Aaaaagh!! (Language)

[ArcticChicken]

My math class is terrifying. I have never been in a math class that's particularly hard before, certainly not one that's hard at the outset.

The worst part is that everything makes perfect sense in class, but then when I go to do the homework it doesn't work right. Thank god for open book tests.

It doesn't help that I know there are errors in the homework. The professor lost it, so he asked former students to email it to him, and he gave us the best copies. One of our assignments is to type it up with corrections and email it to him.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!

[gunsage]

Personally, I love math stuffs. If you have any questions, let me know and I'll try to help.

[ArcticChicken]

I love math too. It's usually my best class, which is part of why I'm panicking so badly.

The major problem with the HW is that I can't tell yet if I don't understand something because I don't understand it, or because I don't have enough information.


One of the questions on my HW:

Prove that n(A X B) = n(A) X n(B)

Now, I don't know how he wants us to do that. I don't know if there was supposed to be a defined set A and B on the HW and it's missing, I don't know if he wants us to assign random values to those sets, or if he wants a formal proof, but he said something about not doing those in class, so....

[KiaKat]

Is this an algebra class?

It looks like he wants you to balance the equation. Reduce it so that (A) and (B) are on the same side, and n is on the other.

[Magpie]

Are you 100% certain he set the problem sets? I TA'd once for a prof who had much more theoretical problems in the problem sets than in class or on exams (non-marked assignments) because it was his first time teaching the class and he used the previous prof's assignments. (But new ones came out after midterms, so I'm not sure).

Also, sometimes profs say "no proofs" when it means "you won't have to do them on exams", because you have the book and lots of time for your assignments.

[It's me]

I find it helps to go get other text books on the same subject. They come with a different way to explain the same stuff, and more practice problems. And for things like math the book doesn't even need to be remotely current... a 20 year old book works just as well as a new one.

[ArcticChicken]

Is this an algebra class?

No, computer math, we're 'reviewing' sets right now, except that I learned more about sets on the first day in this class than I did in the prerequisite.

[ArcticChicken]

Are you 100% certain he set the problem sets?

Yes, he told us he did.

[Whiskey]

All I can tell you is that both sides of those equations are the same. I can't remember the explanation though...guh. I know what I was working on similar stuff we had to state the rule that explained WHY n(A x B) = n(A) x n(B) rather than replace the letters with numbers.

Communitive equation?

[ArcticChicken]

Stopped panicking and the rest of the homework got a lot easier.

I decided to just declare a random set for the one problem on the basis that a) he doesn't check the homework anyway, and 2) he can't blame me if the instructions aren't clear, so I can just ask in class tomorrow.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I suck at math. Ironically, I used to proofread math journals.

[gunsage]

Especially if this is a computer math course, you should do test cases. More common in programming, test cases are things you use to prove things will work both ways, without fail. Though usually with programming, you're also trying to "break" the system, but it should apply here as well. Throw in some negatives, fractions, and a few others. If it still adds up the same on both sides, you have proof, otherwise, there are situations where it doesn't hold true, and thus isn't true all the time.