DrWillVKN
Mar11-11, 02:30 PM
How do scientists/applied mathematicians interact with modelers? Do they just describe the situation and the programmers get to work immediately? Do they have to write pseudocode for the programmer to translate? Do they formulate algorithms and equations and have the programmer try to simulate it?
I've been interested in the field of computational modeling for some time (stated in another post that I wasn't interested in electronics, not scientific computing), but i realized that given my degree in biochem and math, I don't have time to become skilled or knowledgeable in programming beyond introductory classes. I'm more interested in the mathematical side than the computational side.
I feel like this isn't the best option, so I want to be competent enough to make my own models, not just use and understand them. I think i have enough time to devote 5-10 hours per week learning this stuff. Over the summer, I don't think I get can a job working as a modeler since I'm just a beginner (not to mention I have a commitment to a hospital, which are not even similar to the job, since I can get benefits from there due to familiarity with the people and place doing menial labor, though that's still just a fall back option as i still need money from working).
I want to really get into the hands-on environment of this work but I don't know how. If I do a masters in this field, will I be able to learn on the fly or do I have to have deep knowledge of the subject to be able to survive (despite university =/= work?)
So I'm not asking the best path to learn modeling- I'll just use whatever time I have to read from a book and do my best to learn it; what I want to know is the entire nature of this field and what you do in it. My naive view of this so far is that I need to know how to model a system using equations and deep knowledge of the subject, but that I do not need to know the best ways to optimize and polish a program/simulation of the system. I imagine that I'll be looking at a system and will be analyzing every detail of it and trying to fit it into a mathematical model, which I'll then hand to a very skilled programmer who will make it work.
I've been interested in the field of computational modeling for some time (stated in another post that I wasn't interested in electronics, not scientific computing), but i realized that given my degree in biochem and math, I don't have time to become skilled or knowledgeable in programming beyond introductory classes. I'm more interested in the mathematical side than the computational side.
I feel like this isn't the best option, so I want to be competent enough to make my own models, not just use and understand them. I think i have enough time to devote 5-10 hours per week learning this stuff. Over the summer, I don't think I get can a job working as a modeler since I'm just a beginner (not to mention I have a commitment to a hospital, which are not even similar to the job, since I can get benefits from there due to familiarity with the people and place doing menial labor, though that's still just a fall back option as i still need money from working).
I want to really get into the hands-on environment of this work but I don't know how. If I do a masters in this field, will I be able to learn on the fly or do I have to have deep knowledge of the subject to be able to survive (despite university =/= work?)
So I'm not asking the best path to learn modeling- I'll just use whatever time I have to read from a book and do my best to learn it; what I want to know is the entire nature of this field and what you do in it. My naive view of this so far is that I need to know how to model a system using equations and deep knowledge of the subject, but that I do not need to know the best ways to optimize and polish a program/simulation of the system. I imagine that I'll be looking at a system and will be analyzing every detail of it and trying to fit it into a mathematical model, which I'll then hand to a very skilled programmer who will make it work.