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Good Physics Books For a Math PhD Student?

Posted by kdawson on from the queen-of-the-sciences dept.

An anonymous reader writes "As a third-year PhD math student, I am currently taking Partial Differential Equations. I'm working hard to understand all the math being thrown at us in that class, and that is okay. The problem is, I have never taken any physics anywhere. Most of the problems in PDEs model some sort of physical situation. It would be nice to be able to have in the back of my mind where this is all coming from. We constantly hear about the heat equation, wave equation, gravitational potential, etc. I'm told I should not worry about what the equations describe and just learn how to work with them, but I would rather not follow that advice. Can anyone recommend physics books for someone in my position? I don't want to just pick up a book for undergrads. Perhaps there are things out there geared towards mathematicians?"

12 of 418 comments (clear)

  1. I'm gunna say this once.. by QuantumG · · Score: 5, Funny

    Get back to writing your thesis.

    Slacker.

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    How we know is more important than what we know.
    1. Re:I'm gunna say this once.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'd rather not follow that advice.

    2. Re:I'm gunna say this once.. by martin-boundary · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'd rather not follow that advice.

      That proves it! Only a PhD student would say that.

  2. What? by locokamil · · Score: 3, Funny

    Why are you taking partial differential equations as a graduate student?

    1. Re:What? by ari_j · · Score: 3, Funny

      Because his undergraduate degree is a B.A. in Political Science.

  3. Re:Man... by JeanBaptiste · · Score: 5, Funny

    No, I'm in the exact opposite situation. I don't know anything about PhD level math _or_ physics.

  4. Enter the Physics vs. Math Holy War. by ebbomega · · Score: 4, Funny

    I love watching this one happen.

    It's funny because no matter what, the only thing a physicist and a mathematician has ever been able to agree on is magic mushrooms.

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    Karma: Non-Heinous
  5. Re:PDEs now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    no he didnt

  6. Re:What I want to know is... by HadouKen24 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Ooh, I like this game.

    If you have never taken any psychology classes, you do NOT have a broad education. Period.

    If you have never taken any philosophy classes, you do NOT have a broad education. Period.

    If you have never taken any accounting classes, you do NOT have a broad education. Period.

    This is fun!

  7. Re:road to reality by kayditty · · Score: 1, Funny

    you aren't the first person to ever call Roger Penrose a physician, but I think he probably deserves more credit than that. maybe I'm just an optimist.

  8. Re:3rd year PhD student taking PDE? by MPolo · · Score: 5, Funny

    This kind of reminds me of the comments I got from Business Calculus students when I was carrying around my graduate Algebra book, which was appropriately titled "Algebra". "Oh, Algebra! I had that in High School. It's not so hard..." If only they knew what was inside that bright lemon-yellow cover...

  9. Re:3rd year PhD student taking PDE? by TheRaven64 · · Score: 3, Funny
    A conversation I overheard the other day involved this line:

    An algebra? You mean there's more than one?

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    I am TheRaven on Soylent News