From: "Steven Sivek" <stevensivek@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: high school math
Date: 20 Sep 1999 02:59:44 GMT
Newsgroups: sci.math
Keywords: [missing]

As a Thomas Jefferson student (a sophomore) myself, I'll verify the
existence of Complex Analysis there; however, not every high school in the
area offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, and Complex
Analysis (offered with a semester of Differential Equations) is unique to
our school.  All schools in the county, to the best of my knowledge, do
offer a course in multivariable calculus (which I'm currently taking);
however, most schools teach it through videos made at a local college.

You could argue that people who take abstract math need solid fundamental
courses; however, in my experience the people at that level (and some are
very advanced; I know several underclassmen in the Complex Analysis course
right now) got there by having solid experience in those areas to begin
with (besides which, those fundamental subjects are all prerequisite
courses, anyway).  Those who can't understand the higher-level math will
probably be less inclined to take the more advanced courses, anyway.

Steven Sivek
stevensivek@hotmail.com

G. E. Ivey <george.ivey@gallaudet.edu> wrote in article
<m5j0zqjvsvr1@forum.swarthmore.edu>...
>       Thomas Jefferson High School for the Sciences in Annandale, Va.
> (Just outside of Washington D.C.) 
>       This is a "magnet school" drawing students from several
> counties.  Yes, I was amazed when I saw his homework myself.  T. J. is
> not your typical high school but all of the high schools in this area
> are part of the "International Baccalaureate" program which includes
> the possibility Calculus level math.  It is possible for any
> motivated, well prepared student to take to take courses in various
> kinds of abstract mathematics.  However, I have seen too many kids who
> took "abstract" mathematics without having the background or
> "mathematical maturity" to really understand what was going on rather
> than just memorize words.  They would be better off with solid courses
> in fundamentals- algebra, geometry and trigonometry before they start
> on higher level mathematics.
>