Should I Take More Math Courses for Grad School in Physics?

  • Thread starter Thread starter malignant
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Courses Undergrad
AI Thread Summary
Physicists typically learn the necessary pure mathematics for theoretical topics in graduate school through a combination of undergraduate math courses and coursework within physics graduate programs. While some foundational math is integrated into physics courses, taking additional classes such as real analysis, abstract algebra, topology, partial differential equations (PDE), complex analysis, and probability/stochastic processes is often beneficial, especially for those pursuing fields like string theory. Students are encouraged to consider their specific interests and future studies when selecting courses. For instance, a second course in linear algebra may significantly aid understanding in quantum mechanics, which is a common subject for upcoming physics graduate students. Ultimately, the choice of math courses should align with individual academic goals and the demands of their intended specialization.
malignant
Messages
40
Reaction score
1
I'm currently a junior and am wondering how physicists usually learn the pure math required for more theoretical topics in grad school? Is a lot of math taught within the physics grad courses or is it expected to take undergrad math courses? I ask because I'm not sure if I should bother taking real analysis/abstract algebra/topology in my undergrad. Id ask my adviser but my appointment isn't until next week and registration is tonight.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
It's normally taught within physics, but PDE or complex analysis might be a good thing to study, or possibly probability/stochastic processes or numerical analysis for some fields. I'm not sure what the really math-oriented people like string theorists do. For someone like that, more math classes would probably be a good idea, but there are books written about topology for physicists, so some people seem to take that route and learn it the physicist's way.
 
Oh I see. I'll be taking PDEs next semester. I've narrowed another choice down to what seems the most useful which is either more linear algebra or complex analysis but I'm pretty stuck on which one to choose. Will a second course in linear algebra help a lot with quantum mechanics? I take quantum next fall.
 
Bit Britain-specific but I was wondering, what's the best path to take for A-Levels out of the following (I know Y10 seems a bit early to be thinking about A-levels, but my choice will impact what I do this year/ in y11) I (almost) definitely want to do physics at University - so keep that in mind... The subjects that I'm almost definitely going to take are Maths, Further Maths and Physics, and I'm taking a fast track programme which means that I'll be taking AS computer science at the end...
After a year of thought, I decided to adjust my ratio for applying the US/EU(+UK) schools. I mostly focused on the US schools before, but things are getting complex and I found out that Europe is also a good place to study. I found some institutes that have professors with similar interests. But gaining the information is much harder than US schools (like you have to contact professors in advance etc). For your information, I have B.S. in engineering (low GPA: 3.2/4.0) in Asia - one SCI...
I graduated with a BSc in Physics in 2020. Since there were limited opportunities in my country (mostly teaching), I decided to improve my programming skills and began working in IT, first as a software engineer and later as a quality assurance engineer, where I’ve now spent about 3 years. While this career path has provided financial stability, I’ve realized that my excitement and passion aren’t really there, unlike what I felt when studying or doing research in physics. Working in IT...

Similar threads

Back
Top