Why did you choose math over physics or vice versa?

[dkotschessaa]

I think Mathematics was discovered/invented because of the study of the world.

Almost. Much like early writing, math's origins are in the exceedingly dull and practical world of counting and measuring for property and taxation. Early societies didn't have the luxury of doing science, but they did want land and money (in the form form of livestock and such). The Egyptians and Babylonians did figure out that math could be fun and put a few recreational problems in their teaching material, but mostly it was the Greeks who took it to the next level of abstraction.

-Dave K

 

[Aufbauwerk 2045]

I thought briefly about becoming a math major. But I decided to major in physics because I liked science fiction when I was growing up, and I was fascinated by space travel, radioactivity, nuclear power, lasers, SETI, gravity, relativity, particle accelerators, time travel, warp drives, transporters, antimatter, electron microscopes, holography, and so on.

I saw that physicists got to build and work with amazing devices. I love the way physics allows us to uncover nature's secrets so that the world is no longer so mysterious, and we can control it to some extent. By the time I was at university I also hoped that physics would answer the whole "meaning of life" question or at least enable us to contact aliens who know more than we do.

As for the whole beauty thing, that is not my motivation, but I do admit I am attracted to equations that can explain nature and in fact even looking at equations is a bit of an emotional experience. Consider Maxwell's equations, for example. Even the symbols are beautiful. Writing them is such a pleasure. I particularly like calculus and differential equations. This is one reason I don't like working with computers even though I must at times. I miss that hands-on experience of writing equations or drawing diagrams with a pen or pencil.

I enjoy pure math to some extent, but I really only care about math because it is the language of physics. I don't like solving puzzles just as an intellectual exercise. In other words in physics I get the thrill that comes from knowledge, but not just any knowledge. It's the knowledge that leads to nuclear power, for example.

To sum up, I want to understand how nature works and at least to some extent get control over it and bend it to my will.

 

[blue_leaf77]

I think Mathematics was discovered/invented because of the study of the world.

I am not well informed about such history but even if that's true, it doesn't change the fact that today you can study math without knowing physics.

 

[dkotschessaa]

I am not well informed about such history but even if that's true, it doesn't change the fact that today you can study math without knowing physics.

As I said, math was invented for accounting. Fortunately you can study math without that too. :D

-Dave K

 

[fresh_42]

As I said, math was invented for accounting. Fortunately you can study math without that too. :D

-Dave K

My personal understatement of the day!

 

[Wastrophysicist]

As I said, math was invented for accounting. Fortunately you can study math without that too. :D

-Dave K

Indeed hahah. But remember Physics is an excellent source of inspiration for Mathematics. You can study Mathematics without Physics, of course, but the study of Physics lead to branches such as Calculus, many contributions in Topology, etc...

Quoting Pierre Bergé, Des rythmes au chaos: " For some results or discoveries, it is difficult to say to which area they belong: to the Mathematics or to physics." If a mathematician finds a result that could belong to Physics, but has no prior knowledge on it, well, he/she may mix both areas, and some Physics may be required.

For studying Mathematics you don't need Physics at all, but for every Mathematician, I'll encourage to have the very basics of Physics while doing research. You don't know what you can find...