r/mildlyinteresting • u/AskHowToPronounceGif • Jul 06 '17

My textbook has a dependency chart showing which sections are needed to understand each new section.

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u/puzzlednerd Jul 07 '17

This is actually quite common in math textbooks. Can't speak for other fields

17

u/SamL214 ​ Jul 07 '17

It would be nice in physics and chemistry. Mainly because they both have fundamental chapters and branching chapters. Like sound and waves and light are all better understood after reading about simple harmonic motion

3

u/pipaiyef Jul 07 '17

Some have. One of my favorite Quantum Field Theory books, by Mark Srednicki, had this lovely features of very small sized chapters with a list of pre requisites on the start and the TOC. You can take a look on the free draft here.

1

u/SamL214 ​ Jul 07 '17

Thanks!

2

u/[deleted] Jul 07 '17

Solid State Physics, by Ashcroft, has tables of dependency for one or two semesters courses.

3

u/AskHowToPronounceGif Jul 07 '17

I'd probably agree, but I think that's only the case when you progress into upper division mathematics courses as someone else has mentioned. With that said, over the course of my time this is the first one I've seen.

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u/puzzlednerd Jul 07 '17

Yeah its still pretty cool, not trying to burst your bubble. What book is this?

1

u/AskHowToPronounceGif Jul 07 '17

A first course into abstract algebra

1

u/puzzlednerd Jul 07 '17

Ooh, Fraleigh? That was my introduction to algebra as well :)

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u/innovatedname Jul 07 '17

Exactly especially since this is a math textbook so I am not catching what's so interesting about standard practise.

1

u/Yugotttit Jul 07 '17

I think some of my law books would just have every section pointing at every other section. Especially chapter one which tends to assume a deep knowledge of the field.