What extra math classes to take?

[dolerka]

I am currently getting a physics BS. was going to double major in math but am going down to just a minor due to the huge work load the latter would be. the class i can't get rid of is an introductory proofs class. and i then have a choice between advanced calc (calc proofs), abstract algebra, or advanced linear algebra. i then can take pretty much any other upper level math class. i plan on taking numerical analysis 1 and 2. i also don't know if i should take a probability and stats class.

So, what classes would be most helpful to a physics student?

 

[physics girl phd]

I'd recommend a boundary-values / PDE class and perhaps complex analysis. These can be (depending of course on how they are taught...) among the more applied... aka. less "proofy" courses. Personally I found a lot of the "proofy" classes less useful (when I minored in math long ago with the physics degree)... but it all depends on the topics you are interested in...

Boundary values helps with all types of physics problems... I can't emphasize how much this helped me. (I took it right after diff eq., and was taking the intermediate EM sequence, quantum sequence, etc. at the same time... very complementary). The course i took was quite applied... wit heat transfer, etc. covered.

Complex might help with EM (AC and waves) and quantum... since it's often easier to write a wave as a complex e^(i*theta)... but you're of course usually interested in the real parts for the physics of these matters... so knowing how to map the complex functions onto real and imaginary space matters (but the course can get "proofy").