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Probability or Further calculus

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  • 11-03-2009 7:39pm
    #1
    kevogy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 189 ✭✭


    i am terrible at intergration and and the class has just moved onto Further calculus, which i find really impossible.


    Probability looks so much easier...
    would it be possible for my to learn Probability myself at home instead?


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    #2
    PurpleFistMixer
    Registered Users Posts: 5,851 ✭✭✭PurpleFistMixer


    It'd probably end up being more effort as you'd have to find the syllabus material (very few books contain the other options) and then, well, teach it to yourself. Then again, if you simply can't do calculus, maybe it's an idea... (Also, it's not just probability, it's also statistics.)


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    #3
    Heggy
    Registered Users Posts: 234 ✭✭Heggy


    Would you not be better using the extra time to practise integration, and cover yourself for two questions instead of one?

    Integration is relatively simple I think, there isn't nearly as much skill involved, it's just recognising the pattern and using the right identity. It's more tedious than anything.


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    #4
    Daemos
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,645 ✭✭✭Daemos


    I say go for Probability.

    However, you may not like it. Our teacher says that it's one of those chapters that some are brilliant at, while others hate it. He hates it, but I find it the easiest chapter on the course.

    Try the first two chapters (should only take about an hour each if you have our book). If you find you like them, keep going. If not, try something else.


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    #5
    Fringe
    Registered Users Posts: 1,082 ✭✭✭Fringe


    There's only one integration topic in the whole further calculus chapter. You only need to know integration by parts and that's usually only a part (a). The rest is just differentiation and series. I think you should work on your integration instead. It's a lot better in the long run. The integration in it is really simple and you don't get any of the more complex substitutions. You just need to remember the mnemonic, LIATE. If you really can't figure it out though, you can at least pick up a lot of attempt marks by just using the integration by parts formula.


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    #6
    bythewoods
    Registered Users Posts: 2,361 ✭✭✭bythewoods


    Fringe wrote: »
    You just need to remember the mnemonic, LIATE.

    or InLATE

    In some books it's InLATE ie, inverse before logs or what have you. Just pointing it out.


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    #7
    bythewoods
    Registered Users Posts: 2,361 ✭✭✭bythewoods


    Oh, probably should have put in my opinion here.

    I hate further calculus, but I'm doing it again in class at the moment (I'm repeating for the record) and it's actually starting to make sense!

    Used to hate integration too, worked at it and now I'm finding it easy to get high marks in.
    Takes time, but the further calculus eventually all comes together if you don't grasp it at first!


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    #8
    Busi_Girl08
    Registered Users Posts: 17,994 ✭✭✭✭Busi_Girl08


    Probability can be pretty easy to earn.
    BUT you would be better off focusing on Calculus if it is causing you so much problems.

    You will be better off learning Probability in class aswell, just to make sure you have the right ideas and are using the right formats. It can get a bit confusing in some places.


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    #9
    PurpleFistMixer
    Registered Users Posts: 5,851 ✭✭✭PurpleFistMixer


    Here is the maths syllabus; (It looks antiquated so I hope it's the current one)
    http://www.curriculumonline.ie/uploadedfiles/PDF/lc_maths_sy.pdf

    You can find some information on the options around page 14.


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    #10
    DmanDmythDledge
    Registered Users Posts: 883 ✭✭✭DmanDmythDledge


    I had a look at further probability last year and, like most of the options, there's a lot of material in it. It's a good bit harder than Q6 and Q7. Considering you would have to study it on your own it would take a lot of time to do.


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    #11
    shanethemofo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,514 ✭✭✭shanethemofo


    Have a look on youtube. Found a good few vids on it when i was looking for an explanation of integration by parts before we did it in school. Might have probability explanation vids too.
    Allhonours.ie has a good vid section to i was told.


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    #12
    Jam-Fly
    Registered Users Posts: 549 ✭✭✭Jam-Fly


    Heggy wrote: »
    Would you not be better using the extra time to practise integration, and cover yourself for two questions instead of one?

    Integration is relatively simple I think, there isn't nearly as much skill involved, it's just recognising the pattern and using the right identity. It's more tedious than anything.

    Yeah that best summarizes it I think.

    With probability, there's basically nothing to learn, just to understand. In Calculus, there's alot of stuff that it's reccommended you learn.
    If your basic probability is very good, it's probably fine to do the prob option yourself


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    #13
    PurpleFistMixer
    Registered Users Posts: 5,851 ✭✭✭PurpleFistMixer


    Jam-Fly wrote: »
    With probability, there's basically nothing to learn, just to understand. In Calculus, there's alot of stuff that it's reccommended you learn.
    If your basic probability is very good, it's probably fine to do the prob option yourself
    Except the probability option contains statistics as well! It's not just "oh, like probability? have some more". You do have to learn new material.


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    #14
    Des23
    Closed Accounts Posts: 287 ✭✭Des23


    If one was looking to do the further probablity/statistics option, would there be any resources on the internet for it, as it isn't in the book I use. I remember seeing one done for the further geometry option on a link here not so long ago, does anyone know if there is something similar for probability/statistics?


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    #15
    PurpleFistMixer
    Registered Users Posts: 5,851 ✭✭✭PurpleFistMixer


    Des23 wrote: »
    If one was looking to do the further probablity/statistics option, would there be any resources on the internet for it, as it isn't in the book I use. I remember seeing one done for the further geometry option on a link here not so long ago, does anyone know if there is something similar for probability/statistics?
    Well, it was MathsManiac who did that out of the goodness of his heart, so... not sure. ;p


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    #16
    MathsManiac
    Registered Users Posts: 1,595 ✭✭✭MathsManiac


    PurpleFistMixer wrote: »
    Well, it was MathsManiac who did that out of the goodness of his heart, so... not sure. ;p

    I did that one 'cos there were no books for it. In the case of prob/stats, it's available as an accompanying booklet for Oliver Murphy's book and as an accompanying booklet for Aidan Roantree's book, and also available in the earlier edition of Text and Tests.

    Although all of the necessary knowledge is obviously available on the internet generally, I'm not aware of a specific web resource tailored to the LC topic.


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    #17
    Heggy
    Registered Users Posts: 234 ✭✭Heggy


    If you're integration is so irreparably hopeless that using the extra time to study it would yield nothing, unless a book is bought, you'll probably have to go trawling university sites and the like to read through all the stuff, then see what applies to the syllabus using the document PurpleFistMixer posted.

    (What about your differentiation? That's what's on the (c) question of the option usually, the maximum/minimum problems, and also, very very basic differentiation in the MacLaurin Series)


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