Is Abstract Algebra Worth Taking for Physics?

[Nick R]

Would this be a good thing to take? More specifically, will a introduction to this shed light on/put on more solid ground many of the techniques/organizations in physics that are presented as "tricks"?

I just want to be sure it will be worth it, since i'll be taking it alongside unnecessarily hard "washout courses" that stress "test taking skill/rote" (e.g. e&m)

 

[Vanadium 50]

Not particularly, but that shouldn't be a reason not to take it if you are interested.

 

[Chaostamer]

From what my friends in the Physics department tell me, abstract algebra appears time and again in the higher-level, theoretical physics courses, so it might be of some use in that regard. Further, since most abstract algebra courses seem to be proof-intensive, taking the course will help teach you to think more logically, which seems to be a pretty useful skill for Physics majors. Plus, abstract algebra is just interesting, so it would be worth taking it for that alone.

Basically, if you're interested in the material, learning it will almost certainly benefit you in some way.