25 OCT - Fall 24 Math Classes

As a math major taking 3 math classes, I have an interesting view on the college experience. I often feel like I am a special case when it comes to being a student and explaining my experiences. Since, I have not a normal college student. I say I am not normal because 1) being on that campus the only people I relate and talk to is with the math department and math majors, and 2) I often say what I do in my classes and get looks. You would get looks if you were a major directly near the math field (computer science, any engineering, etc.), but I feel like math is still a different place based on what I get from people and how I go about my day to day at the institution. I'll go more into the math major psych down the line in this blog...but for now let me give a description of my class experiences so far.

MATH404 - Partial Differential Equations. The class is a high level/surface level (somewhat dives deep) introduction into the world of partial differential equations. I got introduced to PDEs in differential equations pretty sure or one of my calculus classes, all we did was calculate partials for different equations, nothing complex fr just pure computation stuff. The class had us looking at the solution, initial problem value solution, and the more "what is this" for the 1D wave and heat equation. The wave is a combination of two traveling waves traveling at the same speed that gallivant in opposite directions. And it is a PDE because the wave is dependent on space and time, more than one variable of something that is moving which makes it a PDE. An ODE is something that is moving when it is only dependent on one variable such as space or time. I like the class because it is a less computational and more of an "let's see what's going" introduction into PDEs that we can SOLVE most importantly and see how it works, since most PDEs we can't solve nor know its underlying characteristics. My professor likes to call PDEs the wild west because once you go deeper and find some that are sensitive to initial conditions because for some reason, they have a version of the unknown function in the denominator mannnn shit gets really funky. Very fun class tho, it's the only math math class I have this semester to where I am emailing him 26 pages of hw.

MATH481 - Mathematical Modeling. This class is more or less of us simulating and typing up reports based on real life problems that we solved through math. It is a writing intensive course and counts as a cs elective, so the course is more focused on "can you write me a good report" vs "can u code fast and without any help". The content is interesting, and I like the professor. Do NOT start those reports late.

MATH469 - Mathematical Physiology. The person who teaches this class is my major academic advisor who got his PhD from Utah State and is interested in beta cells and what goes on with electrical impulses in cardiac tissue. The class is structured with Modules that covers a component that is essential to the process of a person living. Now that is broad, but we focused on the areas of cardiac electrophysiology and how neurons work through the language of mathematics. In other words, we are modeling this human biochemical process with maths, and it is very interesting. In those modules are questions we have to answer about a research paper that is relevant to our module, and a project that deals with us learning about whatever the module is about. We code as well in matlab, since I mean, it is tedious to try to learn how a neuron moves and communicates with other neurons by hand.

Those are the math classes I am taking this semester, stay tuned!