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I took, we called it Diff-e-q, my freshman year in college and the professor died a couple weeks into the course and the new guy was not pleased about having to teach it. We did the applied aspects with the springs and the little ants running away from a candle heating the corner of a plate.

What I didn't like about it was just all the memorization. I had no desire to memorize a bunch of formulas that I knew full well in the real world I'd look up in a table or type into a computer. What I wanted to learn how to do was solve problems using math, not memorize patterns of formulas to apply to problems.

So I didn't memorize them and instead went to work and earned money to pay for college. Still passed the class but it was one of my lowest grades. It's a hard class even without the memorization.




It's a little spooky that the author, Gian-Carlo Rota, passed away the night before teaching a class.


That is spooky. Both from heart problems too. Maybe the stress of teaching the class takes a toll. Heart attacks are pretty common among men of that age, though.

Coincidence, of course. Spooky. For sure.




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