Pre-calculus or calculus before physics?

AI Thread Summary
Self-studying math and physics can be approached in different ways, particularly regarding the sequence of learning pre-calculus, calculus, and basic physics. While it's possible to learn calculus and physics simultaneously, having a solid foundation in calculus enhances understanding of physics concepts. For those pursuing physics as a hobby, completing calculus first is often seen as more rewarding. A participant shared their experience of wishing they had prioritized calculus before starting physics, highlighting the benefits of a strong mathematical background for grasping advanced topics like quantum physics.
Vola
Gold Member
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
I,m self-studying math and physics as my hobby.
Should I finish pre-calculus and calculus before I start basic physics or I can learn them simultaneously?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
you can learn them simultaneously. But you will have a deeper understanding of physics if you have a calculus base. So if you are doing this as a personal hobby, i think it will be more rewarding for you if you do the calculus first.
 
Thank you dacruick
 
dacruick said:
you can learn them simultaneously. But you will have a deeper understanding of physics if you have a calculus base. So if you are doing this as a personal hobby, i think it will be more rewarding for you if you do the calculus first.

This is exactly my feeling after 2 weeks of this stuff. I wish it would have said this or maybe asked someone before i signed up.
 
Personally, I'm just finishing My first year of physics and am free studying calculus so that I can learn quantam physics equations (I'm free studying that oto, the class is basic, I'm in 10th grade)
 
I’ve been looking through the curricula of several European theoretical/mathematical physics MSc programs (ETH, Oxford, Cambridge, LMU, ENS Paris, etc), and I’m struck by how little emphasis they place on advanced fundamental courses. Nearly everything seems to be research-adjacent: string theory, quantum field theory, quantum optics, cosmology, soft matter physics, black hole radiation, etc. What I don’t see are the kinds of “second-pass fundamentals” I was hoping for, things like...
TL;DR Summary: I want to do a PhD in applied math but I hate group theory, is this a big problem? Hello, I am a second-year math and physics double major with a minor in data science. I just finished group theory (today actually), and it was my least favorite class in all of university so far. It doesn't interest me, and I am also very bad at it compared to other math courses I have done. The other courses I have done are calculus I-III, ODEs, Linear Algebra, and Prob/Stats. Is it a...

Similar threads

Replies
5
Views
3K
Replies
33
Views
2K
Replies
16
Views
2K
Replies
39
Views
4K
Replies
7
Views
2K
Replies
29
Views
2K
Replies
9
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
2K
Back
Top