Do Physics Majors Need Mathematica or Maple for Upper-Division Classes?

[proton]

I'm a 3rd year physics major and I just transferred to my new school. So far, on a couple of the HW's one of my professors has assigned problems that required programs such as mathematica, or maple, etc. I had no idea about what these programs were for until now. Are upper-div classes going to require these programs as well? If so, which is the best to buy? Or are there better progrmas online that are free?

 

[mr_coffee]

proton why would you buy it?

Your school should have labs that supply remote access so you can access those tools from your home computer by just remote connecting into their lab systems. It'll save you $$$.

Not all my math classes used any of those programs but I'm not a math major. In Calc 1 and 2 I used maple some, but I hear Mat Lab is very powerful if you can program.

 

[malawi_glenn]

Here in sweden, all that software is included on the computers in our computer rooms. I am sure that your university have mathematica, maple, MATLAB etc on their computers too.

Knowing some vector/matrix oriented software for doing numerical calculations are good, like matlab. You can if want to have it at home buy the student version, or check if you can get a student version via your university, much cheaper.

Also knowin some object oriented programming like C++, java is good; easy to learn and opens up to other languages.

Having maple/ mathematica has the advantage that you can get algebraic expressions for derivatives, integrals(if they exists analytically), so it is also very nice to know if you have a lot of tricky equations to manipulate/solve.

So first check if you have those programs via your university, otherwise they cost like 60-80$ each.

Good luck!

 

[proton]

which computers would have it? the main library's or the physics learning center? I've never actually used the computers in the physics learning center

 

[leon1127]

which computers would have it? the main library's or the physics learning center? I've never actually used the computers in the physics learning center

then you should check it out. I personally like mathematica better. Although maple's syntax is more usually notation alike.

 

[malawi_glenn]

Here we have like 20 computer rooms with approx 20 computers each, all have matlab, mathematica etc on them. But not the computers at the library. So I would check the computers at your physics learning center.

 

[jtbell]

which computers would have it?

Um, don't you think it would be better to ask somebody at your school about this?