Apart from my required physics classes, should I take higher level physics classes or math classes?
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I want to pursue Theoretical Physics. Should I take a lot of Math classses (and maybe double major in theoretical Math) of just focus on taking grad level Phtsics classes?
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Answer:
You should probably choose to take more math classes and maybe an extra physics class. Assuming that you have already taken calculus, both differential and integral (as it usually required to be taken by most universities), multivariable calculus, linear algebra, differential equations and Fourier analysis here are a list of math physics classes that you should take: Topology - This is the transformation of shapes and figures. Statistics - This is an very essential course in order to understand Statistical Mechanics. Elliptic Curves - This course will tell you how about elliptic curves and how you can apply the knowledge you have learnt to number theory and cryptography. Differential Analysis - This course will tell you how to solve hyperbolic, parabolic and elliptic differential operators, it will also tell you about Fourier transformation and many more things. Integral Equations - This course will tell you how to solve integral equations, this a counterpart to differential equations. General Relativity - This course will tell you the basic principles of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity . String Theory - This will tell you about gauge and gravity duality. Astrophysics II - This is a course that focuses on where Astrophysics I left off. This course will tell you about galaxy formation, Newtonian cosmology, galactic dynamics and more. Good luck!
Omer Mikhail Khan at Quora Visit the source
Other answers
The answer that I have gotten from a lot my mentors (I have the same aspirations as you do of becoming a theoretical physicist) has always been to take more math, if only for the reason that you will always have time to study graduate-level physics in physics graduate school; most likely, however, you will not be taking math classes in graduate school, and therefore should learn as much of it as you can as an undergraduate.
Jaimal Ichharam
Math Always pick math. Physics is applied math and you will always need math to understand physics
Wouter van Burik
All of the other answers to this question recommend you take more math. That is very reasonable and you will certainly need as much math as you can study. However, there are a couple of good reasons to take the grad level physics courses instead. First, they may be more interesting than the math. Second, if you can eliminate the required graduate physics courses you will be way ahead once you are in grad school (no physics grad student wants to take the basic grad courses in mechanics, E and M, subatomic, etc. - it's more about the seminars and thesis work.). Ultimately, you should ask yourself whether you can learn the math on your own, or some of the physics. It may be that, pushed a bit by the physics courses, you can learn the math from the excellent texts and treatises available.
Rob Menes
If you're going to study particle physics then learning about lie groups and lie algebras will help you there. Having an deep understanding of linear algebra will help you with quantum mechanics. A course on discrete groups or number theory will be mostly a waste of time for physicists. Understanding real analysis is useful in many fields. Knowing how to do a mathematical proof is very useful, although you'll go insane when you get to quantum field theory because it is not yet understood well enough to know whether it is even consistent.
Anonymous
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