Kumar's Specialist Questions Thread

[Ravit]

Hey everyone,

I have question in regards to the specialist maths course, which copic/concept do you think is essential to cover effectively over the summer holidays based on complexity or the time needed to engrain it?

Many thanks

[dc302]

Either complex numbers or integration:

Complex numbers because it is so new and concepts can be hard,

or

integration because it is quite in depth and there are a LOT of methods, and even after you learn them all, you still have to use your head to be able to integrate complicated things.

[Ravit]

thanks.... btw did you do advanced general mathematics in year 11 to prepare for specialist. If not do you think you were disadvataged?

[b^3]

Either complex numbers or integration:

Complex numbers because it is so new and concepts can be hard,

or

integration because it is quite in depth and there are a LOT of methods, and even after you learn them all, you still have to use your head to be able to integrate complicated things.

I'd go with vectors and complex numbers since (as metioned above) they are new in regards to the way you approach them and you have to get your head around new concepts (again as said above). I think I would have struggle when we did complex/vectors in class if I didn't do them on the holidays.

Spesh intergration is easier to learn than complex/vectors, it isn't easy but I found it the most enjoyable part of the course. It is more an extensions of methods intergration.

To sum up, I would go with complex/vectors, since time and time again that is where everyone loses their marks and the questions students seem to struggle with.

Good luck and have fun

[dc302]

True, vector resolutes seem to give everyone a hard time. I say integration because even though it's not that hard to learn, questions about integration have a lot of potential to be difficult in my opinion.

thanks.... btw did you do advanced general mathematics in year 11 to prepare for specialist. If not do you think you were disadvataged?

Uh yes I think I did advanced..

[b^3]

True, vector resolutes seem to give everyone a hard time. I say integration because even though it's not that hard to learn, questions about integration have a lot of potential to be difficult in my opinion.

thanks.... btw did you do advanced general mathematics in year 11 to prepare for specialist. If not do you think you were disadvataged?

Uh yes I think I did advanced..

True (the intergration part).

I did advanced general in yr 11, but since 90% of those in advanced general at our school go onto further instead of spesh, our school picked the chapters that were relevant to further (i.e. we did matrices instead of statics of a particle). I wouldn't say that we were disadvantaged, there may just be a couple of little things here and there, for example we didn't learn partial fractions in methods, but we did it in gen adv and need it for the intergration parts of spesh.

[Greatness]

thanks.... btw did you do advanced general mathematics in year 11 to prepare for specialist. If not do you think you were disadvataged?

I didnt do GMA nor even touched physics before doing spesh lol.. And yes i believe it is a massive disadvantage!! When we were learning the new things this year i was always a tad behind and i would have to do all the exercises to understand everything.
Almost everything we learnt was new to me, but i liked it in a way made it much more interesting.
It would be a good idea to just have a read through yuor textbook during the holidays to get an idea of what you'll learn and become a bit more familiar with some of the terms/definitions - which is one of the things that i struggled with most, spesh gets a bit technical/specfic in some ways. but i dont think it's essential to learn any concepts before starting year 12. That's just me tho, i didnt touch any of it and i am not one of those students who are naturally very intelligent, i just work hard to understand everything and that hard work eventually yields results
Dont burn yourself out before it even starts!

[Ravit]

thanks all your advice is gold

[Bhootnike]

I've done the adv gen maths course

Vectors would be a good idea to do , and complex numbers isn't too bad. I'm just gonna check out exam style questions to get a grasp on what VCAA assesses you on in terms of complex numbers.

Apparently vector resolutes / vec calculus are hard, so try doing them i guess.

[Ravit]

3^(1/2)tan(x)=-3
i keep getting
x=pi(3n-1)/3
thanks

[dc302]

3^(1/2)tan(x)=-3
i keep getting
x=pi(3n-1)/3
thanks

That's correct.

[Ravit]

oh really sweet.

[kensan]

I've been reading what topics to study for on various threads, vectors and complex numbers keep coming up. I did Advanced general maths this year and we did complex numbers. Just basic stuff like adding multiplying, conjugate, sketching on argand diagrams, converting to polar and back. 

So how much harder does it get in yr 12? I'm just wondering because I'll be doing it next year, thanks!

[TrueTears]

hard is a relative term, there's no definite answer, it doesn't get too "hard" - the complex number stuff you do is basically the same, maybe just add on some locus stuff

[dc302]

Theoretically it doesn't get much harder, but VCAA often throws out trippy questions. The stuff you should be learning soon include solving polynomials and a few theorems like fundamental theorem of algebra, and the conjugate root theorem (if that's what it's actually called..)