Comparison of Maths Ext 2 books (3 Viewers)

[c0okies]

DO you know what you can reeeeally do besides buying that chick's solutions? Post it here, and someone can solve it for you

OR search it up because someone has bound to have asked for the same solution in the past

 

[buchanan]

There seems to be 2 schools of thought here:

1. Try it first, and if you don't succeed, get someone else's solution.
2. Try and try again (without looking at someone else's solutions) until YOU solve it.

I reckon the second one is better - even if it takes longer to solve.

A student will learn more by struggling with one hard problem until he or she gets it out, than by doing 1000 problems by rote or by reading someone else's solutions.

So I still reckon Affinity's option 4 is best.

Here's how Andrew Wiles describes how he does maths:

Perhaps I could best describe my experience of doing mathematics in terms of entering a dark mansion. One goes into the first room, and it's dark, completely dark. One stumbles around bumping into the furniture, and gradually, you learn where each piece of furniture is, and finally, after six months or so, you find the light switch. You turn it on, and suddenly, it's all illuminated. You can see exactly where you were.

Notice how there's no mention of looking up solutions written by the fairies!

 

[c0okies]

depends on the person, really.

 

[buchanan]

<a href="http://www.math.ucla.edu/~tao/preprints/problem.ps">Here's Terry Tao's book on problem solving</a>

<a href="http://www.mathlinks.ro/Forum/portal.php">And here's the mathlinks website on problem solving</a>

I think that will be better than your textbooks of mediocrity replete with pedestrian solutions by fairies.

 

[jyu]

There seems to be 2 schools of thought here:

1. Try it first, and if you don't succeed, get someone else's solution.
2. Try and try again (without looking at someone else's solutions) until YOU solve it.

2. Try and try again (without looking at someone else's solutions) until YOU solve it, assuming that ultimate success will eventuate.



I feel good when I solve a problem without help.

 

[jyu]

The above discussions beg for an answer to the following question:

Are students deriving real benefits from this forum?

 

[buchanan]

I feel good when I solve a problem without help.

Do you feel as good when you read someone else's solution? I suspect not.

 

[acmilan]

Speaking from doing advanced uni maths, numerical solutions are fine in my opinion, often they'll help give you an idea of where you're going wrong/what to do, without actually solving it for you. I never consult fully worked solutions though, even if i think theres no chance of getting the answer. Sometimes i wait weeks, or months, without retrying the question, and somehow the solution becomes evident. Only time i consult full solutions is to learn other methods of answering questions. I'm not that great at memorising, if i look at someone elses solutions, i will almost always not be able to reproduce it in an exam situation.

 

[Templar]

"The best solution is the one that you found by yourself"

 

[nichhhole]

Sydney boys use CAmbridge....

*rushes out to get cambridge!!*

PLay the game! sure, you could stick to ur own books and hope that by the time u reach the HSC you've learnt all ur stuff well enough to adapt to any question...
OR
you could do a wide range of questions from a wide range of texts and learn how to do things a variety of ways..
of course we dont have enough time to learn EVERY method, but practice makes perfect...
ive got 6 different books for ext 2 maths...
im not going to get through all the questions.. but whenever i have spare time ill just flcik through and do what i can.

its better to learn how to adapt your knowledge to differnt types of questions now, as opposed to having to learn how to do it in a HSC exam. [esp considering how short of time we are...]


goodluck :]

[p.s i love ext 2... much MUCH more than math or ext 1... circle geo *shuddes* so tedious..]

 

[Trebla]

[p.s i love ext 2... much MUCH more than math or ext 1... circle geo *shuddes* so tedious..]

LOL, Circle Geometry is part of the Extension 2 course within the Harder 3 unit topic. So you'll encounter harder Circle Geometry in Extension 2...

 

[Shortbreads]

Circle geometry makes me cry too.

ZOMG! There's a spam smily!



Sorry, I was looking for a crying one... Anyway...

To me the most important thing for senior maths is understanding. Formulae and methods are tools, useful and necessary, but you've still gotta know how to apply them. Whenever I help out friends with two or three unit work what stands out as the problem isn't that they don't know their formulae but that they don't see how they should be applied, even on some diagnostic questions. As corny as this sounds you've gotta find the true spirit of Christmas maths, and often that means doing it the hard way. If you understand it, but still don't get the right numerical answer, to me, that's better than getting the right answer but not knowing why.

As someone said earlier often it takes longer to get started that way, but in the end it pays off.

Besides, nothing feels better than spending an hour on the one question before bed, getting nowhere, only to wake up the next morning with the answer in your head. Now that's joy.

Do it the long way, it'll make you a better person. I promise. It's like a journey...

 

[is2SWaNz]

I couldn't work out two questions from cambridge, took me a day to ponder. Walking around the house, playing a few games and working in other maths and physics textbooks.. and then it hit me.

I feel soo happy when i work something out by myself! :thumbsu:

 

[bos1234]

buchanan. EVERY 4 unit student would LOVE to do it your way. By trying to solve it by themselves, trying and trying again UNTIL it is solved. UNFORTUNATELY BOARD OF STUDIES does not permit us to do so. Our school goes so fast when doing the 4 unit topics because there IS NO TIME. There is no time to think and ponder. Try once, try again and suddenly.... HSC

What the board of studies should do is spread the curriculum over the 5 years of schooling. What maths did we do from year 7-10. Nothing. Just adding 5 plus 5 and factorising a + ab.

good day to you sir and goodbye

 

[buchanan]

buchanan. EVERY 4 unit student would LOVE to do it your way.

Great!. Do it then.

I feel soo happy when i work something out by myself!

I bet you wouldn't feel so good if you give up and read someone else's solution!

And it's how it makes you feel that's important!

So do it yourself and do it with a smile

And if it takes you longer - all the better I say.

BOARD OF STUDIES does not permit us to do so.

This is incorrect.

The Board of Studies stipulates that it should take no less than 2 years and no more than 5 years to complete the HSC.

Some students in some schools already do HSC subjects well before Year 11 - well within existing BOS guidelines.

What the board of studies should do is spread the curriculum over the 5 years of schooling.

I'm not suggesting that no change is needed. In fact I even wrote a submission to the Board on what changes to make to the senior syllabuses, as did many other people. However this suggestion of yours is well within existing BOS guidelines. See http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/manuals/pdf_doc/ace_manual_withlinks.pdf (page 99 of pdf)

Of course most do it in 2 years and find that sufficient. Otherwise, you can take longer if you want (up to 5 years).

 

[AWEBB]

Hey Guys,

Im currently using the cambridge 4u book, Arnold. Very good book. However it did take some getting used to in respect to the jumps taken in worked examples. However answers to examples are very good and it is evident the authors are in the top of their field.
The Coroneos book is quite good, but i believe does not cover all material, however i do not have the supplement text.

Anthony

 

[karnoganguli]

What about learning concepts? Fitzpatrick? I personally cannot learn from cambridge but i do the questions.

 

[Evergreen]

what textbook is best for explaining theory? i heard terry lee has great questions but the theory is not very good. cambridge, fitz or what is good for theory and has good questions? also is excel guide for 4unit good as well?

edit: should i just go out and buy all good textbooks?

 

[totallybord]

so whats the difference between the different editions of terry lee's books? is it just more correct answers or are there extra material and theory stuff?

 

[pLuvia]

More questions, fixing up of errors, more theory in some sections.