Help Me Decide: Math 481 vs CS 457 for Physics Majors

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The discussion centers on choosing between two courses for a physics major: MATH 481 Intro to Differential Geometry and CS 457 Numerical Methods II. MATH 481 covers essential concepts in differential geometry, including manifolds, calculus on manifolds, and Riemannian geometry, making it suitable for those interested in theoretical physics and modern geometric methods. In contrast, CS 457 focuses on numerical methods applicable to various mathematical problems, including linear algebra, optimization, and differential equations, which may appeal more to those inclined towards experimental physics. The decision ultimately hinges on the student's focus within the physics discipline, whether theoretical or experimental.
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Hi guys, I am trying to decide between these two courses. Which one is more useful for a physics major?

MATH 481 Intro to Differential Geometry (Vector and Tensor Analysis)

The basic tools of differential geometry will be introduced at the undergraduate level, by focusing on examples. This is a good first course for those interested in, or curious about, modern differential geometry, and in applying differential geometric methods to other areas.

Manifolds: configuration spaces, differentiable manifolds, tangent spaces, tangent bundles, orientability.
Calculus on manifolds: Vector fields, flows, tensor fields.
Differential forms and exterior calculus.
Integration theory: Generalized Stokes theorem, de Rham cohomology.
Riemannian geometry: Riemannian metrics, geodesics.

Text: The Geometry of Physics, An Introduction, T. Frankel, Cambridge U.P. 1997


Or

CS 457 Numerical Methods II

Orthogonalization methods for linear least squares problems. QR factorization and singular value decomposition

Iterative methods for systems of linear algebraic equations. Stationary iterative methods. Krylov subspace methods

Eigenvalue problems. Power, inverse power, and QR iterations. Krylov subspace methods

Nonlinear equations and optimization in n dimensions. Newton and Quasi-Newton methods. Nonlinear least squares

Initial and boundary value problems for ordinary differential equations. Accuracy and stability. Multistep methods for initial value problems. Shooting, finite difference, collocation, and Galerkin methods for boundary value problems

Partial differential equations. Finite difference methods for heat, wave, and Poisson equations. Consistency, stability, and convergence

Fast Fourier transform. Trigonometric interpolation. Discrete Fourier transform. FFT algorithm
 
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If you like theoretical Physics more, go for the first one :-)

If you like experimental Physucs more, go for the second one :-)

So it depends on what KIND of physics major you are deling with.
 
Hey, I am Andreas from Germany. I am currently 35 years old and I want to relearn math and physics. This is not one of these regular questions when it comes to this matter. So... I am very realistic about it. I know that there are severe contraints when it comes to selfstudy compared to a regular school and/or university (structure, peers, teachers, learning groups, tests, access to papers and so on) . I will never get a job in this field and I will never be taken serious by "real"...
Yesterday, 9/5/2025, when I was surfing, I found an article The Schwarzschild solution contains three problems, which can be easily solved - Journal of King Saud University - Science ABUNDANCE ESTIMATION IN AN ARID ENVIRONMENT https://jksus.org/the-schwarzschild-solution-contains-three-problems-which-can-be-easily-solved/ that has the derivation of a line element as a corrected version of the Schwarzschild solution to Einstein’s field equation. This article's date received is 2022-11-15...

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