Help me pick a math course.
 

Hey, guys, whassup?

I'm going to start a summer session at the beginning of June, and I'm positive I'll be choosing a technical course, probably something mathematical. I haven't been to school in awhile, so I want to start with something that I know I can do if I work hard. That's pretty much any college math course.

Since I have no reason to prefer one over another, I've decided I want to learn math that helps me understand how the prime number algorithms that are used for equations like the one in the drop-down menu in NewPGen actually work. I know there will be other stuff in the course, but if anybody can tell me the general mathematics area I should focus on, I'd appreciate it.

Which topics do they offer? Is there a list of courses to choose from?

Alex

[QUOTE=akruppa]Which topics do they offer? Is there a list of courses to choose from?

Alex[/QUOTE]Sorry, I should've posted that in the first place:

I don't have the specific information, but here are their titles:

MATHINSOCIETY
COLL ALGEBRA
PLANE TRIG
CAL BUS/ECON (probably not, huh?)
STAT METHS I
CAL III
LINEAR ALG
DIFF EQUATIONS
PROBABILITY
MOD GEOMETRY
DIFF EQUATIONS

I'm not sure what some of these abbreviations mean, maybe you guys and gals can figure it out.

My guesses:

Math in Society
Collinear(?) Algebra
Plane Trigonometry
??? Economics(?)
Statistical Methods I
???
Linear Algebra
Differential Equations
Probability
Modular(?) Geometry
Differential Equations (again)

I think College Algebra instead of Collinear.

Also, CAL BUS/ECON must be Calculus for Business and Economics.
CAL III is Calculus 3.
MOD GEOMETRY would be Modern Geometry, I guess.

[QUOTE=Mystwalker]My guesses:

Math in Society
Collinear(?) Algebra
Plane Trigonometry
??? Economics(?)
Statistical Methods I
???
Linear Algebra
Differential Equations
Probability
Modular(?) Geometry
Differential Equations (again)[/QUOTE]

I'd make different guesses in a few cases.

Calculus by or for the Business and Economics department
College Algebra for COL ALG
Calculus 3 for CAL III
Modern Geometry for MOD GEO

There isn't much here to apply to GIMPS and factoring. College Algebra might include an introduction to group theory, but probably not. Linear Algebra is relevant to the final stage of Quadratic Sieve and Number Field Sieve factoring. Probability is used when asking how many ECM curves should be done at a level.

Okay, apparently I'm not going to learn anything in the math course I choose that will correspond to prime numbers.

Can anybody come up with some good books that I might be able to obtain at Hastings, or the library? The selection at the local library is limited, although using the Dewey Decimal chart they supply would mean about 30 random possibilities IMO.(Judging from previous times I've looked for math books)

Have a look at the advanced papers that you want to do (number theory I guess) and then work backwards through the prerequisite papers. Do the same for any other advanced papers that sound interesting. Then start with the papers that are prerequisite for all of them. (probably linear algebra and calculus).

Do they tell anything about what will be taught in COLL ALGEBRA? If it includes anything about finite groups/rings/fields, then that would be the one.

Alex

I just realized that there's a local college I can go to. Unfortunately, spring break is about to start, so it might be closed for a while.

I might have to check on that.