- #1
Neptulin
- 10
- 0
Hey everyone
If you want the concise version, skip over the bit in italics.
First I'll quickly introduce myself. I am an undergraduate student, studying physics. I have been reading these forums for some time now (mostly just re-reading the stickies to be honest). In Australia, the first year the BSc is general study in science electives, you select your major in the second year, your specialisation (eg. astronomy and astrophysics, optics, nuclear physics ect.) in your third year and, if you want a pathway to graduate studies, your research topic in your fourth. I am only in the first year of this process, and have yet to have decided on a specialisation (I figure I'm going to wait until I have a far deeper understanding of what each area is about).
I have been looking at my university's website/prospectus almost every day for the last year looking at majors, minors, specialisations, courses, requisites, alternate programs etc., figuring out my options. Tonight, however, I came across something minor that confused me. I figure it still needs addressing, and at the same time I may as well introduce myself.
Now that I've made the most sidetracked OP ever (and FP, I believe), I think its due time to get on topic. On the website I noticed that theoretical physics and mathematical physics were implied to be separate. I never really thought of this, since one is a major and another a specialisation. I noticed this when a course page mentioned "theoretical physics or mathematical physics" and I wondered why a distinction was made between the two. I would think that, if it was truly theoretical, theoretical physics would be described by mathematics. A quick Google search just showed the two terms were commonly lumped together. Are they truly different, or is it just my uni separating them (eg. maybe they're different departments?).
In all likely-hood, I won't be doing either. I tend to enjoy making and designing experiments - I think I would prefer a specialisation that has theory and experiment. But who knows, maybe I will be more the wiser further into my degree.
So my question is this, what is the difference between theoretical physics and mathematical physics?
If you want the concise version, skip over the bit in italics.
First I'll quickly introduce myself. I am an undergraduate student, studying physics. I have been reading these forums for some time now (mostly just re-reading the stickies to be honest). In Australia, the first year the BSc is general study in science electives, you select your major in the second year, your specialisation (eg. astronomy and astrophysics, optics, nuclear physics ect.) in your third year and, if you want a pathway to graduate studies, your research topic in your fourth. I am only in the first year of this process, and have yet to have decided on a specialisation (I figure I'm going to wait until I have a far deeper understanding of what each area is about).
I have been looking at my university's website/prospectus almost every day for the last year looking at majors, minors, specialisations, courses, requisites, alternate programs etc., figuring out my options. Tonight, however, I came across something minor that confused me. I figure it still needs addressing, and at the same time I may as well introduce myself.
Now that I've made the most sidetracked OP ever (and FP, I believe), I think its due time to get on topic. On the website I noticed that theoretical physics and mathematical physics were implied to be separate. I never really thought of this, since one is a major and another a specialisation. I noticed this when a course page mentioned "theoretical physics or mathematical physics" and I wondered why a distinction was made between the two. I would think that, if it was truly theoretical, theoretical physics would be described by mathematics. A quick Google search just showed the two terms were commonly lumped together. Are they truly different, or is it just my uni separating them (eg. maybe they're different departments?).
In all likely-hood, I won't be doing either. I tend to enjoy making and designing experiments - I think I would prefer a specialisation that has theory and experiment. But who knows, maybe I will be more the wiser further into my degree.
So my question is this, what is the difference between theoretical physics and mathematical physics?