What is Mathematical physics: Definition and 247 Discussions

Mathematical physics refers to the development of mathematical methods for application to problems in physics. The Journal of Mathematical Physics defines the field as "the application of mathematics to problems in physics and the development of mathematical methods suitable for such applications and for the formulation of physical theories".

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  1. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 251)

    Also available as http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week251.html May 5, 2007 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 251) John Baez I learned some fun stuff about the foundations of quantum mechanics last week at Les Treilles, so I want to mention that before I forget! I'll take a little...
  2. D

    Mathematica Getting into mathematical physics

    I am close to finishing my undergrad, but so far my background is solely math. I would like to get into mathematical physics though. Should I get another undergrad degree, this time in physics, or is there another way to approach this?
  3. M

    Mathematica Masters in Mathematical Physics: Advancing Your Career with Specialized Training

    I'm doing a 5 year masters (Mphys) in mathematical physics. My director of studies told me that is a much more prestigious degree than the straightforward physics counterpart, and says it will serve me well in the future. However, for my last three years i won't be doing any labwork at all, its...
  4. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 249)

    Also available as http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week249.html April 8, 2007 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 249) John BaezAs you may recall, I'm telling a long story about symmetry, geometry, and algebra. Some of this tale is new work done by James Dolan, Todd Trimble and...
  5. S

    Mathematica Mathematical Physics. Path integrals

    Hello all I need some special help concerning the path integrals and exactely about the techniques of Fradkin-Gitman and also the technique of Alexandrou et al., what's they're exactely about ?. (what does it mean here al. in "Alexandrou et al." ):smile: Thank you very much for every...
  6. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 248)

    Also available as http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week248.html March 28, 2007 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 248) John Baez This week I'll continue the Tale of Groupoidification, but first - relativity on the world-wide web, and some new views of the Sun! Chris Hillman has...
  7. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 247)

    Also available as http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week247.html March 23, 2007 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 247) John Baez Symmetry has fascinated us throughout the ages. Greek settlers in Sicily may have seen irregular 12-sided crystals of pyrite in Sicily and dreamt up the...
  8. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 246)

    Also available as http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week246.html February 24, 2007 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 246) John Baez I've been gearing up to tell a big, wonderful story about the quest to generalize quantum knot invariants to higher dimensions by categorifying the...
  9. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 244)

    Also available as http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week244.html February 2, 2006 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 244) John Baez In January I spent a week at this workshop at the Fields Institute in Toronto: 1) Higher Categories and Their Applications...
  10. E

    Mathematica Nonlinear Dynamics and Mathematical Physics

    I'm interested in focusing on nonlinear dynamics or mathematical physics for my PhD and was wondering if anyone could tell me what US universities have strong departments in these topics. I've heard that Cornell is good for dynamics and chaos but haven't heard much about other colleges. Thanks.
  11. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 242)

    Also available as http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week242.html December 17, 2006 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 242) John Baez This week I'd like to talk about a paper by Jeffrey Morton. Jeff is a grad student now working with me on topological quantum field theory and higher...
  12. W

    Mathematica Mathematical Physics vs Theoritical Physics

    I don't really understand the difference between the two. Can someone please highlight the differences and resemblances? Thank you in advance.
  13. A

    Mathematica How does mathematical physics differ from physics

    hi, i'm wanting to start a degree next year in either physics or mathematical physics. The mathematical physics degree is a joint honours degree. I'm just wondering what is the difference between physics and mathematical physics? Is mathematical physics basically just another name for...
  14. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 241)

    Also available as http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week241.html November 18, 2006 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 241) John Baez I've been working too hard, and running around too much, to write This Week's Finds for a while. A bunch of stuff has built up that I want to explain...
  15. A

    Mathematica Physics or Mathematical Physics?

    I am applying for undergraduate schools in Canada at the moment, and most of them have provided me the option of taking several specialized programs with a focus on physics. They have programs like computational physics, astrophysics, chemical physics, mathematical physics and, of course...
  16. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 239)

    Also available as http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week239.html August 16, 2006 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 239) John Baez David Corfield, Urs Schreiber and I have started up a new blog! David is a philosopher, Urs is a physicist, and I'm a mathematician, but one thing we all...
  17. J

    Mathematica Re: This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 238)

    Some updates on the Bullet Cluster / dark matter saga. You can now see a picture of the Bullet Cluster here: http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week238.html I've also updated a bunch of information and fixed some mistakes in the initial version of "week238", thanks in part to Matt Owers...
  18. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 236)

    [SOLVED] This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 236) Also available at http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week236.html July 26, 2006 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 236) John Baez This week I'd like to catch you up on some papers about categorification and quantum...
  19. G

    Mathematica Re: This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 232)

    Ralph Hartley wrote: >There is no problem defining the group valued momentum for a particle, >as long as you specify both a loop, a base point and a coordinate frame >at the base point. You also need to be careful defining the "ordinary" >velocity. A reference frame is not enough. You need a...
  20. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 231)

    Also available at http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week231.html May 9, 2006 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 230) John Baez Enceladus is a moon of Saturn with a cracked icy surface, twisted and buckled by tidal forces, hinting at mysteries beneath: 1) NASA, Enceladus the...
  21. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 230)

    Also available at http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week230.html May 5, 2006 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 230) John Baez As we've seen in previous weeks, Mars is a beautiful world, but a world in a minor key, a world whose glory days - the Hesperian Epoch - are long gone, whose...
  22. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 228)

    Also available at http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week228.html March 18, 2006 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 228) John Baez Last week I showed you some pretty pictures of dunes on Mars. This week I'll talk about dunes called "barchans" and their relation to self-organized...
  23. P

    Mathematica Citation indexes for mathematical physics

    Hi all, given an article in mathematical physics, is there a way to know in which articles it has been cited in the literature? Thanks
  24. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 226)

    Also available at http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week226.html February 23, 2003 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 226) John Baez This month I'm hanging out at CIRM, the "Centre International de Recontres Mathematiques" near Marseille. It's like a little hotel with a classroom...
  25. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 225)

    [SOLVED] This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 225) Also available as http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week225.html December 24, 2005 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics - Week 225 John Baez Happy holidays! I'll start with some gift suggestions for people who put off their...
  26. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 221)

    Also available as http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week221.html September 18, 2005 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics - Week 221 John Baez After going to the Streetfest this summer, I wandered around China. I began by going to a big conference in Beijing, the 22nd International Congress on...
  27. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 218)

    Also available as http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week218.html June 5, 2005 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics - Week 218 John Baez Classes are over! Summer is here! Now I can finally get some work done! I'll be traveling to Sydney, Canberra, Beijing, Chengdu and Calgary, but mainly I...
  28. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 217)

    Also available as http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week217.html May 30, 2005 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics - Week 217 John Baez Last week I described lots of different zeta functions, but didn't say much about what they're good for. This week I'd like to get started on fixing that...
  29. P

    Geometrical methods of mathematical physics

    I'm reading Schutz's text Geometrical methods of mathematical physics right now as a part of a diredcted study (Two of my former math professors and I wish to learn the subject together so we formed a group for self-study). I know the material in a general sense but not at the precision of this...
  30. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 238)

    Also available as http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week238.html August 16, 2006 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 238) John Baez NASA is trying to built up suspense with this "media advisory": 1) NASA, NASA Announces Dark Matter Discovery...
  31. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 236)

    Also available at http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week236.html July 26, 2006 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 236) John Baez This week I'd like to catch you up on some papers about categorification and quantum mechanics. But first, since it's summer vacation, I'd like to take you...
  32. MathematicalPhysicist

    Mathematical physics books, Hassani's or Arfken's.

    im thinking on buying one of the two books: 1)Mathematical Physics- by sadri hassani. 2)Mathematical Methods For Physicists - by george arfken. which is the better choice?
  33. G

    Mathematica Re: This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 232)

    Ralph Hartley wrote: >Consider a polyhedron inscribed in a sphere of radius 1, centered at the >origin. Let the surface of the polyhedron inherit the metric from R^3 >(which will be flat except at the vertexes). > >For any point p other than the origin, let p_1 be the intersection of >the...
  34. G

    Mathematica Re: This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 232)

    Ralph Hartley wrote: >There is no problem defining the group valued momentum for a particle, >as long as you specify both a loop, a base point and a coordinate frame >at the base point. You also need to be careful defining the "ordinary" >velocity. A reference frame is not enough. You need a...
  35. G

    Mathematica Re: This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 232)

    I wrote: >In article <4486EF88.1010902@aic.nrl.navy.mil>, Ralph Hartley ><hartley@aic.nrl.navy.mil> wrote: [snip] >>[T]here is a limit to how many wedges you can cut out of a plane, and >>still have the topology of a plane. If the deficit angle is 2Pi the >>plane closes up into a sphere. >>...
  36. N

    A Course in Modern Mathematical Physics [Peter Szekeres]

    Hi all I'm currently self-studying a relatively new book, "A Course in Modern Mathematical Physics", by Peter Szekeres, retired fellow at Uni of Adelaide (yes, he's the son of George Szekeres, of "Kruskal-Szekeres coordinates" fame :wink: ). I find it so far to be a totally great book! I...
  37. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 231)

    Also available at http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week231.html May 9, 2006 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 230) John Baez Enceladus is a moon of Saturn with a cracked icy surface, twisted and buckled by tidal forces, hinting at mysteries beneath: 1) NASA, Enceladus the...
  38. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 230)

    Also available at http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week230.html May 5, 2006 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 230) John Baez As we've seen in previous weeks, Mars is a beautiful world, but a world in a minor key, a world whose glory days - the Hesperian Epoch - are long gone, whose...
  39. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 228)

    Also available at http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week228.html March 18, 2006 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 228) John Baez Last week I showed you some pretty pictures of dunes on Mars. This week I'll talk about dunes called "barchans" and their relation to self-organized...
  40. P

    Mathematica Citation indexes for mathematical physics

    Hi all, given an article in mathematical physics, is there a way to know in which articles it has been cited in the literature? Thanks
  41. P

    Mathematica What is a good text for learning mathematical physics?

    I tried to read Classical Electrodynamics - 3rd Ed by J.D. Jackson cover to cover with the aim of working through all the homework problems. Problem: The math is too prohibitive. I need to drop that book for now and pick up a book on mathematical physics and go through that first. I'd like some...
  42. G

    Mathematica Mathematical Physics: Techniques, Resources & Challenges

    So I'm taking a class that's actually called techniques of theoretical physics. Basically, its applying math to physics. Topics we cover are: Vector Calc, Diff EQ, Linear Alg, and Fourier series, (i think, that's from memory.) problem is, the professor is insanely fast, the material is hard, and...
  43. J

    Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 226)

    Also available at http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week226.html February 23, 2003 This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 226) John Baez This month I'm hanging out at CIRM, the "Centre International de Recontres Mathematiques" near Marseille. It's like a little hotel with a classroom...
  44. M

    Mathematica Exploring Career Prospects: Physics vs Mathematical Physics

    I will shortly be going to edinburgh university to study either physics or mathematical physics. The main difference is that all of the experimental lab work would be replaced by specialist mathematical physics stuff. Do they have similar job prospects or is there more work in one field than the...
  45. L

    Mathematica Mathematical Physics | Jobs, Research & More | Ask Here

    I'm thinking of studying mathematical physics at my local university. But I'm no sure what kind of a job I could get with such a degree,. I'm interested mostly in scientific reasrch and stuf like that. I'm not really a major fan of industial reassrsh. So could somen pleas tell me what a...
  46. H

    Mathematica Mathematical Physics: Advantages & Disadvantages

    Is mathematical physics the study of physics that is focused on the mathematics? If it is, would it give me a disadvantage in the field theoretical physics for choosing mathematical physics instead of mathematics in the future?
  47. J

    Mathematica Is There a Free PDF of Mathematical Physics by Eugene Butkov Available Online?

    I am a student in physics engineering and I recently heard about a book called "Mathematical Physics" written by Eugene Butkov. I would like to know if there is a free electronic version (like .pdf) of this book over the Internet because the book itself is very expensive and it is only...
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