Advice? - math preparation for exam

[Abnormal]

Originally Posted by cmind

Stewart's first year calc text is easily the best math textbook I've ever read. Most of my math maturity comes from the things I learned directly from that book. And it covers pretty much all the general math you would ever need in a statistics field.

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The house that math built
James Stewart made his money on calculus textbooks and built a five-storey sanctuary in Rosedale.

James Stewart is a calculus rock star.

When he goes on book tours in China, they ask for his autograph. In Toronto, the city’s movers and shakers gather at his home for concerts. People have drunkenly stumbled into his infinity pool.

Stewart’s 18,000-square-foot home, named Integral House, is an architectural marvel. It has five floors, a concert space and a stairwell ensconced in handblown blue glass, his favourite colour. The house is filled with gadgets. Stewart delights in showing them off, including the wall to wall blinds that block out the sun with a push of a button in his treetop bedroom.

“I don’t like to wake up too early,” he says.

Rosedale is a neighbourhood of riches, but Stewart’s are of a peculiar design. In 1987 he published his first calculus text book. Today, 90 per cent of Canadian university students use his books, and 70 per cent of U.S. students do the same. The bestselling books have been translated into 12 languages. He’s a bit like John Grisham, if Grisham knew how to write good sigma notation.

“I would not have predicted it,” says the fair-haired Stewart, ever the mathematician.

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[Colonel Smoothie]

Canadians, amirite?

[Abnormal]

Originally Posted by Colonel Smoothie

Canadians, amirite?

No idea about cmind but Jim was on my Ph.D. defense committee.

[cmind]

Originally Posted by dukelampard

This thread makes me miss my Real Analysis and Abstract Algebra classes. I felt so cool back then...

Those classes made me want to stab myself in the face.

EDIT: Yes, I'm also a Canuck. But I didn't know Stewart was Canadian until much later, so no patriotism intended.

[Abnormal]

Originally Posted by cmind

But I didn't know Stewart was Canadian until much later, so no patriotism intended.

Obviously I knew Jim was Canadian - while the article I linked didn't reference it he was writing high school math texts while I was in grad school

http://www.maa.org/news/an-interview-with-james-stewart

[Colonel Smoothie]

Originally Posted by nonlnear

The mention of Bourbaki was a joke.
What's not to love about that?
(vBulletin [ tex ] seems to have its own quirks, so forgive the incorrect rendering of (*) )

But this isn't helping the OP very much.

http://www.actuarialoutpost.com/actu...d.php?t=264903

From 1935, several mathematical textbooks appeared under the name of Nicolas Bourbaki, apparently a French mathematician, who also contributed to mathematical theory in various ways. ‘Bourbaki’ was in fact a collective pseudonym for a group of young French mathematicians who shared common interests. The group was officially known as the ‘Association of Collaborators of Nicolas Bourbaki’ [3].

OMG

you got me

[Joshuary]

I am sure it has been said, but just to highlight my experience quickly:

• A strong foundation in algebra is a must.
• A strong foundation in calculus is important.
• Get good at summing series.
• A strong foundation in statistics is a must, but you will learn most of that when Studying for P/1 IMO.

Some basic rules in trig., and some basic calculus involving trig. has appeared on the preliminary exams P/1 before. This isn't as important/common yet so far in my experience, and an easily memorized solution anyways.

It wouldn't hurt taking corporate finance, macro and micro economics, and econometrics through an approved resource from the SOA. It will prevent you from taking additional exams as they are required for the VEE credits. All this is available on the SOA website. But Passing exams is often more important than passing VEE's in my experience.

Good luck! I switched from a career in the culinary arts 4 years ago, and I am almost there myself. It is a very competitive field at the entry level so far. You can do it, but you better love math and be/get good at tests. You should also be honest with yourself if you are willing to do a lot of studying for the next 4-12 years of your life.