Finding the Right Combination for a Master's Thesis

[homology]

Hey, I need a bit of a hand planning, I'd appreciate your advice.

The situation: I need a master's thesis topic (my advisor has given me some freedom in choosing ) completable in 2-3 years that could bring together the following areas of physics

1)quantum
2) relativity
3)topology (this is a must, as my advisor is a topologist)

and I'm certainly not opposed to pinches of

a) Mechanics
b) Electrodynamics

Basically, I'd like to use my master's thesis as an excuse to study quantum stuff and relativity stuff with topological stuff for three years.

Most importantly is time, I could certainly keep myself busy for three years, but I need to have some sort of plan to win over the love of my advisor!

Any and all ideas are welcome and appreciated. If necessary assume I have a BA in mathematics and physics.

Kevin

 

[JohnDubYa]

Does your thesis have to be original research?

 

[homology]

No it does not have to be original research and in fact I do not want to do any original research yet. I would like, rather, to do a summary/overview of some part/problem/or the like in theorectical physics, involving topology, that is doable in no more than three years.

You see, I will not be going anywhere after my master's but going on to a PhD here and I would like my master's thesis to provide a starting point for actual original research for my PhD thesis.

So in summary the master's thesis gives me three years to study up.

Kevin

 

[JohnDubYa]

There are journals that specialize in detailed reviews of scientific topics. I haven't looked into them for years, but if I remember

Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics
Reviews in Mathematical Physics
Reviews of Modern Physics
Comments on Astrophysics
Comments on Atomic and Molecular Physics
Comments on Condensed Matter Physics
Comments on Nuclear and Particle Physics
Comments on Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion

Note: I am not familiar with the content of all of them.

By the way, shouldn't your advisor be helping you in this selection?

 

[homology]

There are journals that specialize in detailed reviews of scientific topics. I haven't looked into them for years, but if I remember

Thanks I'll look into this

By the way, shouldn't your advisor be helping you in this selection?

Good question, I'll make a long answer shorter. I'm stuck at this school, can't leave if I wanted. The math and physics departments here really suck. My advisor, the only topologist, understands my position and has given me some free reign on choosing my topic. However, since I want to incorporate theorectical physics (something he knows practically nothing about) I need outside help. So I'm writing professors from other colleges, posting on these forums etc.

The most important advice for the topic is how long it will take. I can think of a bunch of different directions to go but I'm not sure how long it will take to get there. I have to have some sort of 'plan' to propose to my advisor in order for him be on board.

Does that answer your question?

Kevin

 

[selfAdjoint]

Hey, I need a bit of a hand planning, I'd appreciate your advice.

The situation: I need a master's thesis topic (my advisor has given me some freedom in choosing ) completable in 2-3 years that could bring together the following areas of physics

1)quantum
2) relativity
3)topology (this is a must, as my advisor is a topologist)

and I'm certainly not opposed to pinches of

a) Mechanics
b) Electrodynamics

Basically, I'd like to use my master's thesis as an excuse to study quantum stuff and relativity stuff with topological stuff for three years.

Most importantly is time, I could certainly keep myself busy for three years, but I need to have some sort of plan to win over the love of my advisor!

Any and all ideas are welcome and appreciated. If necessary assume I have a BA in mathematics and physics.

Kevin

Suggestion. Go to the arxiv, select hep-th, and do find. Then enter topology in the search key for the abstract. You might want to do this for earlier years too. See what you can do with the papers that come up. There's a lot of work on toplogical field theories for example. Also look up knots the same way. Some of the physics might be beyond you, but this is a master's thesis after all, you are supposed to do some skull work! :)

 

[homology]

Suggestion. Go to the arxiv, select hep-th, and do find. Then enter topology in the search key for the abstract. You might want to do this for earlier years too. See what you can do with the papers that come up. There's a lot of work on toplogical field theories for example. Also look up knots the same way. Some of the physics might be beyond you, but this is a master's thesis after all, you are supposed to do some skull work! :)

That's a nice resource (arxiv), didn't really know about it. I got 742 results from the search (doing it for all years) and so I think I will be busy for a while.

Kevin

 

[selfAdjoint]

Great! Let us know if you find a good topic. I mainlined in algebraic topology at grad school years ago, and I'm willing to put in what ppoor help I can contribute.

 

[OldTee]

Hey homology, sorry this might be a bit off-topic, but I'm just curious how is it that you're stuck to one school?

 

[homology]

Hey homology, sorry this might be a bit off-topic, but I'm just curious how is it that you're stuck to one school?

Without going into details, it involves my stepdaughters and my wife, and her O2 wasting ex-husband. Moving entails custody disputes which leave the open the likely possibility of my kids ending up with their fathers more time than my wife or I care for.

Kevin