So I found myself researching education around the world a bit and foud several links to articles and some random bloggers talking about how they learned maths in year 9 in England equivalent to those that American students studied senior year. That is kinda vague to me, so I'm asking you all to tell me about the maths you study during the last couple years of school. If you could break it down to subjects/concepts that would be great, because 'further maths' doesn't really mean anything to an American like me.
- 9th grade/freshman year- Algebra II. I remember this more vividly: review of last year, radicals, conic sections, logarithms, lots of trigonometry, vectors, complex numbers, combinatorics/permutations, geometric/arithmetic series, and trig form/polar form.
what is it like for english students? what years do you learn what material?
The difference between UK Universities and American Universities?
Instead of saying your grade say your age - so we can actually tell you useful information.
+ Mechanics and/or Statistics modules.
Which basically covers the mathematics behind all engineering and physics degress (1st year only), apparently.
You will get a lot of varied responses here, but I am a rarity in England in the sense that I have done A-levels & have also sat through the American system.
Aged 13: Algebra I: Basic Algebra such as Quadratic Formula's, possibly basic Simultaneous equations.
Aged 14: Algebra II: Radicals, Conic sections, Logarithms, Basic Probability & Trigonometry.
Aged 15: Geometry: I don't really remember Geometry very well, because I did this aged 14, and was a complete doss course.
Aged 16: Pre-calculus: More trigonometry, involving trig functions, basic differentiation, Complex Numbers, Vectors.
Aged 17: Calculus AB: Differentiaion, Integration, Applications of Calculus, Series (Maclaurin & Taylor).
I firmly believe that between the ages of 13 to 15 the American education system in terms of mathematics is ahead of the English system. GCSEs preparation is amazingly inadequate, and GCSE Mathematics itself is a complete joke. However, AS-level & A-level mathematics is on par with Pre-calculus & Calculus AB courses.
He's asking about general mathematics that is taught at school(s). I believe he is enquiring as to the standard of the mathematics that is taught in the UK.
I'd say that we're sort of a year ahead. We learn calculus and some other things a year before you do judging from that last and from what I remember.
France is further ahead even still, they learn calculus at 14 I believe.
EDIT: Scrap that, we weren't taught logarithms until Year 12 (Grade 11), your system seems totally different.
I didn't do logarithms until AS (junior year) and started basic algebra a year or so earlier than you. Other than that it looks similar.
From what I studied in Maths in Dundee, I had done all of the 1st year and around 50% of the 2nd year in school, and the bits I had not done were to do with Linear Algebra and some 3D calculus.
sorry i got on so late for replies (and have to go soon so can't really quote/thank anyone), and i'm sure everyone's gone by now, but still: thanks all, now i've got a general idea. just a curiosity that came up while searching the net.
Looks to me that they're on about the same level. Obviously they cover somewhat different topics, but overall it doesn't look particularly harder/easier than the UK system.
America or UK, Sat or A-Levels.
Too Much of a Long Shot?