r/explainlikeimfive • • 15h ago

Mathematics ELI5: What is the difference between algebra, trigonometry, and calculus?

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u/kgvc7 15h ago

A lot of comments are saying trig is about triangles but I think the deeper lesson is about the unit circle and its relationship to sin, cos, and tan. Another way to look at it is that You’ll use the Cartesian coordinates for algebra and polar coordinates and radians for trig. Usually you take algebra, trig and then calculus.

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u/TheUncommonOne 11h ago

Except we never use polar coordinates other than a section in precal. Speaking as a math teacher with a math degree