What math electives should I take as a mechanical engineering major?

  • Thread starter Thread starter rokinv8
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Class
AI Thread Summary
A freshman majoring in mechanical engineering is seeking advice on math electives after completing calculus II. The university's requirements include calculus I, II, III, and differential equations, with the student planning to take calculus III and differential equations next semester. The student is considering between a class on partial derivatives and calculus IV (introductory analysis) for further electives. Suggestions from other forum members include taking a statistics course, which is often beneficial for engineering students, and considering combinatorial mathematics for broader mathematical thinking. Additionally, linear algebra is recommended as it can enhance understanding of calculus III and aid in physics courses.
rokinv8
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
hi. i am a freshman majoring in mechanical engineering and i really love math. i am in calculus II right now during my first semester. as a mechanical engineering major, my university requires that engineers only take calculus I, II, and III and differential equations. i already had a bunch of credit from high school which frees me up to take a couple of electives. i am planning on taking calc III and differential equations next semester but i don't know what math electives i should take beyond that. i am stuck between a class on partial derivatives and calculus IV (introductory analysis). any help with a decision would be greatly appreciated!

thanks
 
Physics news on Phys.org
If they don't already require it, I would suggest taking a statistics course. It should be required though. Also, combinatorial mathematics helps to broaden your thinking about mathematics as well. I'm not a mathematician, but both those courses seemed to help when dealing with the real world for me.

As far as which between partial derivatives and calculus IV to take, I only went to calc II, so can't really say.
 
Linear algebra makes calc III easier (I am told). I'm taking calc II and LA this semester. Plus LA has already helped to give me an edge in my physics course.
 
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...
Yesterday, 9/5/2025, when I was surfing, I found an article The Schwarzschild solution contains three problems, which can be easily solved - Journal of King Saud University - Science ABUNDANCE ESTIMATION IN AN ARID ENVIRONMENT https://jksus.org/the-schwarzschild-solution-contains-three-problems-which-can-be-easily-solved/ that has the derivation of a line element as a corrected version of the Schwarzschild solution to Einstein’s field equation. This article's date received is 2022-11-15...

Similar threads

Replies
6
Views
2K
Replies
8
Views
1K
Replies
6
Views
3K
Replies
22
Views
6K
Replies
40
Views
5K
Back
Top