Prerequisites Definition and 144 Threads

I was recently recommended this book and told it was a standard textbook at an upper undergraduate level or lower graduate level. Well that's certainly above my level, but specifically what would be the prerequisites? I've no formal math training but self taught calculus at a level somewhere...

I would like to tackle E&M from a more applied perspective, my maths background is calculus 1, 2 & 3, basic differential equations, basic linear algebra etc. physics background i have completed intro physics that involved very basic circuits etc but nothing major in the sense of applied...

Inside the textbook, the prerequisites state first year mechanics and some differential equations, although it continues to say the differential equations can be learned as you’re working your way through the book, as differential equations were basically “invented” to be used for applied...

I'm interested in biophysics but I don't know much biology or chemistry to begin with, yet I know a good bit of math and physics. What topics in biology and chemistry should I cover before reading a book on biophysics?

What mathematical topics do I need to know to start studying general relativity? From which textbooks can I learn them? I don't currently know anything about differential geometry. I know calculus, linear algebra, mathematical methods of physics (the necessary topics for quantum mechanics) and...

Hello guys, I am using the book 'university physics with modern physics by freedman'(just started chapter 6: energy). I was wondering if someone could point out what is needed to be known to continue with electricity. 2nd semester just began and I haven't had previous physics encounters besides...

I study physics on my own and just ended up Griffiths' book on Quantum Mechanics. Is this level of QM enough to be able to study Halzen and Martin's Quarks and Leptons book on particle physics? I planned on studying it while studying Sakurai QM, but I just wanted to be sure that I could at least...

Hi, I would like to know if an undergraduate student in physics could be able to study measure theory in order to have a better understanding of the probability theory and go further in this way (stochastic process) ? Assuming a first year of calculus and the level of "Mathematical methods in...

Summary:: What pre-requisites are required in order to learn the textbook "Linear Algebra (2nd Edition) 2nd Edition by Kenneth M Hoffman (Author), Ray Kunze (Author)" Sorry if this is the wrong section to ask what the title and subject state. I read some of chapter 1 already, and that all...

I will be taking intermediate mechanics next semester, and am a bit concerned about potential gaps in my mathematical knowledge. Long story short, I used to be a physics major, switched to electrical engineering, and then decided to double major after a semester in EE. The issue is that, as a...

I've finished with Gregory's classical mechanics and was looking for something a bit more challenging. I thought Arnold's methods of classical mechanics look pretty interesting, but it's definitely more mathematically complex than anything I would have done before, especially the bits about...

Summary:: What tools like Calculus, Algebra, etc do I need to Understand how to Write a Quantum Tunneling Equation? I am New to QM however I feel I may have what it takes to do the Math, however, I am not privy to what the Prerequisites are that are needed to perform the...

Summary:: What are the prerequisites to study quantum field theory? What are the prerequisites to study quantum field theory?

I am a high school who will be graduating next year. I am almost done with Purcell and Morin which I worked through in my past holidays. However, I am still not proficient in various topics like Linear Algebra, Basic Analysis, and I quite often encounter various new things that I haven't even...

Summary:: I am mostly just being confused on the exercises for the feynman lectures on physics. So I've been reading feynman's lectures on physics, and I also attempted the problems on the "exercises for the feynman lectures on physics". However, I have gotten almost every single problem...

Summary: At this point, I am thorough with single variable, multivariable calculus, differential equations, linear algebra and basic concepts of point-set topology and tensor analysis. To learn General Relativity along-with its mathematical rigor, what are the topics I should first be thorough...

Hello, I've seen some ask about math prereqs for Sakurai's Modern Quantum Mechanics, but I was wondering about the physics prereqs as well. Should classical mechanics and electrodynamics be studied beyond first-year physics courses? Also, is statistical physics needed? What are the physics...

If you were to establish a curriculum for a Probability PhD program, what courses would you include as a prerequisite to doing research? So far, I have: analysis, complex analysis, functional analysis, stochastic analysis, measure theory, and partial differential equations. This presupposes...

my current skills in math are differential eq and linear algebra... and I am about to start reading Feynman lectures of physics and planning to read all John Baez's recommended books.. after reading Feynman's, what would be the next best thing to do? learn more math? or jump already to core...

In the UK you would need good grades at A-levels (age 18) in maths, physics and chemistry to start a three year BSc or four year MEng in Materials science. Some universities offer an additional 1 year foundation course if you don't quite have the required grades or possibly a missing subject...

I am a high school sophomore and I want to take part in Physics Olympiads which is exactly why I want to learn electrodynamics. I have ordered 'An Introduction to Electrodynamics' by D.J. Griffiths. I am halfway through MIT OCW mechanics course and I know Calculus equivalent to standard Calculus...

I am a working professional trying to get back to some physics that I used to enjoy a couple of decades ago. I still do remember the basic calculus (integrals, partial derivatives, basic ODE) and am interested in studying General Relativity. I have a decent understanding and memory of Special...

In my final year of high school (2017) I finished with a mark of 74/100 for advanced maths (NSW, Australia. It's a calculus-based course and introduces differentiation, integration, series, optimisation, trig). This means I don't directly qualify for enrolment in the maths courses for the...

I would be in college in 2019 (currently I'm in standard 11). I'm greatly interested in Quantum mechanics, QFT, QCD and Quantum Geometerodynamics. Of these, I want to do an internship on the first, because I don't think I'll be able to touch the others till the 2nd year in college. I'm living...

Hello! Is there any book on Gauge/Gravity duality(or AdS/CFT correspondence) that includes a pedagogical and detailed overview on its prerequisites? Thanks in advance!

Homework Statement Calculate the integrals of the following functions on the given paths. Why does the choice of path change/not change each of the results? (c) f(z) = exp(z) / z(z − 3) https://www.physicsforums.com/file:///page1image10808 i. a circle of radius 4 centred at 0. ii. a circle...

I am asking this question as I have found Boolean Algebra quite intriguing. I have a good understanding of high school level probability and statistics and also Algebra II. Is this enough or do I need more "mathematical maturity"? Anyway, thank you in advance.

I've taken Calc I to III and linear algebra, although the course was overall quite light. I don't know what legendre polynomials are, and haven't learned hamiltonians (and probably won't since its not in morin), When i start the book i will have finished david morins mechanics book,tenenbaums...

I want to start studying particle physics on my own and wanted to know what the prerequisite are? I'm in my second year of college and have finished Calc. 3 and Physics with calc. 3. I'd also be interested in textbook recommendations.

Hi, I'm a physics 2nd yr undergraduate and know some quantum physics, but I haven't been formally introduced to particle physics or QFT yet. What all do I need to learn before I start reading Giunti and Kim's Fundamentals of Neutrino Physics and Astrophysics? And which books should I refer for...

I know for sure that being familiar with vector Calc, multivariate Calc, and special relativity is helpful. What I mean by prerequisites is anything that would be helpful to know. For example, a textbook may include an appendix, or chapter on the mathematics required, but I'd much rather learn...

Hi, i would be very interested to start learning hyperbolic geometry, what would be the necessary prerequisites to begin it's study? :smile:

I recently got my hands on a copy of Gravitation by John Wheeler, Kip Thorn and Charles Misner. Reading the first few pages are very discouraging. The limit of my physics knowledge are from taking high school physics. What book would give me the knowledge I need to read Gravitation?

What are prerequisite courses/topics to better understand holography as applied to strongly correlated condensed matter systems? Any references/textbooks would be appreciated. I'm doing research on this topic and would like my understanding to improve. Thanks very much

Hello, I have already studied Griffith's book, Intro to Electrodynamics. However when I try Jackson's book, I find it a bit hard for me. My question is, what Maths and Physics texts (or specifically, chapters of texts) do you recommend, so that I would be best prepared for a graduate course in...

Hello everyone, I'm currently a high school student that hopes to be a physicist one day and I'm part of a special science and math focused program in a public high school, which was started to promote STEM. It's a relatively prestigious and very rigorous program with a full on research project...

1.What are the mathematical prerequisites needed to grasp analytical mechanics conceptually and technically? 2.To understand the very concept of analytical mechanics, do I need to train my self in Euclidean and Riemannian manifolds, and do I need to have good knowledge in topology and...

In most of classical mechanics textbooks,the concept of virtual displacement and virtual work is not represented deeply.They just focus in how the method should be used without explaining from where this principle came and why scientists created it in the first place. So to grasp this concept...

Hi, I am a math major, currently in my 3rd year of undergraduate studies, majoring in measure theory / probability / mathematical statistics. I am in the dubious situation that I will be taking a course on QM while having so far only studied classical mechanics (i.e. all chapters on classical...

(I have searched the forums, but I could not find a very similar discussion to this.) I am just starting my B.S. in Physics, and I am very excited! My end goal is to get a degree in Medical Physics, but I just started brainstorming and researching other options. Is a conventional B.S. in...

Hello I am looking to pursue a master or Ph.D in plasma physics focusing on fusion tokamak reactors. I have an undergrad in Comp Sci and am starting the necessary physics work to apply to grad school. Besides electromagnetics, are there other areas I should focus on? What are the best websites...

Hi all, I'm attempting to write something on proton decay (specifically in the p \rightarrow K^{+} \nu channel) and need to understand some theory that predicts it. I'm under the impression that the MSSM is the most straightforward theory. However, I look through introductory texts/documents...

Hello! I'm looking to study Mary Boas' Book on mathematical methods and i'd like to know if the prerequisites can be covered in ocw mit courses or any other open courses. Please do suggest if any. Also are there any parallels that can be drawn with the ocw mit courses for the various topics...

Hi, Are Calculus I, II, III courses a prerequisite requirement for studying Abstract Algebra? I have read that Proofs and a willingness to work hard is. I am studying Logic and Set Theory and want to study Abstract Algebra in the distant future. I am focused on Foundational and Pure...

What math should a person know to THOROUGHLY understand everything in this textbook(Introduction to Quantum Mechanics by David Griffiths)? (For refrence) cal2 cal3 diffeq1(ode) diffeq2(pde) linealg vectorcalc realanal1 realanal2 Please list all you think are necessary. Thanks

Hey guys, I've been looking up on the web and couldn't find prerequisites for graduate level statistical mechanics. What would be the mathematics/physics background needed for the course? Would I need undergraduate statistical physics first? As always, thanks in advance!

Hi! I'm desperately trying to develop a list of prerequisites that will enable me to work on topics like quantum gravity, advanced QFT (on curved spacetime etc.) etc. I am currently in the second year of an undergrad theoretical physics degree in the UK, and am heavily unsatisfied with the way...

Hi, currently I am an undergrad. I really want to take an graduate course in Quantum Mechanics, but I am not sure if the physics I have already taken is sufficient enough. So, now I am wondering what courses I should take before taking the Quantum Mechanics course. I have listed the necessary...

Still reading Kip Thorne's book on Interstellar. It, like so many other books that describe wormholes, shows a schematic of a wormhole like this: It's easy to intuit that the path through the wormhole is much shorter than the path through "normal" space. But that's because they're drawn it...

What are some prerequisites for problem solving, planning and machine learning in artificial intelligence? I was always fascinated by the topic of machine learning until I decided to teach myself how to do it. When I came across a course on machine learning, I was shocked and confused because it...