Conics v Statistics (1 Viewer)

[kurt.physics]

Ive created this poll to see how many people would prefer conics or statistics as it has been expressed that statistics will be replacing conics roughly around 2010.

 

[tommykins]

I'm interested to seeing what statistics is in terms of the questions etc.

Null vote for now.

 

[jkwii]

i can see statistics being like actuarial studies with the stats and finance etc. but i love conics

 

[kurt.physics]

I can say that i hate statistics with a passion, it is crap, i personally enjoy pure mathematics and loath applied (unless its mathematical physics).

Statistics may be useful, but i think it may make tallented mathematics students not want to do MX2.

 

[Slidey]

I can say that i hate statistics with a passion, it is crap, i personally enjoy pure mathematics and loath applied (unless its mathematical physics).

Statistics may be useful, but i think it may make tallented mathematics students not want to do MX2.

I was the same in highschool. Then I did statistics as a mathematics subject at uni (not as a finance subject) and it was extremely enjoyable. Lots of calculus, linear algebra and various other fields of both pure and applied maths.

I hated applied maths in the HSC, but then realised that at uni, the pure maths in the HSC is really more like applied maths at uni, and pure maths at uni is annoyingly abstract.

That said, conics is an important topic to cover and learn about. I'd prefer if both were in the syllabus.

So long as the stats was combinatorics and Bayesian stuff for example, rather than retarded year 10 plotting and sample size rubbish.

 

[vds700]

conics is shit.

I reckon there should be some stats theres none in the whole 2, 3, 4 unit course atm so itd be a nice change

 

[Slidey]

Actually, there is probability in 2u and combinatorics in 3u. 4u has harder 3u which often covers a mix of probability and combinatorics.

 

[vds700]

Actually, there is probability in 2u and combinatorics in 3u. 4u has harder 3u which often covers a mix of probability and combinatorics.

oh ok i thought that stats was like the stuff in year 9 and 10, like mean, mode, median, range, frequency distribution tables and that sort of stuff

If you were to study maths at uni, would conics or stats in ext 2 maths be more useful in preparing you for it?

 

[kurt.physics]

Wo, wo, wo. So the statistics is the stuff like combinatorics? If so, i would not mind, i thought it was the crap year 8/9/10 stuff. But i would still prefer conics!

 

[Iruka]

Best background for uni level stats is a good grasp of calculus.

Combinatorial probability has almost nothing to do with what professional statisticians do.

On balance, I think I'd vote for conics, but I'm not really enthralled with either option.

Personally, I think they should put vector algebra into the syllabus instead...

 

[kurt.physics]

Best background for uni level stats is a good grasp of calculus.

Combinatorial probability has almost nothing to do with what professional statisticians do.

On balance, I think I'd vote for conics, but I'm not really enthralled with either option.

Personally, I think they should put vector algebra into the syllabus instead...

I agree, vector algebra is quite simple

 

[nottellingu]

U goota be joking. Do u have any idea how painful statisitics is :mad1: Conics all the way...its 'real' maths or feels like it anyway.

 

[Slidey]

I agree, vector algebra is quite simple

lol. Not when you inevitably toss matrices and calculus in.

 

[Trebla]

I believe the main reason they decided to remove Conics is because it was virtually useless when it came university mathematics (particularly in first year where candidatures are high). Putting Statistics in the course, would much better prepare you for the university mathematics (particularly first year statistics) which most would inevitably take in a science degree, because it covers a far greater scope of applications than Conics. I think both should be in the course, but there's only a limited room in the course for topics. So if I were to choose, then it would be Statistics.

Also, I think a little bit of linear algebra should have been in the course. The basic vectors concepts (cross product, dot product etc) and the basic matrices concepts (EROs and arithmetic operations of matrices), would be useful, again, for preparation in university mathematics. But then again, a lot of the linear algebra involves the 3-dimensional space with x, y and z axes, so I guess that's the main issue with it not being included in HSC courses.

 

[ronnknee]

Ahh I have no opinion on this as I haven't done conics at school yet, and have absolutely no idea what uni level statistics is like

Year 8 statistics wasn't that bad, finding the mean, range and stuff. Kinda too basic, so I don't it would be anything like this

 

[kurt.physics]

Actually, believe it or not, Vector Algebra was in the syllabus! It wasnt really vector but the build up to vector, matrix algebra, but i think there was some vector.

Last year i was given an old year 10 text, gosh, it must of been 20-30 something years old, and it had matrix/vector algebra in it, so yeh.

 

[conics2008]

haha.. conics of statistics, I think this is a rethorical question for people doing ext 2 maths. I bad at number ( I'm serious ) .. I cant plus, minus etc etc for shit, I need the calculator everywhere I go.

I freakin failed all my non-cal test, because I cant plus minus divide etc for shit.. I come first in my exams but not in non-cal .. so for me I'd say Conics 4 life..... =) and screw statistics

 

[Iruka]

Actually, believe it or not, Vector Algebra was in the syllabus! It wasnt really vector but the build up to vector, matrix algebra, but i think there was some vector.

Last year i was given an old year 10 text, gosh, it must of been 20-30 something years old, and it had matrix/vector algebra in it, so yeh.

They do vector algebra (dot and cross products, stuff like that) in Victoria and I think its in the advanced maths course in the IB, so it is not that unusual to do it at high school level. I think it brings together alot of the coordinate geometry nicely, (hence making it considerably easier.) It can also be extended to higher dimensions.

Another reason to have it (and mechanics) in the 4u syllabus is that HSC physics is such a pile of crap thesedays that if students don't get to see this stuff in MX2 they wont get to do any decent physics until uni.

 

[pLuvia]

Statistics would have been a better choice as the reasons have been covered in the above posts. Obviously that year 9/10 stats is boring, but I'm enjoying the mathematical stat courses right now in uni. I found conics pretty useless when it came to undergrad maths and tedious and boring

It'd be interesting to what they will be teaching in the HSC stats. I'm probably going to guess, some basics topics on mean, mode, median etc. Then possibly hypothesis testing, expected values, and just the normal MX2 level combinatorial probability oh and maybe some Bayesian theory

Some basic linear algebra like matrices and vectors would have been interesting

 

[Iruka]

The problem with stats at high school is that they haven't done any multivariable calculus, which limits what you can do to some extent.

I agree about the conic, though - it is pretty well totally useless.