HowtoStudyforMathforstudysoulmate

Preface:IampursuingaMathematicsminorandIpreferappliedmathematicstopuremathematicssoall
myadviceiscomingfromsomeonewhostruggleswithproofsbutfindscomputationsupereasy.
ThisisalsobasedonthecoursesItookatmyuniversity.
AppliedDifferentialEquationsI(diffeqIorODEs)
Atmyuniversity,theundergraduatestudiesindifferentialequationsaresplitintotwocourses.Thefirst
coursefocusesonordinarydifferentialequations(singlevariabledependencex(t),y(x),butnotu(x,y,t)).
Additionallythiscoursefocusesontheapplicationsmixingproblems,populationstudies,NewtonsLaw
ofCooling,radioactivedecay,etc.Therewerenoproofsthathadtobeperformedbystudentsandturned
in.
Forapplicationbasedcourses,thebestwaytostudyisbypracticingproblems.Itsnotrevolutionarybut
themoreyoudosomethingthebetteryougetatit.TherearethreedifferentwaystosolveparticularODE
problemsandtheonlywayyoucangetgoodattellingthetypesapartisbypracticing.
Dothehomeworkproblems.Dothemagain.Ifyouvegotquestionsgotoofficehorseandworkthrough
theproblemswithyourprofessororTA.Themoreyoudoproblemsthebetteryouwillbeatrecognizing
patternsandthemorecomfortableyouwillfeelwhenitcomestoexamsituations.
Forthiscourseyouhavetoknowyourintegrationtechniques.Integrationbyparts,usubstitution,andtrig
substitution.SowhileyoumightLOVEgoingtoWolframAlphaandplugginginyourintegralyouneedto
practicethehardintegration.Ifyoudont,thereisaveryrealchancethatinanexamsituationtherewillbe
anintegralyoucannotperformandyouwillhavetostopandyouowntbeabletodotheactualdiffeqpart
whichiswhatyourebeingtestedon.
Insummary:Practiceyourdifficultintegralsandworkingthroughproblems.
AppliedDifferentialEquationsII(diffeqIIorPDEsorPartials)
PDEreferestoaPartialDifferentialEquation,anequationinvolvingmultiplevariablesu(x,y,t)or
u(r,theta,t).
TospoilthesurpriseallPDEscanbesolvedbyseparatingthemintoODEs.Whichmeansyouhavetobe
abletosolveODEs.Luckily,thereareveryspecifictypesofPDEssuchastheheatequation,theLaplace
euation,andthewaveequation.WhenseparatedtheybecomenicelittlesystemsofODEsthatypically
dontinvolveddifficultintegration.
MoreimportantlythisclassshouldberenamedafterthemathematicianFourier.Nearlyeverythingyoudo
(ifnoteverythingyoudo)willrevolvearoundFourierswork.
Thebeginningofthecourseismorepuremathbasedasyouareconcernedwithorthogonalfunctionsyou
dontnecessarilyhavetoworryaboutwhatthatmeans(yet)butjustknowitsathingFouriercaredabout
andthatitbecomesrelevantlaterinthecourse.

AfteryoumessaroundwithsomepuremathnonsenseyoullbeintroducedtothegeneralFourierSeries.
(ThinktheTaylorandMcLaurinseriesbutmorepowerful).ThiswillleadtoaFourierSeriesExpansionof
wellbehaved,periodicfunctions.ThisisarguablythemostfamousformofFouriersSeries.
ThisiswhereIgetonmysoapboxandpreach.LearnyourEulercoefficients.LearnyourEuler
coefficients.LearnyourEulercoefficients.LearntheEulercoefficientsfortheFourierSeries
Expansion.LearntheEulercoefficientsfortheHalfWaveexpansions.
EverythingwillsuckifyoudonotknowyourEulercoefficients.Monthsofmiseryandbeingupsetand
frustratedbecauseyougottothelaststepbutyoucantsolveforyourcoefficients.SolearnyourEuler
coefficientslikeyoulearnedhowtospellyourname.
Finally,youhavetopracticeproblems.AndIdontmeanIvegota1Dwaveequationletmeplugand
chugsomenumbersintomyequation.Imeanstartfromtheverytop.Separateyourvariables.Separate
yourinitialandboundaryconditions.Tryeverycaseforkorlambdaorwhateveryoureusing.Thiswill
saveyoupainandsufferinglater.Plusifyouhavemoreworkyourinstructorhasmoretogradeandcan
giveyoulotsofpartialcredit.
Summary:Eulercoefficientsandpracticeproblems.
LinearAlgebra(LinAlg)
MyuniversityofferstwoundergraduatecoursesinLinAlg.MA305istheapplicationsandbasedcourse
andtheproofsarelimited.ThisisnotthecourseItook.
ItookMA405,theproofbasedLinAlgcourse.Iamreallybadatproofs.Istruggledtounderstandconcepts
anddefinitionsthroughoutthetermanditwasthehardestmathcourseIveevertaken.Thiscouldalsobe
duetothefacthatIhaventtakenmyuniversitysproofingcourseyetbutIvebeentolditdoesntreally
helpthatmuch.
Anyways,beingskilledatproofingrequiresunderstandingofthematerial.Youvegottoknowthe
definitionslikeyouknowthemonthsoftheyearandunderstandhoweachdefinitioncanbeused.Spend
timegettingverycozywithunderstandingandmanipulatingthedefinitions.
Getfamiliarwithproofingtechniques.Notallproofswillbeeasiestbyinduction,somewillbebest
approachedwithaseriesofifandonlyifstatements(mayGodhavemercyonyoursoulifthisisthecase).
Mycoursewas50%proofsand50%applicationsbutIstruggledsoharditmightaswellhavebeen100%
proofs.Soifyoustrugglewithproofsuseeverytoolyouhaveavailablebecauseitisnothinglike
applications.
Ifyoustrugglewithapplications:PRACTICEPROBLEMS.
tl;dr:PRACTICEPROBLEMSEULERCOEFFICIENTSDEFINITIONS.