Physics Vs Math - How to Pick the Right Major

[@zachstar]

Hey everyone, be aware that if you go to grad school, especially in a theoretical physics field, you WILL see those pure math concepts (topology, abstract algebra, and plenty more). And if you do go into a theoretical field, although you may not be required to take those classes in undergrad, you should consider taking as many as you can because it will be important to have that strong foundation.

[@miltonwong1556]

Support! I am a mechanical engineering student from Hong Kong. I could see your enthusiasm about engineering. You made lots of informative video. I really appreciate your work!

[@zachstar]

Thanks for the comment!

[@pabloastoreca8726]

Thanks!!! I'm in a tough situation, 2 months and I gotta decide between them.... What would you recommend me to take a decision?

[@zachstar]

You got it! And it's tough to give an answer without knowing what your interests and career goals are. Both of these majors have similar salaries and job opportunities. If you choose physics then the first few semesters of college will be extremely similar to a math major (taking all the calculus classes) so if you decide to switch it really won't be a big deal or prolong your stay in college much if at all. Same thing kind of applies for starting with math but at a lot of schools you won't be required to take ANY physics classes, so you'd have to do a little bit of catching up if you switched in that regard. If you really enjoy both though and can handle the work load then just pick one, and minor in the other.

[@pabloastoreca8726]

Thanks! I'm leaning towards Physics, so I have a bit of Mathematics as well. I wanna be a researcher one day, and Physics has more fields to improve as I could see. I'm not from US, I don't find minors useful in my country. Thanks and keep making quality videos!!

[@AndrewDotsonvideos]

Kinda funny, I'm a physics student and my computer background was the right picture in the thumbnail.

[@devinasetiono7669]

Andrew! Love your channel!

[@karebuu1383]

Didn't expect to see you here

[@christophertamina8569]

Please Andrew, do you know what systems these equations to the right in the above picture represent?

[@pleasegivemeaciggy]

Hey it's my background too!

[@brandonfoy9207]

And so it began.......

[@LetThereBeMath]

As a physics graduate, I would personally recommend majoring in Mathematics if you enjoy them a lot. Mathematics is a lot more versatile in terms of career and job options than physics, and it can also serve as a pathway to areas such as mathematical physics or theoretical physics, giving you a better grounding than physics will. I find the main issue (and this is true among most physics students) is that if you want to do some serious physics, the main thing holding you back will be all the math you need to learn and use on a regular basis (unless you do purely experimental stuff, but even then you will need exposure to certain topics). Even to learn very old physics like the theory of classical electromagnetism and classical mechanics you need a good grasp of things like differential equations, vector calculus and complex analysis. In most physics undergraduate courses, the math you learn is simply insufficient to keep up with all the other things you learn where you are meant to apply all those skills. Hence, my recommendation is this: if you like physics more than math, then you might consider doing something like mechanical or electrical engineering, which have a good balance between both and plenty of jobs available. If you enjoy math more, then go for a mathematics or statistics degree, which will give you more career options. Physics is only good if you do it at the postgraduate level, and you have a pretty good grasp of mathematics. The concepts are easy to grasp once you get through all the difficult math. Just something to consider.

[@zachstar]

Thanks for the comment, this is very interesting to hear especially from someone who graduated in physics.

[@amourelie.s9564]

LetThereBeMath this was very very helpful. Thank you! 🙏🏾

[@creepyshinigami3851]

LetThereBeMath Thank you so much for this comment, you helped me a lot

[@LiniRockz13]

Physics is a very versatile degree and isn't limited to postgraduate work. I wouldn't recommend that if you like physics to go into engineering, but to go into engineering if you like engineering. Physics majors are capable of completing many of the same jobs that engineers are, engineers being commonly more specialized. My two cents is, just do a good amount of research before you decide what you are going to study.

[@luispersaud6744]

thank you

[@ibrahimtaseer8208]

You have no idea how helpful this channel is to students. Thank you and keep up the good work!

[@zachstar]

Thanks for this comment! Really appreciate it.

[@howardbaxter2514]

I agree with Ibrahim, this video helped me understand math majors and what classes are required. For me, I’ll probably go the Applied Math route along with some type of Engineering.

[@allisongarippo3269]

It does! I wanted to major in actuarial science, then one of these videos came up in my recommendations, and then I applied to be an engineer instead

[@giovannistriano3564]

Damn it I want to learn it all

[@zachstar]

Do a double major if you can handle it. If not major in one and minor in the other. Also consider doing a master's in something like theoretical physics and taking extra math courses with it and you will probably be very happy with the combination of math and physics.

[@trevor_idiot]

You and me both

[@asaborotejiri164]

Honestly

[@shurima1137]

@@zachstar Damn that sounds cool af

[@HerbaMachina]

You can, the internet exists lol. It's honestly hyped up to be way more complicated than it really is. Also MIT, Stanford, and a lot of other universities have videos of their course lectures available for free on KZbin, just look the course name and university.

[@kagami767]

Great video. My path was bachelor's in pure mathematics, master's in applied maths and now I'm finnishing phd in theoretical physics.. so I kinda went through the whole spectrum and it was really enjoyable! (most of the time)

[@chessplayer5728]

How do you do phd in theoretical physics without having background on it? dont you need the theoretical physics of bachelors degree to be able to understand phd level physics?(like how if you skip class 2 mathematics classes, you will face trouble in class 3)

[@zigzagnemesist5074]

@@chessplayer5728 no, a lot of theoretical physics research papers are created by both Physicists and Mathematicians. Many applied mathematicians work as theoretical physicists, I mean look at string theory, that’s probably more suited to mathematicians than physicists yet it is a branch of physics, also the Navier Stokes equation, lots of mathematicians are working on that problem yet it is classified as a physics problem. At the highest level of these subjects there is barely any difference.

[@emiliofermi9994]

Ok weeb

[@artophile7777]

​@@emiliofermi9994 Nerd*

[@redoyanarifin4661]

​@@zigzagnemesist5074after bsc in math, can I work with gravity problem? What will be the pros and cons?

[@JackAYoung11]

This channel is so much better than the larger ones (Engineered truth etc) Instant sub!

[@rajupramanik6190]

Some Subjects, I learnt in Pure Mathematics During my MSc : 1. Measure Theory 2. Functional Analysis 3. Topolgy 4. Manifold Theory 5. Field & Galois Theory 6. Differential Geometry 9. Graph Theory 10. ODE & PDE 11. Algebric Topolgy 12. C - Programmimg 13. Fourier Analysis (Optional) 14. Harmonic Analysis(Optional) 15. Linear Algebra 16. Complex Analysis 17. Real Analysis II etc

[@KeesKlaas-t2t]

You meant Bsc I assume

[@nicolasreinaldet732]

​@@KeesKlaas-t2tI hope not because all of thosse are very advanced, except for analysis 2.

[@KeesKlaas-t2t]

@@nicolasreinaldet732 most of those are incorporated into the Bsc at my uni

[@nicolasreinaldet732]

@@KeesKlaas-t2t On a second read ok, Is just measure theory, the manifolds, diferential geometry and all that topoly that In my university are generaly pos-graduation topics ( altought we do have topology In grad Is just that we call It intro to topology ).

[@KeesKlaas-t2t]

@@nicolasreinaldet732 That is remarkable. Is your university located in the usa? Measure theory, manifolds, differential geometry, and topology are all second years courses at our program (the Bsc takes three years here and is followed up by a 2 year Msc)

[@x0cx102]

Physics vs math: which major to choose according to an engineering major. Gold

[@ravithejakandalam449]

Major in physics,but learn mathematical physics in parallel with books like mary l boas.You'll have solid basics in math and also you'll get to see how beautifully math fits into physical phenomenon.That makes you love physics and mathseven more.

[@walterheisenberg9278]

Good, I majored in Physics and super minored in mathematics.

[@Smacklover]

Just a random English major floating by...

[@gambino792]

Chris Ayers L

[@derivativecovariant2341]

Should I major in English or Chinese?

[@justinhepburn1972]

As you continue to float by lol

[@stonedsloth6367]

@@derivativecovariant2341 north Korean

[@ariadnarodriguez6254]

Hi!! 😂😂 i am a humanities student too.

[@leevasha5719]

I can tell your a physics major from this video. The one thing I do have to add because I’m seeing a lot of comments about how math majors are purely interested in math and teaching it, while true, is that you can be a mathematician and still make a real World impact. Alan Turing was very important in inventing the modern computer and formalizing the underlying theory that allowed the computer to be invented and built. This was all math. Fields like theoretical CS are pure math fields that have real world impacts. Even pure math work like geometry has impact theories like the Big Bang. It’s not all about the equations and constants, and it’s definitely not only about teaching for those confused

[@laur-unstagenameactuallyca1587]

those are very obvious examples, except from the geometry example. even something like number theory and understanding of prime numbers forms our modern cryptographic approach, you'll find that in use with credit cards. an old maths problem was what spurred on innovation in blockchain. "Imaginary numbers" helped with physics, negative numbers (seen as silly at first) helped with banking in ancient times. Just wanted to emphasize for anyone reading that the only examples of maths being used in the "real world" aren't enough. Everything, or a whole lot, of random "patterns" that mathematicians have discovered for the pleasure of the field HAVE HAD USE, it just takes a while for it to have an application.

[@marmolejomartinezjoseemili9043]

I know this will sound weird but, what would you say would be the bridge? as in, is there any degree where you might know the very abstract math concepts and when you see a physics problem you can basically find out that that physics problem can be solved by a certain kind of math without you being taught that those two fields might correlate? kind of like a field where you can find a nice interesting physics problems, (so you do have knowledge in physics and arent just a pure mathematitian) but at the same time, your knowledge of math is vast enough to find something, like maybe an area of math or some algorythim or some equation or anything that mathematitians might have allready though about in an abstract way, but you use it to solve a physics problem? In the clearest possible way: is there a field of either (aplied obviouslly) math or physics where you can use very complex math (posibly math never aplied before!) to solve real world physics problems?

[@yxtee]

If you really like physics, chances are you'll like a good chunk of math as well. Maybe not so much the proofs but knowing more tools that can be used to describe very interesting things. As you go up the math you need becomes more and more intertwined with the physics you're doing.

[@willy4588]

I was a compsci major but I switched to math because similarly to physics I felt they just gave us the equations rather than getting to the equation. Also, after the introductory cs courses, it felt like I was getting diminishing returns for the number of cs courses I was taking. I think switching to math will give me more tools to improve my problem solving abilities.

[@Gruemoth]

*The most FAQs* *Engineer: How does it work?* *Economist: How much will it cost?* *Mathematician: How can it be further optimized?* *Physicist: Would you like some ketchup?*

[@eliselol85]

Hahaha as a physicist. But realistically Physicists get employed in my country at 95% at top managerial jobs while mathemaricians at 74% 1.5 years after a masters. And: average IQ of Physics majors is higher than all othee majors in the US. Similar trend everywhere else.

[@kingplunger1]

why

[@sadmanzaid420]

@Quork Applied math and Pure math is conflated as a single category which is mathematics. Isolate them and you'll see that Pure mathematicians have higher IQ than Physicists on average. But I concede the fact that *theoretical* physicists overall has an higher IQ relative to *pure* mathematicians based on a handful of SAT/GRE and other correlated standardized test scores. Also Applied mathematics, Financial mathematics, Actuarial science and Computer science consistently show up in lists of the best careers in terms of salary and job opportunities. This expands if you also consider math-heavy degrees in engineering. These careers combined not only have immense impact in the world; they are shaping the world as we speak. So shut your trap about physicists having more financial opportunity when it's clearly not the case since us math folks predominate the industry with respect to cash as is evident from the data.

[@keith_the_sharkshark4876]

Antonio citation needed

[@ansh7156]

@@sadmanzaid420 even if they have higher IQ Physicists are more needed in the modern world of technology than Mathematicians who have almost 0 use of their knowledge other than just teaching it to someone else

[@frankconde6051]

I really appreciated the caveat at 17:31, I definitely agree with what you're saying here. I got my Bachelor's almost 3 years ago and am finally realizing the (sometimes) harsh job reality. I've decided to go to Grad School, but I still found this video very helpful with that decision :) Thank you!

[@zachstar]

Glad you liked it! Yeah it never goes as you expect lol, but best of luck in grad school!

[@professortachyon780]

I'm currently a physics undergraduate and I'm torn because I'm on my fourth semester and I can't decide whether or not to change my major, I comletely love physics and I absolutely adore all the math complexity behind it, when I see the electives I gravitate (no pun intended) more to the more theoretical physics electives and I also can take math electives which I will do, I'm not very fond of the labs so far they all have been nothing but a let down so I don't know what to do, I want to still study physics but I also really really want to study math I would like to do the math in physics instead of the lab work. The one thing I like about my university is that all the math classes I take are very much pure math, I could relate to many of the subjects this video covered in regards of pure math, and I actually love all of those subjects I'm planning to take topology next semester and I've already done my fair share amount of studying so I'm excited. So yeah I love math and physics just not a fan of the lab work, though I think if given the choice again I would pick physics everytime.

[@gunhasirac]

As a double major in math and physics (math graduate now), I will say physics is all about getting intuition of the reasons of phenomena, and math is all about logic. To put it more precisely, physics has math only as tool, and the meaning of the result is more important. Thus approximation and intuition is the main part that you are learning. The reason being physics is “telling the story of the phenomena in real world and making sense of it”. You can only “approximate” the real world, and can never “derive” the real model of the world. There’s only better model, no best model. Math is all about logic and hence rigor. A class always starts from definitions and moves forward, as how math textbook is written. But that’s the result of the theory. There’s always motivation and reason of defining things as it is to establish the theory. Mathematicians always try to make least assumption possible (you can already see this from the postulate 5 story). And the rigor is more important in math that, at every step, you have to make sure you are making deductive argument (while in physics it is always almost inductive). You always have to consider the most general situation. If you miss any possibility, the proof fails. To conclude this, I will describe how you can expect after you finish the degree. After you finishing physics undergraduate, you can study further as physics graduate student for more specific subject, or you can move to engineering as you will equip yourself with all abilities you need to proceed (still need effort to cover the basics in engineering though). After finishing math undergraduate, you will have finish a hard training of logic, so getting into any science territory will be possible. You will have to learn everything for scratch, but your logical thinking should help you make it faster along the way. As to proceed further in math, I would say you are only at the start point. Analysis (ODE, PDE, functional analysis etc) starts from Lebesgue’s integration theory, and algebra branches starts to have dedicated courses on graduate level.

[@aeror130]

so basically taking physics is faster to move in life but have less job choices but taking maths takes more time but have a wider choice

[@martinshoosterman]

Jobs: Applied maths, plenty. Physics, plenty. Pure maths.... um, you weren't really hoping to get a job were You? Well that's a shame.

[@nsa7637]

Actually after a degree in pure math you can find a job but you just won't want to work because all jobs are less interesting than proving theorems in grad school 😊

[@Itzak15]

That is the nerdiest but most true thing I've heard all day

[@littlebabybugjones2676]

Not true. I landed a job as an electrochemical engineer with a pure math degree. I also had an two internships and really made an impression to the engineering director, so he hired me as an engineer. I'm in my 3rd year.

[@johnle7705]

Really? I thought that engineering and math are different things. That really surprised me!

[@alephnull4044]

LOL I'm in that position right now. I'll have a first class masters in maths where I only took pure modules so I'll be unemployable asf.

[@Robert4865]

In the University of Zurich and ETH Analysis classes are what you call "Real Analysis". Every CS, Physics, Math and even engineering students have to prove Analysis-Basics (and linear Algebra) in the first semester. In Zurich-University Physics and Math students do the same courses. So your categorization seems relative to the institution...

[@tommyjur]

I am a math student at ETH, and I can 100% confirm this, it is also like that in almost every university in Germany

[@darhart8702]

Germany is lit bro wtf

[@tommyjur]

@@darhart8702 yeah, that’s exactly what I’m saying 😂 Germany is amazing, and the educational system is perfect there

[@abcxyz4207]

That’s because US education and especially their math education completely sucks

[@tommyjur]

@@abcxyz4207 true

[@baconpenguin94]

This is just the channel I was looking for. Thank you!

[@zachstar]

Thanks for the comment, if you have future video requests feel free to post in the comments on new videos that we put out.

[@llawliet2310]

Choose a math major. Where if you plan on going into grad school from a math undergrad, you have the option of doing a graduate physics degree but that’s not always an option the other way around. If you choose not to go to grad school, math majors are also a lot more employable than physics majors. Mathematics- and especially areas like abstract algebra, group theory, game theory and number theory are highly applicable in areas like computer science, economics, finance, cryptography etc. which means you can branch off and become an expert in other fields.

[@harshparihar2590]

Physics and mathematics both are interesting subjects both are my favourite they clear our logic and know everything about the world

[@krotodin2564]

Good definition :)

[@chrisitangonzaga4401]

I love calculus and I'm obsessed with the subject. I wish I was a physics major instead of math since it consists of heavily applied calculus. However, I am content with the education I have. I do plan to study physics further into my career.

[@jmccullough975]

I’m love calculus and I have no idea what ik Doing in physics any ideas?

[@chrisitangonzaga4401]

@@jmccullough975 If you're looking for employment right after college, I would suggest Engineering. It's fundamentally applied physics/calculus. Since Physics is a science field, most of the time you'll be working in an academic field or as a scientist (it's common for ppl to do both as a living). The downside or upside is you have to get your master's degree. Best of luck and make sure you talk to your college advisor if you don't know what to do with your Physics degree. Ask for their guidance.

[@jmccullough975]

@@chrisitangonzaga4401 yeah I’m in calculus based physics I right now and I’m completely lost. I feel like I fumbling around the physics and only know how to do the math side of things. If that makes sense. I don’t know too many pure math jobs, statistician, actuary or quant.

[@chessplayer5728]

What are the jobs that you can get as a mathematics major(other than teaching ofcourse)

[@JM-on1bx]

Here i am, an engineering student watching a battle between Math and Physics. Great!

[@francescocostanzo8225]

OMG! I have this problem right now and I'm so happy this video was suggested SO HELPFUL!

[@kraljict]

Thank you so much for this breakdown! I was an English Education Major before but now I am majoring in Mathematics with a concentration in Pure Mathematics and Mathematics Teaching. My plan is to definitely go into mathematical research.

[@yuri34544]

This channel is a treasure for students. Thank you zach.

[@aresgalamatis7022]

Particle physics and general relativity require the undergrad abstract algebra. Also most universities at least here in the UK, require physics students to do at least an introduction module in pure math in order to permit them to study quantum mechanics and electrodynamics (special relativity applied to Maxwell's theory), while math students don't need need anything more than a weekend to see some elementary application of their second year material. On the other hand, experimental physics and engineering is the reverse, multivariate calculus and a little complex analysis is more than enough for physics students, but for the math students having to deal with all the physical models is simply not possible.

[@NoMomICatntPause]

He mentions this

[@hungvu2774]

My major is Mathematics, otherwise, I really love Physics. Both solving problem itself and learn more about Physics are wonderful!

[@BrickfilmMan]

Great video! This is exactly what I was wondering about! Hope to see more vids, subbed! :)

[@zachstar]

Thank you!

[@Panice111]

In mathematics you can specialize in at least as many fields, not just pure and applied

[@rmsvideos1335]

A lot of us going more towards theoretical physics see these upper level math classes, or classes in proofs, differential gemoetry, number theory, etc.

[@danidino1645]

Damn.. Physics student here, and i have taken proofs (as part of my analysis 1 class that sounds exactly like the real analysis you described in your video) and abstract algebra (as part of my linear algebra class). And thats only the first semester of Physics bachelor in Germany. I'm fked....

[@constantin2449]

wo studierst du?

[@GabriTell]

5:02 - As a Math Degree student I have to clarify something. This kind of exercises are not what we usually see in our lessons, this is what we see in the first week of class. Obviously the kind of proofs that come next are 1000 times harder.

[@douglasstrother6584]

Constructing proofs in high school geometry turned on the Math lightbulb for me. Eureka!! (Re-)Discovering Physics in my Senior Year set me on my path. As an Undergrad, I got turned-on to Dynamical Systems, Chaos, Collective Phenomena and Condensed Matter Physics. I was going to be a Theory Geek! In Grad School I learned that there is a whole new level to being a good Theory Geek! (There's people who solve extra problems in Jackson "for fun".) I also learned that my knack is really in the lab and data analysis, which has served me well for the past 30+ years. About 15 years ago, I came across the field of System Engineering, which is what I'm predominantly involved with, especially verification and more data analysis.

[@A.K2.718]

For GCSE higher maths we actually do proofs, like one that I did was prove that the sum of two odd numbers is always even: n=> even k=> even (2k+1)+(2n+1)=2n+2k+2 =2(n+k+1) *Anything multiplied by 2 is even

[@stephensheehy339]

I think doing a pure maths course would work for me as I love doing calculus and integrals instead of doing force and acceleration etc, from studying but math and physics in my leaving Cert, I would prefer maths 100%

[@nunotaborda6728]

Do you have anything in your channel related to Engineering Physics? I couldn't find any. Thanks for the great video btw!

[@zachstar]

Engineering physics is not on here yet but don't worry many people have requested it and I will try to have it on here as soon as I can! It's less popular of a major so takes more time to find people in it and do the research on it.

[@nunotaborda6728]

Thanks! I really appreciate the work you do for all of us.

[@KenzoQasim223]

Looking forward to this one

[@magisterialanubis06]

@@zachstar Not yet done :(

[@thezombat123]

Hey MajorPrep, awesome video. I was wondering if you could talk about theoretical physics, because I enjoy the math part of physics and would like to know more. Thanks!

[@zachstar]

I definitely want to talk about theoretical physics! Not sure when but I will get it on the channel

[@billyrunsaplumbingservice1141]

My thoughts on these are: Pure Math made you to think critically And applied maths made you to solve problems by using some available clues that around Meanwhile physics made you to think outside of the box and using your experience from the past to solve your problem

[@plexirc]

I'd just like to point out that as a first year physics student, we are being taught a bit of real analysis as part of our calculus class. (10:30) So at least in my case, this is not unique to math major students.

[@parkermoss6378]

How'd it go?

[@douglasstrother6584]

Study Integral Equations: Laplace, Fourier Transforms, Green Functions, are all examples of either Volterra or Fredholm Equations. There's a nice (short) classical text, "Integral Equations" by F. Tricomi. It's a big eye opener to study the above in a more generalized and abstract context.

[@curtpiazza1688]

Informative video! 😊

[@Off_the_clock_astrophysicist]

Coming back to the mass on the spring, a physic major will learn how to derive the equation. Deriving equations of motion from forces or energy principles is a big part of what physics majors do, especially in the upper level courses. But we do a few in intro physics (such as the mass on a spring). As a physics major, your first differential equation will show up in a physics course, before you learn what they are and how to solve them. Generally, physics majors spend a lot of time solving problems where they are asked to derive the equation that describes the physical situation. Solving is secondary and sometimes not even part of what the problem asks. Often, approximations are made and some sloppy math is used. The emphasis is on understanding and using first principles, and then gauging whether the answer makes sense or not. The solving part is the necessary evil that comes in between.

[@smartdoctorphysicist3095]

Hi I will stay with physics and just tale what ever I need in math to help me down the road. I will say you were very help full, thank you

[@daniellabinjo6046]

Maybe declare a double major if you think you could swing the requirements

[@loganhanssler4419]

I needed this video.

[@akselilarikka]

3:00 this is how I was taught T=Temperature (in Celsius, Fahrenheit or Kelvin) and t=time(in seconds)

[@jackbarrett3599]

T is also used to represent the period of a wave in seconds.

[@jome3206]

This is a pretty good video!

[@brunocardin4935]

I started with peteoleum engineering, to fall in love with math, which finally took me to love physics. I'm about to become a physicist now, and after that i want to study astrophysics

[@robinq7307]

I've been increasingly under the impression that while Pure mathematics doesn't have any immediately obvious real world applications, these sorts of exercises can explain the very fabric of our reality in ways that we cannot directly observe, and so would end up being very relevant to theoretical or quantum physics where you're now working in that nebulous zone of exploring higher dimensions, etc. It's funny because I thought I hated math if it wasn't something that I could directly apply around me, but I've found I actually love the more abstract, higher mathematics. I'm a newly starting out physics major right now and really want to immerse myself in both so its a tough decision.

[@pablomandrilla734]

*IS MATH RELATED TO SCIENCE*

[@kvp6268]

Slender Men *MATH IS A SCIENCE*

[@quantumgravity92]

Math to Science is like linguistics to words

[@DiaJasin]

Martín de Muniategui Climente then what is it?

[@DiaJasin]

Martín de Muniategui Climente it is the platform of sceince.

[@Azuchigo]

Math is the tool we use for Science! Sciences are the study of something, Biology is the study of life Chemistry is the study elements and their compounds, molecular structure, etc. Math is the study of... MATH.

[@a_person1226]

10:00 luckily I don't have to pick because the university I'm planning on going to offers double majors but physics and astrophysics are two different majors so I've gotta choose between one of them and maths 😭

[@samuellundin5328]

In my school as a Physics Major, We took Calculus 1 and 2 from the Math department and is proof based. Since we already did compute calculus in high school. Then we also took Linear Algebra, Probability, Complex Analysis, Mutivariable Analysis, and Real Analysis 1( Metric spaces) from the Math department. The Physics department taught two Math classes. MATH METHODS 1 AND 2. Math methods 1 was Vector Analysis, multivables and Intro to Linear algebra. Math methods 2, Linear Analysis, Differential and Partial differential equations.

[@zefanyaadityasabatekanugra8587]

I am interested to major at math

[@renatofernandes1086]

Welcome to the club. Applied or pure?

[@ErojFeeding]

you sick sick man

[@devinasetiono7669]

Apparently not an english major.

[@norxor9455]

Lets see if ur still intressted in 5 years

[@NikeAirJordanGabes]

devina setiono Apparently not unemployed 😂

[@aqdjbcr]

Do physics. Math gets boring after Calculus and Diff Eq when you just have to do proofs nonstop. From a math major

[@ryans9094]

William Wright but labs are living hell.

[@norxor9455]

xD

[@ryans9094]

awindwaker yeah I'm doing theoretical physics, and for some reason they still make us do like 4 labs in my college. Should have done applied maths because it's almost the exact same anyway

[@FsimulatorX]

They start drilling proofs into you as a first year Computer Science student here..

[@Metube9569]

William Wright I dont know... it really depends if you like that subject. I mean I won't mind having to find proofs and stuff as long as I can get to do my daily activities. I mean I'm cool with any major and can love them instantly when introduced. Life isn't about studying all the times tho. Like my teacher. She enjoys explaining maths to her students for 10+ years now and she still carves those smiles on her faces despites her workloads. I take it from her that I don't have to think how hard life treats you rather just enjoy the flow and do what you love.😄😄😄. I'm no maths major student. I just finished high school and currently doing laboratory science in my college. Loads of assignments and labworks but unlike my friends, I love doing them and still manage to excel in my course while most of my friends who constantly base their lives on schoolworks failed or just passed. My point is, any major is cool as long as you enjoy it😊

[@supergamer2401]

In my university in Ireland, the physics and Maths first years are almost completely identical, and can be identiacal depending on what electives you pick. Physics is treated more as maths course than a science. For example the physics and maths students would take courses like Linear Algebra and Calculus, whereas other sciences like chemistry and so on would do something like: Calculus for Scientists, or Numerical Methods for Scientists, which would be a more simplified class leaving out alot of proofs and so on. Interesting to learn that in America, physics is treated more like a science, separate from maths, whereas in europe I think Physics isnt separated as much. For example in Cambridge there is no undergrad option for Physics, only Mathematics. How much maths and/or physics you do depends solely on the individual classes you pick towards the end of the course.

[@Shakeelz]

Where did you study? I'm thinking about doing Physics in NUIG, not sure I'll be able to keep up with the maths!

[@michaelpieters1844]

In Belgium the first year of Mathematics and Physics is exactly the same.

[@priyanshurouth9704]

Doing a great job man....love you!

[@zhangkevin6748]

Year 4 pure math student, only recommend if you are very very very interested. It just different, the thing with this is that pure math is abstract, you can’t rely on common sense, you just have to guide your self through practice and try to understand. I always love math, and it has been insanely worth it. Real analysis, omg I remember the open set closed set, point-wise vs uniform conversion, definition of integrability, good old times. I think the hardest topic here has to be the proof for mean value theorem. Took me like 2 months to understand that proof, and able to recreate it. Another thing is to define a goal function, and rearranging functions into more useful for by adding zero and such. Very fun good old times, but now I am just doing smooth manifolds and groups and rings.

[@analiacabello2011]

Yep, definitely pure maths for me. I love proofs! Real analysis and number theory sound fun😄

[@nomarxistspls90]

Complex analysis i enjoyed a lot

[@bobh6728]

Just want to add that having some education in more than one area is a plus. A person I know had a data processing degree. Couldn’t find a job because he could get a computer to do anything, but didn’t know what to get the computer to do. Took some business administration classes and got a job as a systems analyst for a major utility.

[@pluto8404]

Instructions unclear - now majoring in theoretically transsexual gender dance theory

[@EmapMe]

Same

[@rebekahshtayfman1967]

I say interpretative dance therapy. 🤣 that was my joke back in cc.

[@vegalight196]

Lmao

[@HHHHHH-kj1dg]

Yeah dude !me too. What a bummer. Fuck you Zach!!!

[@BiscuitZombies]

Horseshoe theory.

[@georgesadler7830]

Thank you for the video.

[@Metalstuff2004]

I am from germany and what you have shown in the the 1 year we do in highschool. Crazy difference 😅

[@fminc]

Excellent channel!

[@HerbaMachina]

To be honest when you actually spend a week getting into it, a lot of these higher level math concepts are really not as complicated as they're made out to be. Maybe that's just me but tbh it's all just more clever ways to do addition.

[@tryphonsoleflorus8308]

Very interesting!

[@Ralfester]

I'd like to add that this varies from university to university. I had real analysis I and II instead of calc I-III, and complex analysis.

[@rherd]

All physics is math, some math is physics. If you love math but hate learning concepts, take math. If you love math and wanna know what's going on, take physics /engineering. From a physics major (and engineering physics minor)

[@James-bv4nu]

Group theory is a "required" course for physics and chemistry students studying physical chemistry, or crystallography.

[@samuelwillowcreek8764]

10:28 is the most math moment of the video😂😂 "I won't be doing any more examples, btw"

[@simranthiara8233]

Finished up my bachelors in Applied Math last year, it was such an incredibly rewarding and difficult journey but I wouldn't trade that for anything. Plus now that I'm not in university anymore I've been reading through Leonard Susskind's Theoretical Minimum series alongside other texts.

[@jordanbroerman304]

@@kalhmeramaraki Data science

[@moonharvest4876]

I'm a history major, how did this pop up in my recommended?

[@l.1244]

Useless

[@ariadnarodriguez6254]

I don't get the rude replies. Aren't all the human knowledge fields necessary? If it wasn't for historians, scientific advances wouldn't have been recorded for posterity. All that greek and indo-persian early maths would have been lost during middle age, never to be recovered. It is clear now who the real L's are here.

[@phenomenalphysics3548]

@@ariadnarodriguez6254 i agree, bc history is quite interesting and important aswell

[@bingletoncoochiesmith.]

@@ariadnarodriguez6254 lol no, you don't get it

[@bingletoncoochiesmith.]

@@phenomenalphysics3548 no

[@anomaliesanonymous]

You can't go into accounting with math/physics degrees. Accounting is a very technical/skills based field. It's not as difficult as math but you need to have the technical background in accounting in order to go into it. Finance only marginally needs technical knowledge so math majors easily fit in.

[@derrickgrey4824]

Am a mathematical science student,though I was interested more in Physics,some consepts like linear algebra,calculus 1-3,topology are common in both courses

[@lokeshshingadi]

I can't decide,I like both physics and maths. Is it possible to have knowledge in both ? Any way you gave a very clear understanding of both of them.

[@zachstar]

If you REALLY like both then a degree in theoretical physics might be perfect for you (but you'd need to go past just a bachelor's). Theoretical physicists do learn topics like topology or abstract algebra cause as physics gets much more advanced that math is actually used.

[@theboombody]

I loved math and wanted to teach it to kids, but I found out I'm not teaching material. Most of the math I learned I just do for a hobby now since I never cared about applications of it. I do bookkeeping and accounting as a paid job now. Dull, but aside from time constraints it's fairly easy. I can't picture that I'd have more fun doing engineering than accounting even though it involves a lot higher math. I'm pretty much at the point where if I have job stability, a good boss, good hours, a decent wage, and a clean environment that I don't really care what I do. I'm fine flipping burgers if it pays me more than engineering. I can always follow my interests when I get home at the end of the day. Too bad it's becoming more difficult to find a job that pays you well and actually lets you go home at the end of the day.

[@dopekidddd1385]

Thanks so much I really appreciated it and thank you again 😁😁

[@timvansurksum]

I think there is a lot of overlap between pure math and theoretical physics like for example lie algebra in quantum field theory

[@davidmata9952]

Basic Complex Analysis is covered in many physics curriculums in "Advanced Math for Engineers and Physicists" courses.

[@somewhatblankpaper1423]

I enjoyed my first year in Pure Math, but I'm moving to Electrical engineering. I personally deem that besides the proof/reasoning/set theory (math method) class was the most useful one, and the rest of the curriculum is kind of more or less useful. I don't see Pure Mathematics is a worth majoring for me, but I do like studying mathematics casually to explore some structures that can help me categorizing concepts and solve problems. Ultimately, I see mathematics as just a collection of general reasoning patterns and concepts that could be useful for problem-solving. While the symbolic manipulation can be fun at times, I don't see a point investing too much time on it.

[@crowbar_the_rogue]

What I do is study physics but visit math lectures when I have time. So far, the math they do is very similar to the math we do, so it's a good way for me to revise.

[@jbw6823]

I took Fourier anal Complex anal, tensor calc in addition to calculus, differential eqns, linear algebra.

[@walidslimani]

MATH FOR ME IS THE DREAM THIS WHY IM MAJORING IN IT

[@jocider5698]

Complex Analysis has lots of applications in electricity and magnetism, so I don't know why an applied math major or physics student wouldn't take it. At my college electrical engineering students have to take it.

[@StEvUgnIn]

0:56 was an eye-opener for me tonight. Doesn't applied physics focus on classical and some modern physics?

[@zachstar]

Yes they definitely do.

[@hasch5756]

Also, you need to learn LaTeX as soon as possible, all else would be akin to the most physically and psychologically tormenting form of suicide.

[@TheMrlightswarm]

Upvoting this. The use of LaTeX was an underrated skill throughout my undergrad math experience. Just do yourself a favor and learn to use it if you're already planning to do any sort of quantitative report/journal/papers in undergrad and graduate school.

[@ffoco5453]

is LaTeX fundamental to physics as well? I'm trying to gather info to choose my uni.

[@brianjoelbasualdo7436]

@@ffoco5453 It isn't a required abillity but truly needed when making papers (depending on how strict is your uni).

[@sihaofeng722]

Just fantastic materials

[@zachstar]

thank you!

[@armandopatrizio5545]

In a few weeks i'm going to start math and i'm convinced of my choice but damn i'm pretty sure that i would fall in depression in like 2 months. Comment this 5 years from now to see if i'm still enjoying life.

[@doveu]

good luck

[@fctucycy8v8yvy67]

you still enjoying life?

[@armandopatrizio5545]

@@fctucycy8v8yvy67 yes, I do still enjoy life :) I failed a lot and I learned a lot in these five years, not only math. I just finished my master's degree yesterday with a thesis in differential geometry. Math was definitely the correct choice. I won't pursue a PhD since I need a life to be enjoying life. Still unsure about the future but pretty happy 😁

[@darian_2247]

Note that maths and physics (and also to some degree how they relate) is very different in Europe then in the US

[@sam3oq980]

I have a small correction to make here. Topology is not necessarily the study of shapes, that is an eventual application of it. Topology is the study of the question: "What is a space?" and really starts with plain set theory. You want to have the most abstract definition of what defines a space and that's to do with sets. Also you forgot about a huge branch in mathematics, namely Probability Theory. It generally comes up later in undergrad since it requires a lot of measure theory to get really formal, but generally you still get a couple of classes in it during undergrad. It has huge applications in finance and all things quantum and a whole lot more. Every science uses statistics. In pure math you get to know the theory behind it.

[@mohammadalinabeel8572]

is vector analysis same as vector calculus? i see some schools have "vector calculus or vector analysis" in their Calculus 3 class but in some other schools, engineers and scientists take multi-variable calculus (little different than traditional calculus 3) but they dont talk about vector calculus in it so they have to take a separate vector analysis (or maybe vector calculus) class.

[@zachstar]

As far as I saw yeah they are the exact same

[@mohammadalinabeel8572]

MajorPrep Thank you

[@Illu07]

I apparently do my minor in maths and physics. Although I applied for physics. Lot of proofs and lot of differential equation.

[@Illu07]

This group theory stuff we also go through in first semester in out maths for physicists.

[@zachstar]

Did you learn in depth group theory and proofs or just the basics?

[@Illu07]

We started with logic, based on that: sets(de’morgans law, all operations, tautology, cardinality), and again based on that: proofs(direct proofs, induction and proof by contradiction). And with every step forward we had to go back to the logic behind that and proof it by using the logic. We started with axioms for addition and multiplication, also by proofing them. And analysing different groups if they reassemble an abelian group(R, Z, Q, F1, F2, F3). And now, 3 months in we just started with complex numbers. I’m I right, when I think that our maths prof. is trying to teach us more than what’s common for a physics bachelor? Ps: I’m studying in Germany. Our script: goo.gl/3hgzGG (it’s in German)

[@luciusirving5926]

I am very good in elementary algebra and yet, I suck at doing Coulomb's Law. So I think that physics is harder than elementary algebra and even calculus. Even Ohm's Law is very hard for me to solve.

[@TheMEGAJCB]

Mfw even as a physics major I still took: 2 courses of linear algebra, 1 course of linear geometry, 4 courses of real analysis (2 for 1 variable and 2 for multiple variables), complex analysis, and even functional analysis (even though we never really had a proper topology course and just had the bare bones of the subject from all the analysis we had done before). Heck, I still remember joking about how glad I was I "decided to take a maths major" with my classmates during the first 2 years. I kind of feel like a crossbreed between a physics and a pure math major.

[@James-bv4nu]

Nowadays the key is PROGRAMMING. Almost no physical scientist today can do a job without programming. My experience has been this: pure maths are lousy programmers. Perhaps it's just the way they think. Applied math folks, like engineers or physicists, are natural born programmers. They think like programmers and can just pick up programming with ease.

[@sssilky3317]

Couldn't decide. Currently double majoring in physics and math.

[@andrewli-yangliu9555]

I love your videos.

[@zachstar]

Thank you!

[@HhhHhh-qg7de]

Love ur vids!

[@zachstar]

Thank you!

[@tomer1300]

I am on double degree program of math physics but it seems that there are pretty big diffrences in the studies between other countries,here in Israel any student that learn physics or computer sciences study on the first year only math including abstract math and a lot of proves which all the tests are about proves and definitions and barely Amy applied math,only after first yea you start to learn physics and even then you will do some math courses according to the video in other countries it's uncommon

[@samscott6880]

Best answer: Major in both Math and Physics.