Recent content by Frion

I did sort-of forget Fortran. Is it still used much? Also, two of you recommended Python. Why? Wouldn't Python be unsuited for numerical work because it's an interpreted language? I mean 'obvious' in the sense that if there's serious programming to be done, C/C++ is just going to show up.

Other than C++, which is obvious, and MATLAB, which is unavoidable.

That's a gross oversimplification. People at every level struggle with problems. Do you mean to say that all the professional mathematicians who are stumped by this or that problem simply refuse to think? You're taking a big leap by claiming to understand the state of mind of others. People...

Can things really be this bad for the OP? Since the OP is starting, the bulk of his physics major is still ahead. If he manages to ace all of the coursework, he would have a better record than most physics majors. At my school, every physics major aces freshman physics. It's in quantum...

Why would a physicist need a full course in real analysis based on a book like Rudin? It seems like a lot of hard work for little return. Err... whoops timestamps. :(

If I look at physics threads here, I can find hundreds of people who want to do theoretical physics but not so many want to do experimental. Why is that? Most of the beauty in physics has come through experiments, after all. I especially liked the Cavendish experiment which was an awesome...

Hoping somebody might know anything about this.

I can't find them anywhere. No solution manual, no courses that used the textbook and then posted solutions, nothing. At the same time, the author leaves some important results in the exercises. I like the writing style and so far I'm not having inordinate trouble with the problems, but I'm now...

If it's any sort of credible claim it must have been based on Terman's study of high IQ individuals. Some commentators claim it was a failure. Indeed, Terman thought he was studying future "geniuses" but it turned out he was just studying children who would, as a group, become incredibly...

IQ matters. But average IQ is perfectly fine for college. A large majority falls within the average range of intelligence. There are people out there who thinks having a high IQ makes them better than others. Many people out there think they can judge others' intelligence just from casually...

Are there still exact results to be had in physics?

As I understand it, the days of paper and pencil are mostly over. So what exactly do computational physicists do that that makes them different from theoretical physicists?

I have this impression too, but my concern is that I can't imagine how an undergraduate could contribute to this stuff.

Do you have any stories of people successfully self-studying a relatively advanced subjected in which they've had absolutely no coursework? Personally, I've taken some honors level courses in high school and then done some extra studying to get on a good enough level to take the AP test. I've...

When you meet a difficult instructor.