Taylor polynomial/series, series, function series

In summary, the individual has an upcoming calculus exam but has neglected the subject and only has two days to study for complicated topics. They are able to retake the exam in one month and are seeking help and advice on where to start studying and what materials to use. They have all the time in the world for the next month and are determined to pass the exam. They have also mentioned their concerns about the exam being different from previous years and the possibility of a curve in the grading. Finally, they have mentioned their plans to focus on studying for the next month to prepare for the retake.
  • #1
WrongMan
149
15
well, i have an calculus exam tomorrow and I'm 100% gona fail. I've neglected calculus so i could study for other subjects and left only 2 days to study taylor's polynomial aproximation, series and function series, the latter two are way more complicated than i expected.

good thing is i can retake this exam in one month.
i need help knowing were to start, slides provided by the teacher are confusing (and very heavy) and lack examples, I've found that its muh more productive for me to have small exercises incorporated in the study material, it helps me a lot.
last two days I've spent more time researching other sources of information orher than actually studying and solving problems, it has been very counter productive.

classes during the semester were terrible, overcrowded and noisy, zero help, i learned nothing from them.

any books or websites you can suggest?
exercise sheets?
a weekly time-table, as in, where i should be at the end of each week to make sure i understand everything properly in time for the retake
any other advice?
i have all the time in the world in the coming month, i can study 8hrs a day if there is need to do that ( hope there isn't xD)
do you think my future looks very grim?

ps: there are also integrals but I am pretty much good with those i just need to.practice a bit, not very concerned, looking at previous exams it makes up for 1/6 of the exam.
 
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  • #2
Well, I would look over the past exams religiously.
I would also use Khan Academy's Calc II videos to my advantage.
I would then use Paul's Online Notes to help me further.
If you have a textbook, look at the exact parts that are important.
 
  • #3
RJLiberator said:
Well, I would look over the past exams religiously.
I would also use Khan Academy's Calc II videos to my advantage.
I would then use Paul's Online Notes to help me further.
If you have a textbook, look at the exact parts that are important.

Exam went poorly as expected, at best i can get a 50% but I am pretty sure that it ain't going to happen.

thank you very much for your advice.
ive used khan academy videos before to help me with algebra. but the ones i saw regarding series seemed to simple, maybe i saw only the introducting videos and should, and will, look further into it.
Paul's notes also sound familiar.
previous exams won't be much help, the head teacher for calculus changed, and the exam was extremely different, focused equally on everything, instead of mainly these last 3 topics, last year's exam ( which is the only one i have access to) was 9/10 multiple choices, whereas today's had no multiple choices only direct answer (no justification) a couple of theory questions, and a few justification answers.
well, tomorrow i begin my studies.
 
Last edited:
  • #4
Are you sure there won't be a curve to the grade/exam? I would ask your teacher about this. You may not be high and dry yet.
 
  • #5
RJLiberator said:
Are you sure there won't be a curve to the grade/exam? I would ask your teacher about this. You may not be high and dry yet.
Im not sure what curve is, wiki says
In education, grading on a curve (also referred to as curved grading, bell curving, or using grading curves) is a statistical method of assigning grades designed to yield a pre-determined distribution of grades among the students in a class
which would be in line with what older students have told me, that sometimes, when 25% of students don't pass (teacher might gets in trouble) and the second exam becomes a lot easier to allow more students to pass...
What would mean, that if many students pass, the "retake" exam might be harder than expected, to allow for said curve...
I really don't believe teachers would do anything to "harm" us students, physics is a hard course and we have a big amount of students failing mechanincs and calculus every year, teachers have been doing their best to reform their subjects to find better ways to teach us and allow us to pass (without jeopardizing our knowledge)
 
  • #6
WrongMan said:
well, i have an calculus exam tomorrow and I'm 100% gona fail. I've neglected calculus so i could study for other subjects and left only 2 days to study taylor's polynomial aproximation, series and function series, the latter two are way more complicated than i expected.

WrongMan said:
Exam went poorly as expected, at best i can get a 50% but I am pretty sure that it ain't going to happen.
It shouldn't be surprising that the exam went poorly, given that you have neglected calculus so far, and were attempting to spend only two days cramming the material for some complicated topic areas.
 
  • #7
Mark44 said:
It shouldn't be surprising that the exam went poorly, given that you have neglected calculus so far, and were attempting to spend only two days cramming the material for some complicated topic areas.

it was not surprising... i was already counting on having to retake it when i started studying for my finals, i just preferred to prepare myself better for other subjects, like mechanics, which have much bigger failing rates.
I have one month now, i have no classes and nothing to do really, so i can focus on studying, i think one month is enough time to prepare myself for it
 
  • #8
WrongMan said:
it was not surprising... i was already counting on having to retake it when i started studying for my finals, i just preferred to prepare myself better for other subjects, like mechanics, which have much bigger failing rates.
I have one month now, i have no classes and nothing to do really, so i can focus on studying, i think one month is enough time to prepare myself for it

Did you fail the entire course?

It will basically (or should anyway) delay you taking E&M as well. Probably not a good idea to just let yourself fail classes like that.

For study materials, did you try reading the book instead of just the lecture notes from the professor?
 
  • #9
I suggest you use your textbook as your primary resource and use other sources when you get stuck. When you get to the examples in the textbook, try to work through them on your own before looking at the solution.
 
  • #10
i passed. yay! ... thanks for all your suggestions
 
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  • #11
WrongMan said:
i passed. yay! ... thanks for all your suggestions

Stop neglecting class in the future, especially classes that are fundamental to your degree program. =)
 

Related to Taylor polynomial/series, series, function series

1. What is a Taylor polynomial/series?

A Taylor polynomial/series is a mathematical representation of a function using a finite number of terms. It is used to approximate the behavior of a function near a specific point by using the derivatives of the function at that point.

2. How is a Taylor polynomial/series different from a regular polynomial?

A Taylor polynomial/series uses the derivatives of a function to create a more accurate approximation, while a regular polynomial only uses a fixed number of terms and may not accurately represent the behavior of the function.

3. What is a function series?

A function series is an infinite sum of terms, where each term is a function. It is used to represent a function as the limit of a sequence of partial sums.

4. How is a function series different from a Taylor polynomial/series?

A Taylor polynomial/series uses derivatives of a function to create a polynomial approximation, while a function series uses an infinite sum of functions to represent a function as a limit. Additionally, a Taylor polynomial/series is only valid near a specific point, while a function series can represent a function over a larger interval.

5. What is the purpose of using a Taylor polynomial/series or function series?

The purpose of using a Taylor polynomial/series or function series is to approximate the behavior of a function, especially near a specific point, using a finite number of terms or an infinite sum of functions. This can be useful in mathematical analysis, engineering, and other fields where precise approximations are needed.

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