Favourite 4U Topic (2 Viewers)

[aDimitri]

m8

my most hated is conics.
m8

 

[Speed6]

my most hated is conics.
m8

Comics, matrices... Lele

 

[Machiavelli1]

Probably Harder 3U inequalities.. So many cool things can be done with them

 

[Fade1233]

Let me decide for you by saying integration.

As a matter of fact you use Integration almost everywhere in Mechanics so it doesn't make that much of a difference. Mechanics adds to improve application and understanding.

 

[Fade1233]

integration because it's straightforward. and also because answers are short and not tedious (unlike conics, ew)

I hate to tell you this but Unless you are doing something that is purely mathematics, you are going to be constantly having long tedious answers just like in conics. But like I said I'd hate to tell you that considering you are a bright one.

 

[Carrotsticks]

As a matter of fact you use Integration almost everywhere in Mechanics so it doesn't make that much of a difference. Mechanics adds to improve application and understanding.

You only use integration in the resisted motion and variable gravity aspect of mechanics. Other than that, integration is not used.

 

[Fade1233]

You only use integration in the resisted motion and variable gravity aspect of mechanics. Other than that, integration is not used.

Yeh thats what you use it for. If you really want to use it more then Harder MX1 Integration is always an option.

 

[emilios]

As much grief as they give me, the Harder 3U topics are the spice of the Extension 2 course. You get bored of doing the same old, over and over again, but the really cool proofs tend to seemingly crop up out of the Harder 3U topic. I feel like they tend to be the purest form of problem solving and logic, esp in the case of inequalities, circle geo, and probability.

Also, dat der satisfaction you get when you solve one of those tough cookies.

 

[Carrotsticks]

As much grief as they give me, the Harder 3U topics are the spice of the Extension 2 course. You get bored of doing the same old, over and over again, but the really cool proofs tend to seemingly crop up out of the Harder 3U topic. I feel like they tend to be the purest form of problem solving and logic, esp in the case of inequalities, circle geo, and probability.

Also, dat der satisfaction you get when you solve one of those tough cookies.

True, as you have a greater number of tools at your arsenal. I always enjoy making problems that combine more than one topic or type of problem. Even more so when the topics seem unrelated at face value.

 

[glittergal96]

Harder 3U is the most fun by far, it's the closest thing to real maths in the course.

Its surprising that so many people chose integration. I find it pretty bland.

The existence of computers also makes it not a particularly important skill to have in scientific or engineering careers. (Like, we should understand what integration means, but being able to manually integrate functions that are miraculously nice enough to have elementary primitives seriously isn't that important.)

I think the coolest things you can do with maths are the things that humans can prove but computers can't.

 

[Carrotsticks]

Harder 3U is the most fun by far, it's the closest thing to real maths in the course.

Its surprising that so many people chose integration. I find it pretty bland.

The existence of computers also makes it not a particularly important skill to have in scientific or engineering careers. (Like, we should understand what integration means, but being able to manually integrate functions that are miraculously nice enough to have elementary primitives seriously isn't that important.)

I think the coolest things you can do with maths are the things that humans can prove but computers can't.

I think that the three most prominent reasons for students not ticking the box under Harder 3 Unit are

- Teachers usually do this last, where it is often taught poorly due to running out of time.

- There just aren't enough proper resources out there for it. Sure, we have all these textbooks, but how many of those authors have the technical and background knowledge to create/modify nice problems that actually prove something, not just a random dry result?

- Very few students are at the level where they're able to appreciate the Mathematics going on behind it. A good student may identify a 'cool problem' as such, whereas most students may just be doing it part by part without understanding it holistically.

 

[Fade1233]

Nah. Mechanics is god. Mechanics has elements of real life. I really dont see how you will use binomial probability in determining the landing of a parachute of a spacecraft etc? Besides that H3U is good especially when its combined with other things.

 

[the wobbulator]

i'm not sure calculating the resistance of me chucking a ball up in the air or the ball coming down to the ground would necessarily help me launch a rocket to space. The hsc 4u mechanics is a symplified version so i'm not sure tht it contains the true elements of real life.... btw binomial probability i believe is examined in full depth in actuary studies (i believe, but i'm not sure) which has major applications (so i wouldn't want to mess with binomials in case a person doing actuary studies would butt rape me in the dark)....

 

[JamesGoh]

Im tied between mechanics and conics. The theory in conics is relatively straight forward, as well as most of the questions I have seen from
the Arnold Book.

For mechanics, I like the foundational theory such as the equations of motion for resisted forces, circular motion, motion on a pendulum and
simple harmonic motion. However I don't like some of the questions on this topic, as they tend to skip the actual theory of mechanics and
focus on algebraic manipulation instead. Im hoping in the future that the board of studies will change this

 

[leehuan]

Integration. Marathon, nuff sed.

The rest, however, I'd say:

Mechanics > Harder 3U > Volumes > Complex numbers > Polynomials > Conics > Graphs
Mechanics had physics. That was always interesting. And harder 3U whilst being ridiculously gruesome stimulated the mind really well.

Volumes and complex numbers was mainly cause of appreciating the creativity of these processes, however complex numbers was occasionally too easy. Then, some fun things happen in polynomials, but the questions got repetitive and very rarely would you find an interesting one. Conics was actually really interesting at the time (tbh it was the 2nd topic we did, in conjunction with complex numbers...!), however I don't like it too much due to it's weak amount of applications.

Graphs is a toolbox...

 

[Drsoccerball]

Mechanics is bae.

 

[Paradoxica]

Harder 3U is the most fun by far, it's the closest thing to real maths in the course.

Its surprising that so many people chose integration. I find it pretty bland.

The existence of computers also makes it not a particularly important skill to have in scientific or engineering careers. (Like, we should understand what integration means, but being able to manually integrate functions that are miraculously nice enough to have elementary primitives seriously isn't that important.)

I think the coolest things you can do with maths are the things that humans can prove but computers can't.

While I do agree with your point on proving things, we are also able to prove integrals that computers cannot. There are many elementary symbolic antiderigatives that humans can find but computers cannot, which overlaps with the point I agree with. There are also many definite integrals/improper integrals that we can do in closed elementary form but computers are still unable to evaluate them. honestly, as long as the problem can be done succinctly and elegantly instead of bashing it to death with a computer stick, it's pretty neat.

 

[InteGrand]

While I do agree with your point on proving things, we are also able to prove integrals that computers cannot. There are many elementary symbolic antiderigatives that humans can find but computers cannot, which overlaps with the point I agree with. There are also many definite integrals/improper integrals that we can do in closed elementary form but computers are still unable to evaluate them. honestly, as long as the problem can be done succinctly and elegantly instead of bashing it to death with a computer stick, it's pretty neat.

And most of these integrals generally aren't asked in the HSC (the integrals that get asked in the HSC are generally easy for the computer to compute).

 

[porcupinetree]

Have to go with mechanics. Integration is a very, very close 2nd though.

 

[Paradoxica]

And most of these integrals generally aren't asked in the HSC (the integrals that get asked in the HSC are generally easy for the computer to compute).

They totally should ask one though.