/sci/ - Science & Math

You should be fine calc 1 limits are easy as fuck.

You'll be fine as long as you keep posting on 4chan.

If it takes you more than 36 hours to learn any one topic within a semester, you've got more problems than failing a test.

That doesn't sound so bad. I haven't taken calc in years but I'm guessing you could just Khan Academy that shit and go through whatever practice problems you've been given.

Instead of spending a 12-hour stretch reading and working problems, you should spend that time posting on 4chan and masturbating.

most of the time you only get 2-3 1.5 hour classes to learn limits (minus he and elf study time) in the first place. if you can't learn them in 36 hours you should prolly just drop out now or change degrees.

>>6800180
Khan Academy and its lookalikes aren't perfect for solo learning but it's good for brushing-up or as a supplement.

People talking about those videos like they're the death of education as we know it are fucking retarded though.

I have to hand in a 15 page research paper on Friday next week. How fucked am I?

>>6800233
depends what the research is, silly

>>6800185

Calc I. Change degrees. I didn't realize high schoolers chose their degrees yet

>>6800295
Majority of people start calc in college. I know this offends and upsets you, and I wish I could do something more to blunt the ensuing pain you are about to experience.

Basic limits are pretty damn easy. If you have to use lopitals then I might be rough because derivatives.

>>6800295
I came to college and started at pre-calc which is way harder than calc 1 and 3. Are you booty blasted?

>>6800324
dude for real i thought i was the only one who thoughts pre-calc was way fucking tougher than calc 1

calc 2 is a bitch though

>>6800329
Calc 2 is ridiculous I had to take it twice because I fell behind at those fucking series tests. But calc dodges all the retarded shit that pre calc throws at you that is damn near never used. Also fuck aleks and fuck aleks pie chart he.

>>6800333
>>6800329

does pre-calc stuff come back in calc 2?

with a name like "pre-calc" i'm surprised at how little i've been using any of it in calc 1

>>6800346
I think some shit pops up in series testing? In reality calc 1 only uses very basic stuff from pre calc. Calc 2 and 3 both entirely build off each other and calc 1. Pre calc is basically one n done.

Speaking of Calc 1 limits, can anyone help me with this number (I have an exam in two days)?

f(x) = ax^2 if x≤1
{
sqrt(x+3) if x > 1

Find the values of a to which f is continuous.

>>6800346
>>6800361

What about all the trig you guys did in pre-calc? You get exposed to identities that are used over and over again in integration. Plus you are given the basics of vectors and alternate (non cartessian) coordinate systems.

>>6800393
a = 2

>>6800233
2 pages a day

Around the neighborhood of fucked.

>>6800400

How did you find 2, if you don't mind me asking?

>>6800425

>>6800329
Precalc is hilariously easy.

>>6800439
Look, a function is continuous in a point if it connects from the left and the right side.

Both "pieces" of your function are already continuous, so you have to check the point where they "switch", and that point is x=1.

Make sure, that both pieces agree for x=1. (you actually take the limit x->1, but same difference)

>>6800346
You learn how to work algebraically.
Calculus is an offshoot of algebra.

>>6800476

What do you mean by "switch", and many thanks for the help!

>>6800476
this

>>6800486
By "switch", he means the point where the other piece of the function is accounted for, in this case x = 1.

>>6800486
Your function consists of two pieces (you actually call it a piecewise defined function),
the first piece is ax^2 if your argument x is smaller or equal to 1 ("left" if you look at a plot) and the second piece is sqrt(x+1) if x is greater than one ("right" if you plot it).
Think of your function from "switching" from ax^2 to sqrt(x+3) once you pass the x=1 mark.

If f should be continuous, then there is no "jump" in the plot. That means that at that point x=1, their value has to be equal:
a1^2=sqrt(1+3)

>>6800501
*sqrt(x+1) should have been sqrt(x+3) as you prob noticed

>>6800501

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhh I understand now (it took me some type to visualize, but I finally did and I can understand the "switch" you were speaking of" I thank you immensely!

>>6800518
Glad to be of help.
Learning math is almost always about visualization, even if "doing" math doesn't have to be.

>>6800525

Yea, that's essentially what my engineering friend told me. It's a bit hard to visualize, but I'd love to be able to perceive math that way (I know it takes practice)

That feel when second test of Calculus 1 on Monday. I have no motivation to study and I am procrastinating. What do I do?

>>6800170
At least it's just limits. Limits aren't that bad. I just had a Business Calc 1 test today on the first 3 chapters.Differentiation, Transformation involving limits, limits of course, Derivatives, Continuity, marginal analysis etc. Safe to say I fucking failed because I suck at math. But the limits part I did fantastic. Just sit down and study. And think of it in terms of a wall. As x approaches whatever number, the limit is Y. That's the wall. It cannot go past that wall

>>6800170
>>6800832

That feel when I got an A in my first Calculus test on limits.

>mfw 20 out of the 30 students failed the test.

OP, just wait when your second test comes.

>Derivatives: Product, Quotient, derivative of Trigonometric functions, chain rule, implicit differentiation, Analysis of Funcions

So.. I thought I got what a limit was when my professor used a function that when x was close to whatever number, and substituting x on the function it gave you 0/0 which is undefined.

So when graphing the function and the numbers close to the limit (I'm sure there's specific names for these things but english is not my first language sorry) it made sense to me that the limit was that number because that number literally broke the function and it was impossible to ever reach it.

But then you have functions that substituting the limit on it don't break the function, as in they don't output 0/0 or x/0

So is a limit completely arbitrary?

>>6800393

Dude what kind of calc 1 class are you fucking taking? this is what I dealt with yesterday, solved it, not asking for help but fuck man, this is my calc 1

>>6800897
A limit is just what the function is trying to reach as you get close to some particular x value.

>>6800897
take the limit from left and right sides

>>6800923

What college?

>>6800949

University of alberta

>>6800897
Think of a limit as
"If I knew the function everywhere except for that point - can I determine that value anyway?"

Rule of thumb: If you can plug in a value and get a meaningful result (a number), then this is the limit.

If you have something like
f(x)=(x^2-1)/(x-1)
and take the limit x->1, then "pluggin in" won't work. But if you take x=0.999998 then f(x) is very close to 2, and if you take x=1.0000001 then f(x) is also very close to 2.

In both cases, you can get as close to 2 as you want as long as you take x close enough to 1. Because of this, the limit of f(x) when x->1 is 2.

>>6800897

Someone with more formal mathematics may correct me but I believe it's just the number a function "approaches" to based upon what you input. So yes, sometimes it may be undefined with the input you put in, other times it won't but I wouldn't necessarily say arbitrary.

>>6800753
I never studied for Calc 1, that shit is easy.

>>6800897

Look into delta epsilon proofs of limits, it's not just arbitrary.

>>6800949

Here's the whole assignment. The midterms are slightly easier than this, but from what y'all niggers are posting from "calc 1" it doesnt have shit on this

>>6801014

Forgot to post

>>6801014
>>6801017

That's the first test? That seems to cover like half of the semester.

>>6800346
You will use it all the time in other subjects built on calculus. Physics or Vector calculus for example.

>>6800170

You literally have the internet at your disposal and could watch a video that will spoon feed you everything you need to know.

>Crying about calc 1

If you're an engineering major, give up while you're ahead. You're just scratching the surface.

>>6800214
They're quite alright for solo learning as well.

plus some practice problems maybe

>you know realize everyone in sci is a freshman of some shitty engineering school and a weak one even

>>6801017
do you have a key? I'll probably do this this weekend and I want to check my answers.

>>6801047
>know
learn how to spell before you criticize others you autist shitbag

I suggest you kill yourself immediately. A shotgun is quick and painless. However, you should consider burning yourself to death for maximum pain

Not OP but, where can i learn math from scratch and especially learn about how to contextualize those things in life?
(e.g. understanding how to use equations for instance for logic problems)

>>6801047
>>6801093
i would also advice, if the latter option is chosen (finally something good coming out of your life *slow clap*), to be sleep deprived before immolating yourself. It has been scientifically proven that sleep and pain reception are linked together.

>>6800318
DONT USE LHOPITALS IF YOU HAVENT LEARNED IT YET.

I took /sci/ advice. Used Power/Quotient/ and Lhopitals rules on first test. Got no credit for any of those problems.

The first test was limits only

>>6800993
Oh yeah. Throw a totally hard concept that no one in calc 1 actually understands, just knows how to mechanically work through the problem. Totally the easiest way to solve limits

>>6801017
>implying that is more difficult in any way other than length

>>6801248
The epsilon-delta definition tells you everything you need to know about what a limit is geometrically.

>>6800886
Lol. Did all of that in Grade 11 AP math.

> OP just wait it gets totally harder I swear Im also probably retarded.

bloody hell.

I just crammed integration, series, poles, residues for complex analysis in a day. probably gonna get a C or something

>>6801248

They teach epsilon delta out of Stewarts for calc 1 at my college, it's really not too difficult

>>6801252

I'll admit that I find it difficult because it's my first time through this, but to be fair compared to the simple limits

>>6800886

posted, they're much more difficult and I was mainly arguing that he has it much easier than I do for a first semester calc class. It's definitely doable (except the induction, I can't into it for some reason, not cut out for higher maths I guess thats why im becoming an engineer)

>>6801081

Sorry dont have it

>limits
>hard
>anything in calc 1 as of yet
>hard

literally spend 4 hours doing practice problems applicable to what will be on your test and you will pass any calc 1 test.

>>6800214
Khan Academy is breddy gud, liked and retweeted!

>>6801248
dude its not hard

just solve in terms of delta

>limits
>all this baby math
Anon, please.

At least tell me it isn't just evaluating limits, but it probably is.

>>6801241
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

You probably came here begging for help too. Deserved it faggot.