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I voted for discrete mathematics for two reasons: (1) It has relatively few pre-requisites in comparison to advanced calculus (which I'm assuming means somethi
by nilkn 13y ago
I voted for discrete mathematics for two reasons:
(1) It has relatively few pre-requisites in comparison to advanced calculus (which I'm assuming means something like a first course in real analysis).
(2) It isn't rote. There's more creative thought involved in solving problems. Even high school calculus is often extremely rote. I think programming is rarely rote, even if it's just a CRUD app. You have to strategize about how to approach the overall architecture of the program and make predictions about how early design decisions will affect future extensibility and more.
- elwell 13y agoIt's listed as the most advanced course though. I pretty much would agree with you, but this poll is too illogical.
- thaumasiotes 13y ago> It [discrete math] has relatively few pre-requisites in comparison to advanced calculus (which I'm assuming means something like a first course in real analysis). My first course in real analysis didn't have much in the way of prerequisites at all. I loved it because everything was covered ground up (including concepts like "limit").
- nilkn 13y agoWhile that might technically be true on some level, ask yourself if the average student would do well if they started with Rudin's Principles of Mathematical Analysis in 11th or 12th grade having taken absolutely no calculus prior to it. There's a reason most universities require students to have completed the entire calculus sequence and often even a special "introduction to proofs" class before exposing them to a book like Rudin's.