Would I have to teach my self some parts that aren't covered in the course?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the curriculum of calculus courses, specifically the content covered in Calculus B and C, and whether the participant should self-teach additional topics not included in their course, particularly in relation to their studies in electrical engineering.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that their Calculus B course omits infinite series, which are instead covered in Calculus C, raising concerns about the adequacy of their education for an electrical engineering major.
  • Another participant shares their experience of covering infinite series in both their second and third calculus courses, suggesting that the participant should maximize learning from their courses and self-teach if necessary.
  • Several participants emphasize the importance of understanding surface integrals, curl, and divergence, particularly in relation to electrical engineering applications, such as Maxwell's equations.
  • One participant argues that self-teaching is essential regardless of course content, asserting that courses serve merely as a foundation and that comprehensive knowledge is crucial.
  • Another participant highlights the interconnectedness of divergence and surface integrals, referencing the divergence theorem as a critical concept.
  • There is a suggestion that while some topics may not be covered in depth, they are still relevant for applied courses in electrical engineering.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that self-teaching is beneficial and often necessary, but there is no consensus on the specific importance of surface integrals and related topics for electrical engineers, as experiences and curricula vary.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the necessity of certain topics for electrical engineering, indicating that the relevance may depend on individual career paths and specializations within the field.

madah12
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I am taking calculus b but for some reason it seems to be a shorter version according to my instructor. We are using james stewart 6th edition but only taking chapters from 7-11 excluding 10 which are

7_Inverse Functions: Exponential, Logarithmic, and Inverse Trigonometric Functions
8_Techniques of Integration
9_Further Applications of Integration
11_Parametric Equations and Polar Coordinates

he says in america and the rest of the world they cover also cover infinite series in calculus b but here instead it is cover in calculus c which syllabus is
CHAPTER 12-INFINITE SERIES:
CHAPTER 15-PARTIAL DIFFERENTIATION:
CHAPTER 16-MULTIPLE INTEGRALS:
CHAPTER 17-VECTOR CALCULUS:
but note covering surface integrals and stokes theorem so do you advise that from now I try to teach my self?

Edit
I forgot to say I am an electrical engineering major
 
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I think that I took infinite series in both my second and my third calculus courses. Line integrals, surface integrals, Stoke's theorem, and the divergence theorem were all covered in my third calculus course.

You should try and get as much as you can from your courses. If you find that you need to learn more, then do so.
 
here the third calculus ends with curl and divergence but covers nothing on surface integrals so I am wondering if they are important for electrical engineers
 
madah12 said:
here the third calculus ends with curl and divergence but covers nothing on surface integrals so I am wondering if they are important for electrical engineers

I never covered it when studying Electrical Engineering, It's always better to have a multitude of sources not just your bog-standard course curriculum materials.

When studying in anything even as a basic apprentice you should always self-teach in your own time and perfect your trade skills and over-standing.

I advise covering anything related to your subject even if it is not common knowledge for your course, being thorough is important.
 
boy it is kind of hard to cover divergence without mentioning surface integrals. (google the "divergence theorem".)
 
Not to mention Stokes's theorem for the curl, which also uses a surface integral.

You need both Stokes's theorem and the divergence theorem to make the connection between the integral and differential formulations of Maxwell's equations, which I would think EEs would learn about.
 
To take a slightly different view, the question "would I have to teach my self some parts that aren't covered in the course?" is usually "yes", irrespective of the details.
 
this is a really good question whose answer is always yes, as vanadium said.

you have to know everything basically, and courses are just there to help you, not to limit how much you need to know.

often you have to teach yourself even the parts that are covered in the courses. again the course is just there to help you.
 
madah12 said:
here the third calculus ends with curl and divergence but covers nothing on surface integrals so I am wondering if they are important for electrical engineers

Its important for your applied Electricity and Magnetism course you take while in EE, after that unless you're going to specialize in E&M directly you probably won't see it again.
 

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