Courses Need to freshen up on low level math courses

  • Thread starter Thread starter thakid87
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Courses
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on a user seeking resources to review high school math concepts, particularly Geometry and Algebra, after starting college-level courses. Recommendations include using Schaum's Outlines, REA Problem Solvers, and the "Master Math" series, which are deemed effective for reviewing material rather than learning it for the first time. It is suggested that since the user has completed Calculus 1, they should focus on refresher books rather than introductory textbooks. Additionally, the importance of a solid foundation in Trigonometry and the differences in rigor between high school and college-level math are highlighted, with a specific recommendation for the book "Precalculus Mathematics in a Nutshell" by Simmons as a valuable resource for review.
thakid87
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Hi.

This is my first post here. Honestly, I love math. I graduated high school with Calculus 1 under my belt. Not a big feat to you guys, but I was proud. Then I messed up big time. Fast forward 3 years later and I'm a freshman at a CC starting off with college algrbra and precalculus. I want to review on simple things that I didn't exactly learn very well. Geometry and Algebra/Algrebra 2 mostly. Anything that has to do with my first 2 years of high school.

So, my question is, any books I can buy to review that on my own time? Or any websites?

I hope I'm in posting this in the right section.

Thanks.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Try the Schaum's Outlines and REA Problem Solvers.
 
I would try the "Master Math" series of books. Not very helpful for someone learning the material for the first time, very helpful for someone who is reviewing (and they're fairly cheap too). I know they have geometry and pre-calculus. If you graduated high school with calculus 1 then you don't need to be reading textbooks, you just need to refresh your memory. So I would recommend review books over textbooks intended for first-timers.
 
Read your College Algebra and Pre-Calculus texts well. I returned to school a year and a half ago and took Pre-Calculus over, as I never had a solid foundation in Trigonometry or the Transcendentals.

If you're taking College Algebra, you shouldn't need to review any other Algebra. Reviewing Geometry would be useful, but not necessary. I also attend a CC, and am finishing up my math sequence this year with Multivariate and Diff-Eq. It's easy to tell which people started off with College Algebra/Pre-Calculus, and which people just started off in Calculus I - they are so much more prepared, and function-modeling comes much easier.

My state (Massachusetts) offers some of the better public schools in the country, but college-level Algebra and Pre-Calculus is on a whole different level than high school mathematics (at least in my area). So much more thorough.
 
I think the book 'Precalculus Mathematics in a Nutshell' by Simmons is a nice one that would be good for what you want to review. Plus it's only $15!
 
I’ve been looking through the curricula of several European theoretical/mathematical physics MSc programs (ETH, Oxford, Cambridge, LMU, ENS Paris, etc), and I’m struck by how little emphasis they place on advanced fundamental courses. Nearly everything seems to be research-adjacent: string theory, quantum field theory, quantum optics, cosmology, soft matter physics, black hole radiation, etc. What I don’t see are the kinds of “second-pass fundamentals” I was hoping for, things like...
TL;DR Summary: I want to do a PhD in applied math but I hate group theory, is this a big problem? Hello, I am a second-year math and physics double major with a minor in data science. I just finished group theory (today actually), and it was my least favorite class in all of university so far. It doesn't interest me, and I am also very bad at it compared to other math courses I have done. The other courses I have done are calculus I-III, ODEs, Linear Algebra, and Prob/Stats. Is it a...
Back
Top