Math Practice Ideas for Aspiring Physics Students?

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Aspiring physics students are encouraged to engage with math to enhance their understanding of theoretical concepts. Reading books by authors like Michio Kaku can spark interest, but practical application through problem-solving is essential. It's recommended to obtain textbooks relevant to upcoming college courses and study them in preparation. Additionally, resources like "The Colossal Book of Short Puzzles and Problems" by Martin Gardner can provide enjoyable yet challenging math exercises. Engaging with these materials can satisfy the desire for practical math experience before starting college.
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Math desire??!

I've been reading some books on theoretical physics lately, namely stuff by Michio Kaku.
I am heading to college in about 3 weeks to study physics, maths and chemistry.

I don't know what it is, but I just have some desire to sit down and do some maths, to do some big important equations! I have only done high school maths, but I don't know what this is. I guess I just want to do something practical instead of just reading about the physics.

Any ideas?? Any thoughts?? Anything you think I could sit down and do, that would be a good challenge, but not beyond my level?
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
real math isn't equations
 
Get a textbook appropriate for your level and have fun with it. If you're going to college in three weeks, go ahead and buy the books you're going to use now, and study them for the next three weeks.

- Warren
 
Get "The Colossal Book of Short Puzzles and Problems" by Martin Gardner. They're great, and they'll come as close to "real math" as there could be while still be "recreational math" and "fun".
 

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