Since early 2024 I’ve been relearning college level mathematics by auditing classes at a local university.
Why? A couple of years ago I had identified modern physics, including quantum mechanics, as something that I wanted to learn about. My undergraduate studies in engineering and my MBA studies didn’t touch on it. The engineering program was satisfied with the so called “classical mechanics” normally associated with Isaac Newton. The MBA program focused on probability, statistics, and modeling of supply/demand variables.
My motivation is simply to learn. I’m not planning a career change to be a Theoretical Physicist. Or any type of physicist.
When I was developing my personal study plan, I realized that my math skills and knowledge had eroded enough such that there would be no way I could understand these higher level physics without first refreshing my math. So, I completed the college application and began auditing math classes. There were two main courses of study.
Calculus: The book I used is shown below. I found a copy on eBay for a great price. The school bookstore sells a comparable, newer, substantially more expensive book.
Linear Algebra: We didn’t need to purchase a book for this class, since a free eBook was provided. A link to the book is here.
Here’s a quick summary of the subjects studied
| Course Name | How Might It Be Used? |
| Calculus I: Differential Calculus | Calculate the speed of a roller coaster at different points along its path |
| Calculus II: Integral Calculus | Calculate the probability of an extreme event, such as flood or an earthquake |
| Calculus III: Differential Equations and Infinite Series | Calculate the time required for a pot of soup to cool to a safe temperature in the refrigerator after removing from the stove |
| Calculus IV: Vector Calculus | Calculate minimum product cost for a complex manufacturing system |
| Linear Algebra | Google uses linear algebra to present search results in a useful order |
With this background, I’m now ready to tackle Modern Physics. I’m hopeful to begin this fall.
Wish me luck!
(Looking back, here’s a post I had written in January, 2024 after starting this math journey)