Preparing for Physics: Essential Math Skills for Undergraduates

[xmangosaintx]

Study Math??

Hey guys,

I know the title may look deceiving, I'm sorry, it was bold in red
"Title (be descriptive! one/two word titles may be deleted!):"

So yea.. :)

Um, intro:
I'm a freshman on bachelor of psychology, but I read up on Physics on my past time..
I am also considering to drop my psychology course and take up Physics. I find myself really thinking!

But, I don't want to jump into action, and go into Physics path, but end up not being able to cope with the maths used, and what not.

Theories, I've seemed to understand decently on relativity and abit on quantum (knowing its very very hard).. But I find quantum theory very interesting, especially on quantum entanglement, and quantum jiggles.


Soo, coming back to the topic,
I hope yu guys, would be a kind lad, and provide me with links to type of questions, or tutorials where I can shape up my equations to at least to an undergrad level..

Please and thanks. ☺


-Hevind-

 

[brocks]

Sorry, but if you want to major in physics, as opposed to reading popular books about it, you have to take math classes. Lots of them. Ideally, you should have taken calculus in high school; no help for it now. But unless you are unusually intelligent and motivated, it will be very difficult to finish a physics degree in four years if you do not take calculus-based physics in your freshman year.

So if you need to "shape up your equations," your path is clear. If you're not comfortable with algebra, trig, and analytic geometry, take precalculus. Then freshman calculus. Then linear algebra, diff eq, vector calculus. Some of those can be taken concurrently with other math or physics classes; look at your math or physics department's recommended sequence. You'll probably need more math than the above, but those are the basics.

I realize it's daunting, but there's a reason why physics is considered harder than English Lit.

And note that you do not have to go all the way. But if you are interested in science at all, you really owe it to yourself to take at least a year of calculus and physics, even if you end up taking freshman classes as a senior, or via self-study. They open up all of science to you. You can learn interesting facts about science without them, but you can't really understand how things fit together.