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Mathematics Optional Group UPSC 2021

People with mathematics optional who are aiming for CSE 2021, please join this discussion forum so we can have relevant discussions on issues specific to our optional subject. I have been trying to look for people with math optional online, but it is quite difficult as it is a sparse population. Most people have Sociology, Pub Ad., History, Geography as optional subjects. Libraries have the same problem. There is no currently active group on forum either. I tried civilsdaily habitat platform but the math group is inactive there. 


We can discuss strategies to finish syllabus, topics to choose (rarely does someone study all the 13 topics), discuss best source materials and books, ask specific math problems, discuss previous year papers, etc.

MikeWozniak,shivshankar_iasand14 otherslike this
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How was the difficulty of the UPSC 2020 mains paper? Has anyone finished solving the entire paper? 
I have solved to some extent, but don't know the difficulty level of certain topics which I have not finished revising and hence do not remember the formulas and associated concepts. 

Among the topics that I have finished revising, I found one problem from numerical analysis section difficult, (the one which has three point lagrange interpolating polynomial and limit for expression of derivative). The rest looked doable/calculation based and I have solved most of them. Apart from that, from the topics that I have not revised yet, modern algebra looks quite easy/ straightforward theory (I studied Algebra in college as I am a math graduate)


Specifically, I have not finished revising PDE, complex analysis, modern algebra, dynamics/statics and mechanics. (I do not intend to study fluid dynamics and will leave it) How was the difficulty level of the paper in these topics? Were the problems mechanical/ from IMS notes or did they require innovation/tricks outside the book?

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I have completed whole syllabus once ~ last year. I have given CSE prelims once (2020), but couldn't get through. So, I am currently preparing for CSE 2021. (I am a math graduate and graduated in 2019 (Btech in math and computation))

However, I find that the time for revision is a bit less as the prelims exam was held late this year and also there is only about 2.5 months between pre and mains. I have completed only 7/13 topics, and it is February already. I plan to start prelims specific preparation from 1 Feb onwards. Also, I have not done mains answer writing or ethics or essay preparation. Given my scenario, what do you feel should be the way forward for me?
I am contemplating one of 3 paths currently -
1. Drop CSE ambition for this year and prepare for CSE 2022, by focusing on completing math
and mains specific preparation for now instead of pre .
2. Try to give some time (say 1 hour) daily, even during prelims preparation.
3. Try to take out 1/2 to 1 month out of intensive pre preparation and devote the time to finish math/answer writing.
Any help will be greatly appreciated. 
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@IamThat, there is a telegram group by the username @upsc_maths. It has quite a large population of maths optional people. Can post the discussion questions there.

Other than that, there is a group of mathocrat - the guy has a youtube channel with the same name and has great teaching skills. That group is also very helpful in doubt solving.https://t.me/mathocrat

IamThat,
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@AlexanderSupertramp Thanks a lot. I'll check it out. Do you have math optional too?


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@IamThat I think 3rd is the most feasible option. 
Regarding dropping an attempt, it is recommended only once you have given at least one mains. 
Until that time you have no experience of how to prepare and what is your natural way of preparing and how much that strategy fetches. 
So focus on prelims Ensure that you figure the method in the madness of prelims this time. There is a method trust me. It might take time from feburary to june this year, but figure it out. 
But dont leave optional all together. Keep doing it no matter how little time you devote.
Best wishes! You got this


IamThat,
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@AlexanderSupertramp Thanks a lot. I'll check it out. Do you have math optional too?


yes.


IamThat,
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You graduated from DTU?
Asking as I did MCE from DTU (2018 batch)
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Also, repeating Omen's advice, don't drop the attempt this time. You'll learn most about answer writing, mains prep etc during the 3 months between Prelims and Mains. Even if you don't clear Mains, you'll get a clear idea of how to proceed in the future.
IamThat,
11.5k views
I gave 2020 mains. Paper was somewhat same in difficulty. Par i felt ki practice achi khaasi chahiye. Lagrange interpolation aur baaki kuc questions me i fucked up. Kuc silly mistake hui to kuc question aise the jo time hote to aa jaate aur kuc question to aaye hi nahi. Mai yahi kahunga jo aate hai unhe jaldi attempt kar lo aur time bachao baakiyo ke lie jisme problem hori ho. 
EiChan,IamThat
13.9k views
@Celeborn No, I graduated from IIT Delhi, Mathematics and Computation Department (2019 Batch).  
Thank you for taking the time out to answer my question. I will follow this strategy.

@Davidjones  Thank you for answering my question. I did not solve the entire paper properly, as I have not finished revising all the topics, but I found the questions doable in the papers. As I said, I have completed the syllabus once and faintly remember some topics like Algebra, Complex Analysis and Mechanics/Statics/Dynamics.

However, I have not solved all the questions till the final answer. Could you please point out which questions from the paper were difficult/ what topics had out of the box questions? It will help me to save some time, so that I can try specifically those questions. 

Though the Lagrange interpolating polynomial question 8(b) does look difficult. I couldn't solve this in my first attempt. Also, the question contains Fluid dynamics (Q8c), so I wouldn't have attempted it anyway.

So, maybe time was an issue? I have never written a full math optional paper before, and don't know how much time it takes to complete the whole paper. Thanks for the guidance. I appreciate the help.
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The question about lagrange ho jaata bhai if thoda time leke sochte tum. FD ka question was easy ek baar attempt karte tum kyuki difgerntiate karne ke baad easy 0 nikal jaata and y component bhi easily aa jaata. Moment of inertia ka question was real time consumer aur last me answer nahi aaya. Similarly i attempted simplex ka question udher i think meri calculation mistakes hui hai. Bhai i feel second paper mera acha gaya compare kare to. First paper sab easy bol rahe hai but i ll be frank, meri bhut galti hui hai. Hindsight me even i feel paper was easy par i lost time in some questions and baaki questions jaldi me attempt hue. Bhai solve the complete paper with 3 hours deadline. Also kuc environmrnt bana do tab do exam. You will gwt a good idea

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The question about lagrange ho jaata bhai if thoda time leke sochte tum. FD ka question was easy ek baar attempt karte tum kyuki difgerntiate karne ke baad easy 0 nikal jaata and y component bhi easily aa jaata. Moment of inertia ka question was real time consumer aur last me answer nahi aaya. Similarly i attempted simplex ka question udher i think meri calculation mistakes hui hai. Bhai i feel second paper mera acha gaya compare kare to. First paper sab easy bol rahe hai but i ll be frank, meri bhut galti hui hai. Hindsight me even i feel paper was easy par i lost time in some questions and baaki questions jaldi me attempt hue. Bhai solve the complete paper with 3 hours deadline. Also kuc environmrnt bana do tab do exam. You will gwt a good idea

Nahin, I have not covered FD (and don't plan to cover it in future also), thats why I said I would leave it. 
So, I understand from your comment that time management is important during paper. Hence, practice seems necessary for math paper also. I will give previous year paper (2019 or 2018) like mock test in constrained time now, because I have already seen many questions of 2020 paper and even solved some of them completely, that I thought looked unusual. So, perhaps, if I give the paper, it will not be a good indicator of how well I can write a fresh paper in constrained time. By the way, do you recommend solving test series like IMS, Dias or Shankar, before the actual paper? I was thinking of just solving previous year papers in constrained time like mock test.

Thanks a lot for the advice. Its pretty useful.

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Join a test series. It is really helpful. Also yaar aajkal questio jis type aa rahe hai pura syllabus krke jao. Jyada time nahi lagega utna. Aajkal ek faad question har subpart me hota hai to help ho sakti hai.
IamThat,
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Deleted

Hello guys .. Maheep Sir is going to start Fluid and Mechanics course online from 17 may 2021. I joined his batch in feb 2021 for the same and found it quite helpful. If you want you can join his classes . His contact no is 7827097791.

I am also his test series student and the questions he frames are way better than any other test series in the market. 


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Hi there!

I wanted to check about the sources / reference material that one should use for math optional. I got IMS class notes, but have been finding it difficult to follow them. Should I get the standard books instead? What books / material have you guys been doing?

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Hi there!

I wanted to check about the sources / reference material that one should use for math optional. I got IMS class notes, but have been finding it difficult to follow them. Should I get the standard books instead? What books / material have you guys been doing?

You can follow the blogs of previous year toppers. 

https://nitishhebbar.wordpress.com/2015/07/23/booklist-and-strategy-for-paper-2/

IamThat,psyduck
12.5k views
@peterparker Thank you so much :)


peterparker,
10.2k views
Hello guys If anyone wants to join FLuid and Mechanis Classes onlne it is being taken by M Maheep a Faculty of Mathematics optional. I joined it and found it useful ... if anybody wants to join you can contact him through 7827097791 .. his telegram channel link is https://t.me/arya0ashram
9.8k views
In intrinsic equation of common catenary what is ‘c’? There’s also one other c called parameter of catenary. Are they same? If yes, then how tension at lowest point is equal to wc?
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@DHARNA This is a confusing part for me. 'c' appears to be many things at once - it is the parameter of the catenary, it is the distance between the vertex and the origin and also horizontal tension at lowest point = wc.

As far as I can tell, here's how it evolved.
The starting point is the horizontal tension T0. If we take w as the weight per unit length, there must be some length of the string such that T0 = wc ( To understand this, let us assume T0 = 80 and w = 10 as measured somehow. Then we can take a string of length 8 such that weight of this string = 10x8 = 80 = T0. ). In other words we chose c depending on the given horizontal tension and weight per unit length. 
This is the physical significance of 'c'. 

Now if we put T0 = wc , we can derive the intrinsic equation of catenary in terms of c and other variables (like angle psi). This is how c becomes the parameter of catenary.

Finally when we derive the cartesian equation of the catenary, there are steps where integration is involved. Here we take c as the height y from origin where angle psi = 0 (i.e. the vertex) to calculate the constants. Thus c becomes the distance between origin and vertex. In other words, we find c first from the tension and then fix the origin such that the distance from the vertex to the origin is also c. 


I hope this is right. If there's something faulty, do correct.

chamomile,AJ_and2 otherslike this
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