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The OP was asking for an engineering
degree; there the math is powerful
support but only support. Sure, the first two years at Harvard
can be something special, especially
if the student uses AP or tests out
of the standard first two years of
ugrad school. E.g., Harvard's Math
55 taught to freshmen at least at
one time used Halmos, FDVS, Rudin's
'Principles', and Spivak's 'Manifolds'.
That's usually junior or senior level
stuff. I know one guy who went to Harvard and
as a sophomore took a reading course
from A. Gleason. So, if in the next
two years he knocked off one of Hilbert's
problems, like Gleason did, then he
could also become a Harvard 'Fellow'
and skip a Ph.D.! But, again, we're
talking engineering, not being so
advanced as a ugrad that really should
end up with a Ph.D. in math instead of a
Bachelor's. What's so wrong about just taking the first
two years of college as just the
usual first two years? A CC can
provide that. A CC can use a
good calculus book; when I took
calculus, I used the same book
Harvard used; that is, Harvard
was willing to teach a calculus
course, just calculus from just
a common book, to I don't know
who took it. Given the book
and anything like a competent CC teacher,
the Harvard course doesn't have much
room to be better than a CC course,
especially if the student followed
my recommendations on self study before
the course. I know; I know; maybe the freshman
English lit course at Harvard is taught
by a Nobel prize winner in literature
and can provide some astoundingly profound
insights into Henry James and, thus,
change the lives of the students. I'm
not impressed. You seem eager to "pay a lot" for the first
two years of college. |