spaces a la loomis and sternberg before learning trig. a kind of goofy progression. i could prove the graph of a function of bounded variation had measure zero before i learned to integrate tan(x).

i do not recommend this order of topics. in general, walk first, then run.

but one could learn first the calculus of polynomial functions, before knowing trig.


:bugeye:How did you manage?
 
  • #11
the basic rule of real estate: never give up, never give up, never give up.
 
  • #12
Very nice:)

Anyways I don't like Trig because many teachers require memorization (atleast at my high schools and no proofs, not that it's terribly hard to prove though).
 
  • #13
i don't think there really is a difference in terms of difficulty. It's the same as anything in maths really, you just have to practice it until it becomes automatic and you don't even stop to think about difficulty.
 
  • #14
PCSL said:
And also why don't you tell us why you have this question? It would help to have some context.

edit: I totally agree with what Angry Citizen said.
The question is due to - for some people trig seems to be much harder than calculus? How daunting. Since most, if not all schools teach trig before calculus?
 
  • #15
BloodyFrozen said:
Very nice:)

Anyways I don't like Trig because many teachers require memorization (atleast at my high schools and no proofs, not that it's terribly hard to prove though).

yeah
Its silly to have students memorize things because the good teachers derive everything so the students in the class can understand why each formula has the look that it has. Then your not memorizing but understanding .
 
  • #16
I had a MUCH harder time grasping concepts in my trig class than I did in my calculus class. Calculus was, by far, the easiest math class for me in high school.
 
  • #17
Jurrasic said:
Just wondering what you find harder? Trig or Calculus?

The rigorous study of calculus can get pretty tough. If you are talking about the "computational" calculus then that is a lot easier though.
 
  • #18
chiro said:
The rigorous study of calculus can get pretty tough. If you are talking about the "computational" calculus then that is a lot easier though.

On the other hand, computational trig as it's generally taught in high school is a lot easier than calculus. You usually need to be able to do that sort of trig to be able to do computational calculus.
 
  • #19
Hmm Calculus is harder, computational or rigorous, except if you only integrate x dx and derivate e^x
Atleast in my calculus course you had to know trigonometry pretty well or you would certainly fail.
 

1. What is the difference between Trigonometry and Calculus?

Trigonometry is the study of triangles and their properties, while Calculus is the study of change and motion. Trigonometry is used to solve problems involving angles and sides of triangles, while Calculus is used to solve problems involving rates of change and optimization.

2. Which one is harder, Trigonometry or Calculus?

This is subjective and depends on the individual's strengths and interests. Some people may find Trigonometry more challenging because it involves memorization of formulas and solving complex equations, while others may find Calculus more difficult because it involves abstract concepts and requires a strong foundation in algebra.

3. Do I need to know Trigonometry before learning Calculus?

Yes, Trigonometry is a fundamental part of Calculus. Many concepts in Calculus, such as derivatives and integrals, involve trigonometric functions. It is recommended to have a strong understanding of Trigonometry before delving into Calculus.

4. Can I skip Trigonometry and go straight to Calculus?

It is not recommended to skip Trigonometry before learning Calculus. Trigonometric functions and identities are necessary for understanding and solving problems in Calculus. Skipping Trigonometry may lead to difficulties and gaps in understanding the concepts of Calculus.

5. Is it possible to learn Trigonometry and Calculus together?

Yes, it is possible to learn Trigonometry and Calculus simultaneously. In fact, many concepts in Trigonometry and Calculus are interconnected. Learning them together may help in reinforcing the understanding of both subjects. However, it is important to have a strong foundation in Trigonometry before moving on to more complex concepts in Calculus.

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