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Advice wanted Groups/Rings/Fields

  • 06-02-2009 2:17pm
    #1
    L'prof
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,046 ✭✭✭✭


    Basically, I need some advice. I'm in my 3rd year of Computer Studies/Maths Science degree in NUIG and I'm finding the Maths this year too tough. I passed Group Theory last semester (while hating it), but this semester I don't think I have a hope in hell.

    Then next year I have Rings in one semester and Fields in the other. I don't know much about them, but I think they follow on from Groups?

    Basically, I met with my course coordinator today and he said that I could switch to Undenominated Science while still taking most of the subjects that I would have been doing bar Rings/Fields.

    I'd like some opinions on what you think I should do,

    Thanks,
    Jay

    This may be better suited to the NUIG forum, but I'd also like to hear peoples views on the subjects that I've talked about.


Comments

  • #2
    RoundTower
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,083 ✭✭✭RoundTower


    it's the same general field of mathematics ("abstract algebra"). Every ring is a group and every field is a ring. So a lot of the same stuff will come up in Ring Theory and Field Theory that you covered in Group Theory.

    That said, your 3rd year courses won't necessarily be harder. I took very similar courses in UCD and it was impossible to tell in advance whether they would be harder or easier than last year. It mostly depends on the lecturer's approach and how much he attempts to cover. So it might be that you had trouble with one particular lecturer's course, instead of having some inherent inability to learn abstract algebra.


  • #3
    L'prof
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,046 ✭✭✭✭L'prof


    RoundTower wrote: »
    it's the same general field of mathematics ("abstract algebra"). Every ring is a group and every field is a ring. So a lot of the same stuff will come up in Ring Theory and Field Theory that you covered in Group Theory.

    That said, your 3rd year courses won't necessarily be harder. I took very similar courses in UCD and it was impossible to tell in advance whether they would be harder or easier than last year. It mostly depends on the lecturer's approach and how much he attempts to cover. So it might be that you had trouble with one particular lecturer's course, instead of having some inherent inability to learn abstract algebra.

    They'll be 4th year courses. I'm just not really into the whole Definition, Proof, Lemma, Corollary, etc! It drives me insane...the only thing that saved me in first semester was the practical parts of the exam which the homework was based on. That was one lecturer (I didn't like his approach to things) and the lecturer this semester is the type that likes you to discover things yourself, so he doesn't teach you everything he expects you to know in the exam.

    Maybe I've been unlucky with lecturers, but I'm not sure I'm prepared to take a chance in 4th year...I'm just fed up of being completely confused in class as generally I'd be a good student!


  • #4
    RoundTower
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,083 ✭✭✭RoundTower


    jasonorr wrote: »
    They'll be 4th year courses. I'm just not really into the whole Definition, Proof, Lemma, Corollary, etc! It drives me insane...

    That definitely sounds like you either had a problem with the lecturer's style, or you aren't really cut out for maths at all. Proofs, Lemmas etc aren't unique to this branch of maths and you could just as easily have encountered them in a geometry course taught by the same lecturer.

    If you drop out of your current courses and go back to undemoninated entry you still have to get a degree in something. Would you switch to a degree in CS and just take some maths courses? If so this might look worse on your CV if you were to go for some mathsy careers (I'm not sure about this part).

    What maths courses did you like/do well in?


  • #5
    L'prof
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,046 ✭✭✭✭L'prof


    RoundTower wrote: »
    That definitely sounds like you either had a problem with the lecturer's style, or you aren't really cut out for maths at all.

    If you drop out of your current courses and go back to undemoninated entry you still have to get a degree in something. Would you switch to a degree in CS and just take some maths courses? If so this might look worse on your CV if you were to go for some mathsy careers (I'm not sure about this part).

    What maths courses did you like/do well in?

    I'm OK at Maths, I just don't like anything that's Theory heavy! If I switched it would be to the CS courses and a bit of Maths, yes. I really don't see myself going for a Mathsy career, I love programming and would hope to get into something in that area.

    I did well in (so far over the last 2.5 years) Analysis (didn't like it though), Algebra, Linear Algebra, Discrete Maths, Calculus, Advanced Calculus and Methods of Maths Physics. I have struggled with Honours Mechanics, Honours Numerical Analysis and Group Theory.


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