My best friend got an 'A' in partial differential equations, how do i get this?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around strategies for succeeding in a partial differential equations (PDE) course, prompted by a participant's curiosity about how a friend achieved a high grade in a challenging class with a low average. The scope includes advice on study habits, understanding mathematical concepts, and the importance of asking questions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that hard work is essential, while others emphasize the importance of working smart and utilizing various resources.
  • A participant argues that asking questions directly to instructors or peers is crucial for understanding, rather than relying on hearsay.
  • Another contributor mentions the need to integrate previous mathematical knowledge, including differential equations and linear algebra, into the study of PDEs.
  • One participant notes that curiosity is important but should be balanced to avoid distraction from the course material.
  • There is a perspective that understanding wave mechanics is central to grasping PDE concepts, with a focus on orthogonality and Fourier transforms.
  • Some participants express skepticism about the class's overall effort, suggesting that the low average may not reflect the difficulty of the material alone.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the importance of hard work and asking questions, but there is disagreement regarding the effectiveness of the class as a whole and the necessity of curiosity in learning PDEs. Multiple competing views on study strategies and the nature of the course remain unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include varying definitions of "smart work," the subjective nature of curiosity, and the potential for differing interpretations of the class average's implications.

Who May Find This Useful

Students enrolled in partial differential equations courses, educators seeking insights into student challenges, and individuals interested in effective study strategies for advanced mathematics.

Luongo
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he said the class average was 57% with many fails then how did he ace it? i hear partial differential equations is very hard but does anyone successful know his secret to success?
 
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I don't get these questions. People always come along saying "my professor said x equals y, but why?!", or "my friend said bla bla bla, why?". How about asking the actual person standing right in front of you instead of just pretending to understand what is said? It will make your life much easier if you just admit that there is a lot of stuff you don't understand and start asking questions.
 
Remember not just hard work but smart work. Consult other resources, ASK QUESTIONS, actually go through the proofs, and make sure your able to make good on all your previous math knowledge.
You will be required to work with: all of diff eq, linear algebra(vector spaces, orthogonality conditions),Implicit function theorem, Fourier series/transforms, laplace transforms...Basically all you have learned in math so far.
 
Luongo said:
he said the class average was 57% with many fails then how did he ace it?
How about asking him? Do you seriously expect an answer to this question on this forum?
Besides, the class average being 57% doesn't mean everything; maybe most of them just didn't work hard, or aren't too bright, or...
 
Yes, I know your friend's secret to success.
 
Luongo said:
he said the class average was 57% with many fails then how did he ace it? i hear partial differential equations is very hard but does anyone successful know his secret to success?

While I'm no expert on partial differential equations the only advice I can offer is the following:

* Be curious but to an extent.
What I mean by to an extent is that if you're too curious you will get sidetracked with your own curiosity and lose focus of the course but if you have no curiosity you will probably (I don't mean absolutely in this case) not understand it because math takes time to think about (even if only briefly it still is a thought).

* Ask questions if you are unsure
Like posters before me have said, don't be afraid to ask questions. If your ego gets in the way then get rid of it because we all need help at some point or another.

From what I do know about PDE's, most of the concepts of PDE's revolve highly around that of waves. So remember that understanding wave mechanics, picturing wave phenomena and thinking about certain transforms that deal with these related phenomena is important. You could almost say that PDE's are simply all about waves and nothing else in a sense.

When dealing with waves an important concept is that of orthogonality which is used to define the relationships in Fourier transforms. But remember its all waves. Sums of waves, any decomposition of waves you can think of and that will help you become more adept with the subject.

Anyway I hope that advice serves you.
 
PDEs are totally intuitive man, I don't think the class even tried.
 
djeitnstine said:
PDEs are totally intuitive man, I don't think the class even tried.

+1. Something isn't right here.
 
  • #10
Landau said:
How about asking him? Do you seriously expect an answer to this question on this forum?
Besides, the class average being 57% doesn't mean everything; maybe most of them just didn't work hard, or aren't too bright, or...
My sentiments exactly. He's your best friend, so what's wrong with asking him? Afraid you'll have to divulge in return your secret for acing a QM class? :wink:
 

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