How hard is Real Analysis 2 compared to Real Analysis 1?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the comparative difficulty of Real Analysis 2 relative to Real Analysis 1, as well as the feasibility of taking both Real Analysis 2 and Elementary Number Theory in the same semester. Participants explore their experiences and perceptions regarding the courses, focusing on the content and skills required.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the difficulty of Real Analysis 2 compared to Real Analysis 1, expressing concern about taking both courses simultaneously.
  • Another participant finds Real Analysis 2 noticeably harder but not a significant leap from Real Analysis 1.
  • Several participants request course descriptions, noting that course titles can vary significantly between institutions.
  • Course descriptions provided indicate that Real Analysis 1 covers properties of the real number system, point set theory, and functions of one variable, while Real Analysis 2 includes functions of multiple variables, partial differentiation, and special topics like Taylor Series and the Implicit Function Theorem.
  • One participant suggests that if a student successfully completes Real Analysis 1, they may not find Real Analysis 2 much harder, as they would be accustomed to the techniques and proofs involved.
  • Another participant mentions that while Real Analysis 2 builds on concepts from Real Analysis 1, a solid understanding of the first course should make the second course manageable.
  • A participant comments on Elementary Number Theory, stating it is not very hard and involves basic algebraic manipulations.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying opinions on the difficulty of Real Analysis 2 compared to Real Analysis 1, with some suggesting it is manageable if one has a solid grasp of the first course, while others indicate it is noticeably harder. There is no consensus on the overall difficulty level or the advisability of taking both courses simultaneously.

Contextual Notes

Participants emphasize the importance of course descriptions, as the content and difficulty can differ significantly between institutions. There is also an acknowledgment that personal experiences may influence perceptions of difficulty.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering taking Real Analysis 2 after completing Real Analysis 1, as well as those contemplating the combination of Real Analysis 2 and Elementary Number Theory, may find this discussion relevant.

SMA_01
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Is it a lot harder? I'm taking Real Analysis 1 this semester, and am planning on taking the second part to the course in the Winter.
Also, would it be a bad idea to take Real Analysis 2 and Elementary Number Theory in one semester?

Thanks
 
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I found it noticeably harder, but it's not a really big leap or anything.
 
Please post the course descriptions of both Real Analysis 1 and 2; those course titles mean completely different things between different schools.
 
PieceOfPi said:
Please post the course descriptions of both Real Analysis 1 and 2; those course titles mean completely different things between different schools.

Analysis 1:

Properties of the real number system; point set theory for the real line including the Bolzano-Weierstrass theorem; sequences, functions of one variable: limits and continuity, differentiability, Reimann integrability.

Analysis 2:

Includes the rigorous study of functions of two and more variables, partial differentiation and multiple integration. Special topics include: Taylor Series, Implicit Function Theorem, Weierstrass Approximation Theorem, Arzela-Ascoli Theorem.
 
I can't comment on the analysis part, but elementary number theory is not very hard. All the theorems involve basic algebraic manipulations, and mods (which you should be use to by now).
 
SMA_01 said:
Analysis 1:

Properties of the real number system; point set theory for the real line including the Bolzano-Weierstrass theorem; sequences, functions of one variable: limits and continuity, differentiability, Reimann integrability.

Analysis 2:

Includes the rigorous study of functions of two and more variables, partial differentiation and multiple integration. Special topics include: Taylor Series, Implicit Function Theorem, Weierstrass Approximation Theorem, Arzela-Ascoli Theorem.

If you got through Analysis 1 alive, then you won't find Analysis 2 much harder. In fact, I think Analysis 1 is the hardest course since you got to get used to the techniques and proofs of analysis. In analysis 2, you're already used to that. So you won't find it too difficult.
 
SMA_01 said:
Analysis 1:

Properties of the real number system; point set theory for the real line including the Bolzano-Weierstrass theorem; sequences, functions of one variable: limits and continuity, differentiability, Reimann integrability.

Analysis 2:

Includes the rigorous study of functions of two and more variables, partial differentiation and multiple integration. Special topics include: Taylor Series, Implicit Function Theorem, Weierstrass Approximation Theorem, Arzela-Ascoli Theorem.

Thanks! Based on the course descriptions, Analysis 2 sounds like a very reasonable sequence that follows Analysis 1. It can hard in a sense that the materials build upon what you learned in analysis 1 (afterall, you need to be solid on the analysis of R^1 in order to learn the analysis of R^n). On the other hand, if you have a solid understanding of analysis 1, analysis 2 shouldn't be too hard, since you will see same kinds of techniques from analysis 1 again.
 
Thank you, that was helpful :smile:
 

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