Mathematical Modelling or Linear Algebra?

Leavenotrace

Which is more important for physics student? I'm heading into second year in UCC doing single honours in physics and did an introduction course for both of these subjects in first year. I preferred Linear Algebra but apparently in second year its entirely proofs. Also I've heard from a few previous second years not to undertake it? I'm just wondering which would be most beneficial to a physicist.
For anyone whose interested the Courses are
http://www.ucc.ie/modules/descriptions/AM.html#AM2052
and
http://www.ucc.ie/modules/descriptions/MA.html#MA2055

Thanks

FISMA

Leavenotrace wrote: »

Which is more important for physics student? I'm heading into second year in UCC doing single honours in physics and did an introduction course for both of these subjects in first year. I preferred Linear Algebra but apparently in second year its entirely proofs. Also I've heard from a few previous second years not to undertake it? I'm just wondering which would be most beneficial to a physicist.
For anyone whose interested the Courses are
http://www.ucc.ie/modules/descriptions/AM.html#AM2052
and
http://www.ucc.ie/modules/descriptions/MA.html#MA2055

Thanks

They are both fun courses. I would choose Math Modeling hands down. It seems more applicable to the Physicist.

Linear Algebra is good too. If you want to get in to Quantum, eigenvectors and values should be covered there. If you do take Lin Alg, don't forget to ask your teacher where in life eigenvectors/values are used. They rarely know!

To this day, whenever I am in a bank, I am able to prove that the average wait time is minimized by one queue that breaks into four tellers as opposed to four queues that feed each teller!

MoogPoo

Hi, dont know anything about modelling, hated it in first year. The second year Linear Algebra isnt too different from first year but it starts to make more sense. I never understood what the kernel and image were untill we used matrices for differentiation so things kind of come together a bit more. Im doin the maths/phys joint but yeah for quantum physics linear algebra seems pretty important things like you use operators on eigenfunctions and get energy eigenvalues and stuff or if you have two wavefunctions that are eigenfunctions then any linear combination is solution aswell and using that schmidt orthoganilzation and stuff. QM is still a physics module though and the linear algebra part necessary was just about a page of notes so if you dont want to do it you'll know enough from first year.

You dont need either of them by the way as everything you need to cover the stuff will be given so just pick the one you prefer. I remember in first year linear algebra was pretty abstract and people just learnt how to do it and never saw the use of it. Second year isnt hard and the proofs are fine really. You could probably find the notes somewhere on euclid if you wanted to look. Also it is pretty much like all the MA modules in that its fairly abstract(not as bad as abstract algebra) but if you liked the MAs in first year do it.

Leavenotrace

MoogPoo wrote: »

Hi, dont know anything about modelling, hated it in first year.

I was the same. Too wordsy and monotonous

MoogPoo wrote: »

You dont need either of them by the way as everything you need to cover the stuff will be given so just pick the one you prefer. I remember in first year linear algebra was pretty abstract and people just learnt how to do it and never saw the use of it. Second year isnt hard and the proofs are fine really. You could probably find the notes somewhere on euclid if you wanted to look. Also it is pretty much like all the MA modules in that its fairly abstract(not as bad as abstract algebra) but if you liked the MAs in first year do it.

Well I hated abstract but liked the other two, and I was all set to do Linear before I everyone from the years above kept saying it had a high fail rate and was really hard

KnifeWRENCH

I also did the math/phys joint course (graduating in two weeks!) and I didn't do mathematical modelling beyond first year but the reports from others in my class were that it was an enjoyable module, athough that was when Alexei Pokrovskii (RIP) taught it. Not sure who's teaching it now or how much the course has changed since then.

I personally enjoyed linear algebra a lot more in second year than first year but I always preferred maths modules that had lots of proofs and stuff. Whereas a lot of the people in single honours physics (and even some in maths science!) hated that kind of thing, which contributed to the high-ish failure rates. There used actually be two linear algebra modules; one was MA2007 which was pretty much a rehash of 1st year and affectionately known as "baby linear algebra". I think that one is gone though and so would I be right in saying that physics people do the MA2055 one (aka "proper linear algebra"!) that maths and maths/physics students do?

Anyway, I think linear algebra is more important for a physicist but mathematical modelling would probably be more enjoyable.

Leavenotrace

I also did the math/phys joint course (graduating in two weeks!)

Congrats

I think that one is gone though and so would I be right in saying that physics people do the MA2055 one (aka "proper linear algebra"!) that maths and maths/physics students do?

Yeah thats the one