Math methods Definition and 35 Threads

TLDR: is Blennow "Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering" a good follow-up to Altland "Mathematics for physicists"? Hello everybody, returning to physics after 30-something years, I felt the need to brush up my maths first. It took me 6 months and I'm currently more than half way...

TL;DR Summary: I am taking a math methods course this semester of which a large part are PDEs. I don't understand the context behind the order in which we are solving PDEs. I am interested in learning how other people were taught PDEs and any book recommendations you might have. I am taking a...

Interesting article. At first I thought the article was saying that for many parents, helping their kids with their math homework was the hardest because maybe they weren't all that great at math themselves. But the real reason is that the "Common Core" math methods used in primary school...

I'm reading div grad curl for my math methods class, and I came across this question: "Using arrows of the proper magnitude and direction, sketch each of the following vector functions: (a) iy + jx, (b) (i + j)/√2 I don't understand the notation. Why is there an y and x next to the i and j in...

Hi Everyone, I am transferring to Cal in the fall for Engineering Physics and am currently deciding which math track to take. The first option is to enroll in math 121A/121B, which are mathematical methods courses for scientists and engineers (covers series, complex numbers/integration, PDE's...

Homework Statement Consider the equation for the friction force Ff = m FN. is it possible to express the friction force as a tensor? If so, what rank tensor is it, and what are the ranks of the tensor m and the normal force FN? Homework Equations Ff = mFNThe Attempt at a Solution [/B] So I...

Hi, people I wondered if as prerequisites for QM, the Kreyszig (for func. analysis) and Hassani's book they be suffices .. Thank you in advance !

Hi everyone, which text on methods is better between the following two : 1) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0486691934/?tag=pfamazon01-20 2) https://www.amazon.com/dp/3319011944/?tag=pfamazon01-20

Homework Statement A quarter disc of radius 3 cm lies in the first quadrant. The areal density is (1.2 g/cm3)x + (0.7 g/cm3)y. Determine the mass of this object. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution For my bounds: x: 0 to 3 y: 0 to Sqrt[3 - x^2] When I took this integral I got...

Homework Statement How do I find the total charge from a material with a charge density given by \rho =10^{-9} \text{cos}\left ( \frac{z}{z_0}\right ) C/m^3 that exist between \frac{-\pi}{3}z_0<z<\frac{\pi}{3}z_0. Homework Equations None I can think of. The Attempt at a Solution Attempt #1...

I'm sorry for yet another one of these threads, but I'm curious if this will lead me to a better reading for me. I want to beef up my math background so I decided to take a look Hassani's Mathematical Physics and I planned on reading the parts on vector spaces (finite/infinite), complex...

Hi guys - I was hoping people might have some topic ideas for a project I need to do in graduate classical mechanics as well as math methods. It needs to be a solution to an advanced problem or cover an advanced topic. I'm just looking for ideas that haven't been beaten to death. Any suggestion...

Hello Big Minds, I am reading through Math Methods for Physicists by Arfken and Weber 6th ed --Tensor Analysis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note1: In page 133, in...

I am majoring in Physics and Math at Purdue University. For the physics requirements, I need to take two Mathematical Methods of Physics courses. Below are the catalog entries for the two courses. Mathematical Methods of Physics I Discussion of wide-ranging physics problems from mechanics...

I am a second-semester undergraduate in Physics and I have been looking to do some extra course work in my major beyond the intro course sequence. I took what was basically the equivalent of AP physics in high school, but the program at my university STRONGLY recommends that all physics majors...

Homework Statement For what values of k is (scalar product of vectors a and b) = a_{1}b_{1}-a_{1}b_{2}-a_{2}b_{1}+ka_{2}b_{2} a valid scalar product? The vectors a and b are defined as: a = a_{1}e_{1} + a_{2}e_{2} b = b_{1}e_{1} + b_{2}e_{2} where e_{1} and e_{2} are unit vectors...

I am planning on working through Dodelson's cosmology book, but I find my knowledge of things like Bessel functions, Legendre polynomials, and Fourier transforms lacking. What're some good references for these things?

Hi all, I just got mary boas math methods in physics book as a supplement because I'm a physics major and I'm browsing thru the vector calculus sections and came across the del operator identity: nambla (V dot U) = stuff nambla is the del operator and "dot" is dot product... I'm trying...

I am a first year physics graduate student. I double majored in math and physics, so I wasn't required to take a math methods in physics course. Looking at the course that was offered at my undergraduate institution, the only topics it covered that I am only deficient in are complex analysis and...

Lately, I have become interested in learning math methods (actually reviewing, because I have taken a math methods course already). I have watched some of Prof. Strang's (MIT) Math Methods for Engineer videos, and couldn't say that I was a big fan of that video series. For one, it was for...

Sorry if this is the wrong section, it wouldn't let me post in the Science Learning Material area. Basically I started self-studying Mary L Boas book Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences. I've seen a lot of great things about the book and I know it's very popular in Mathematical...

"when does this calculation come up in physics, and with what slight modification?" a' = [b x c]/[a*[(b x c)]], b' = [c x a]/[a*[(b x c)]], c' = [a x b]/a*[(b x c)]] a* (b x c) does not equal 0 (* is dot product and (x) is cross product) [b]2. Homework Equations Show that...

Hello. I am looking for a good math methods in physics book. I am currently taking Mathematical methods in physics at my university. The tutorial we use isn't very helpful. Does anyone have any suggestions?

i'm studing physics in chile. i need to make a tesis in mathematical physics. someone can recommend me a topic that contain the next? : - infinites series - complex functions - derivabilidad (cauchy riemman, etc) - power series- - residuos -diferential equations. - convolutions...

Homework Statement The Bloch-Gruneissen approximation for the resistance on a monovalent metal is \rho=C(T^{5}/\Theta^{6})\int^{\Theta/T}_{0}\frac{x^{5}dx}{(e^{x}-1)(1-e^{-x})} (a)For T->\infty, show that \rho=(C/4)(T/\Theta^{2}) (b)For T->0, show that...

Out of curiosity, I was looking at core course requirements for the PhD in physics at several different schools. I noticed that some schools required a first semester math methods while others do not. Reading the course descriptions, I noticed some overlap between topics usually seen at the...

I'm going to pick up a math methods book to beef up my more physicsy math, as it were, since the math program at my school is less geared to physics and engineering and more towards education, business, and computer science (and the physics program itself is falling apart). All the rage seems...

Not sure if this is the best place, but it's also my first post, so meta-answers about where I'm supposed to put this business are welcome too. I'm a physics student, and I'm interested in learning about Green functions, but I sold back the Boas book that I used for my math methods class (we...

Homework Statement Suppose that a hole has been drilled through the center of the Earth, and that an object is dropped into this hole. Write a first-order differential equation for the object's velocity, v as a function of the distance r from the Earth's center (i.e., an equation involving...

I got this question in a textbook and i don't really know what it is asking Here is the question: A submarine is traveling due east and heading straight for a point P. A battleship is traveling due south and heading for the same point P. Both ships are traveling at a velocity of 30km/hr...

I have 2 problems. First, solve 2cosX + tanX = secX where X is greater than or equal to zero and less than 2 pi. I understand that the secant is basically the inverse of the cosine, (hyp/adj), but I have no idea how to solve for this. I also don't understand how to solve an equation with 2...

I'm in IB math methods, working on a project and I can't seem to figure out what to do with this problem. A radio transmitter sends signals to a railway which run along a straight track. When a set of coodinate axes is used to represent this system, the transmitter is at R(1,0), and the track...

Mathematical Proof? Can anyone tell me how to prove things mathematically? I'm not sure you can because I'm convinced that proving equations and formulas is something that you just see how to do if you are intelligent (if that is the case, then I must be stupid). I have trouble with this in my...

I have a few problems: Solve 1. 32^2x = e e^2x +1 I cross multiplied and got 3e^2x = e(e^2x + 1) Then: 3e^2x = e^2x+e And now I don't know what to do from here... 2. Solve e^2x - 5e+x + 6 = 0 This one can't be factored, so does the quadratic equation work here? If so, how...

I've been working on these problems for a long time trying to prove to myself that I'm not stupid (though I am convinced I am because I don't feel like "IB material" at the moment), but this will be impossible since I have other things to do. So, my two questions are these: 1. An arithmetic...