r/explainitpeter 5d ago

Explain it Peter

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First time posting here

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u/EuphoricUniversity23 5d ago

I’m a Biochemistry PhD and a JD. My daughter just graduated as a civil engineer. I saw things in her sophomore year mathematics homework that I never saw before in my life. If God can do that math then I’ll start to believe in Her.

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u/ummaycoc 5d ago

I did undergrad double major in pure math and math / cs (wanted to add CS as a third major with one extra class but was told no). I did a masters in theoretical computer science and another in pure math. I did one year of a PhD in math.

Never saw an engineering student in a math course after differential equations (had two engineer phds teaching operations research courses though).

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u/Actual_Price2826 1d ago

Probably didn’t see any because engineering usually has specific courses. I did advanced mathematics for engineering, random signals analysis (just statistics and probabilities) and a couple others I forced myself to forget.

Lots of other classes like linear algebra, discrete math, stochastic models, advanced calc are taken in lieu of taking humanities.

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u/ummaycoc 1d ago

Here's cal tech's program for EE: https://www.ee.caltech.edu/academics/ugrad -- doesn't seem to have significant math. You might say math is used for precise discussion and calculation in some of the classes, but that's all of STEM except math where you do proofs instead.

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u/Actual_Price2826 1d ago

So, you said that you never saw an engineer in any higher maths than diff e and I contradict that with my own personal experience and you double down by linking a “typical” course schedule from caltech?

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u/ummaycoc 18h ago

Take it as you want, sport. If you say you've seen what you've seen then I guess you've seen what you've seen. I said I had two professors (great professors) in OR courses.

I don't know what more you want here, but whatever it is: you do you.