What to read/study over the summer?

[ColdFusion85]

I'm going to grad school for engineering in the fall and just got my BS in Physics. What should I read/study over the summer to get some preparation for engineering studies at the graduate level?

 

[leright]

I'm going to grad school for engineering in the fall and just got my BS in Physics. What should I read/study over the summer to get some preparation for engineering studies at the graduate level?

What field of engineering are you studying? What subject area are you interested in pertaining to that field?

Nobody can answer your question based on the vague information you provided.

 

[ColdFusion85]

astronautical engineering. spacecraft systems design

 

[Cyrus]

Linear algebra, Linear controls theory, dynamics, calculus of variations, maybe some mechanics of materials and vibrations. (As pertaining to mechanical systems, not deriving equations. Know how to use it).

 

[mathwonk]

i recommend don quixote book 1, and, if you can find it, the Phantom Blot (starring mickey mouse), and maybe what is mathematics? by courant and robbins, or geometry and the imagination by hilbert.

these are books you may not see i college so its the last time to get a chance to see their perspective.

 

[Cyrus]

i recommend don quixote book 1, and, if you can find it, the Phantom Blot (starring mickey mouse), and maybe what is mathematics? by courant and robbins, or geometry and the imagination by hilbert.

these are books you may not see i college so its the last time to get a chance to see their perspective.

Is this supposed to be sarcasm?

 

[mathwonk]

does it seem poor advice or sarcastic? those are some of my favorite books. the idea is that this is the last free summer for a long time. why not read something good, that is not required? apparently you are not familiar with the great blot mystery. and courant and robbins or hilbert will teach you more math than a slew of college courses, and show the connections between different areas. unfortunately i did not read your prior post , so there was no intent to counter it.

 

[mathwonk]

oops. he's going to grad school! in that case i would remove courant robbins and hilbert and add courant hilbert, methods of mathematical physics, and batman.

i think i had this confused with a previous thread which was a high schooler wanting similar advice before going to college. but sarcasm is not my forte, you have to be too clever. I am more into humorous stupidity.

 

[Cyrus]

does it seem poor advice or sarcastic? those are some of my favorite books. the idea is that this is the last free summer for a long time. why not read something good, that is not required? apparently you are not familiar with the great blot mystery. and courant and robbins or hilbert will teach you more math than a slew of college courses, and show the connections between different areas. unfortunately i did not read your prior post , so there was no intent to counter it.

Sure, I think there's nothing wrong with taking time out to read some books that are not hard core science related (batman, etc). Also, more math is always a good thing.

Oh man, do engineering books do a piss poor job on the math. I have found that every time I have to 'learn' the new math from an engineering book its a disaster. When I've seen the math done in a formal and proper way from a math class first, then I know what the author 'means' even though he's doing a crappy job explaining it.

 

[radou]

I have found that every time I have to 'learn' the new math from an engineering book its a disaster.

I second that.

 

[mathwonk]

as a math guy, i am interested in what books do a good job teaching math to engineers?

 

[Cyrus]

Stewart, Calculus concepts and context (second edition) was good for calc I,II, and III.

Lay (UMD) for linear algebra was good.

Stats, I used Navidi - HORRIBLE don't even TOUCH this book

Diff Eqs, Blanchard/Devaney/Hall (2nd), it was O.K.

These are the major courses one needs to know as far as engineering goes.

But I *wish* I had a good course on signals and systems.

I.e.

-fourier Transforms
-z-transform
-fourier series ( I just use them, don't really know the inner workings of them)
-convolution integrals (engineering books BUTCHER them)
-complex math
-more discrete math (for digital system)

 

[mathwonk]

i have heard the chapter in edwards and penney is good on Fourier series.and churchill has always been recommended for complex analysis.