Started an Astro-Physics course - any mathematicians here?

[OldWood]

Hi

Isn't the internet a wonderful thing! A guy signs up for an astro physics course and gets help with his maths from other guys on a woodwork forum. Perhaps Brian May would have got his Phd sooner if he'd been on the UKworkshop forum!

Chris

Did 'man' do wood work before he looked at the stars ? Certainly woodwork before astro-physics.

Rob

 

[Boz62]

I was lousy at Maths and got a physics degree despite that, so there is hope for you! The set book for the first year was:

"Mathematics for Engineers and Applied Scientists" by Stanley C Lennox and Mary Chadwick.
Second edition 1977 ISBN 0 435 71282 9
I don't think it's been updated since then so assume there must be more modern texts available?

Good luck with your course. I suspect the OU will give you a lot of flexibility of what modules you can take to make up the degree, so you should be able to play to your strengths. I really admire people doing a degree later in life. As a student you are immersed in it, but later in life there is so much else in life to juggle at the same time.

Boz

 

[bobscarle]

Byron

For a bit of revision visit a site such as the AQA one http://www.aqa.org.uk/. You can download past papers and marking schemes which you could use to find how much (or how little) you already know.

Bob

 

[Dibs-h]

i had a great maths book when i was on my physical chemistry course - it was recommended by a maths student and i always really appreciated the well worked examples - it's called 'Engineering Mathematics' but the author escapes me (it's not Stroud, the first one you find on amazon) i'll have a look at work tomorrow, and for stats i always got on well with 'Statistics for Life Sciences' (Samuels/Witmer) though all the examples are as you would expect working toward medicine, that book always explained clearly though which stat tests were inappropriate to use based on the data types (the commonest mistake is using the wrong analysis model that proves a worthless point)

jim

i'll get back with the other book tomorrow - should be cheap enough to pick up used on amazon

Actually I think the Engineering Mathematics Books (I think there are 3 of them) by Stroud are awesome. The way pure math is taught in those books is light yrs ahead of most other texts.

Byron - from your list, seems it's Pure Maths is where you need to concentrate - Calculus, Differentiation ,etc. These books will be on your list at some point, especially if you want to excel.

In the meantime if you have very little knowledge of Pure Maths (other than basic arithmetic) - I strongly suggest the following site,

http://www.coolmath.com/

There is an associated site for younger children, thru which my 8yr is progressing nicely.

HIH

Dibs

 

[davebray]

Hi BB,
I used the K.A. Stroud series of mathematical textbooks, these were;
'Engineering Mathematics' - in my view a good 1st and 2nd year degree general mathematics course book and I do recommend this one. I suggest get this one first and worry about the rest later. You may be able to have a look at the contents of this one on Amazon using their 'view inside' or whatever they call it function.
'Advanced Engineering Mathematics'
'Laplace Transforms'
'Fourier Series and Harmonic Analysis'.

In all his books he is not dry and dusty and they are quite readable and he explains every step complete with examples.
They all have problems to solve at the end of every chapter and the answers at the back of the book. This is really useful as when I got it wrong I could puzzle at it until I understood where I went wrong and then get it right.

Cheers
Dave

 

[blurk99]

'Engineering Mathematics - a Programmed Approach' by C W Evans

jim

 

[Benchwayze]

Byron,

Don't trust mathematics....

If you want to know what your stars say, why don't you just read Russell Grant.

www.russellgrant.com

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Best of luck, and remember.

'Astronomy is Looking Up', whilst 'Geology is a bit down to Earth'!

John


:wink:

 

[ByronBlack]

Wow, guys, I'm truly gratefeul for all the recommendations and the kind comments, I really didn't expect this kind of in depth help. I've downloaded some of the texts and will start reading while I wait for my course materials to turn up at the end of the month.

For those who have PM'd me, thanks a lot for your help and suggestions, I'll reply over the weekend.

Here's looking forward to the next 6 years of study
:lol:

 

[gasmansteve]

Hi BB
Did my OU stuff donkeys years ago got to 4 credits and you needed 6 then for a BA but other stuff beckoned :lol: . It was and I assume still is a truly excellent organisation my favourite course was M203 Pure maths which was brilliant not sure what its equvalent is now and I gather its all done on points?
Good luck
Steve

 

[dannykaye]

The Schaum series are good for specific areas and I would have a look at Stroud, its a program learning system so you work through a small bit at a time, I always found them useful for a refresher, especially when I went back to college

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Engineering...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272922592&sr=8-1

 

[dannykaye]

i had a great maths book when i was on my physical chemistry course - it was recommended by a maths student and i always really appreciated the well worked examples - it's called 'Engineering Mathematics' but the author escapes me (it's not Stroud, the first one you find on amazon)

Was it Kreysig? that is good but more difficult

 

[Sawdust]

Good luck with it BB.

I hope you are going to combine astrophysics and woodwork and make one of these:

Cheers
Mike

 

[bugbear]

Hi Steve,

At the moment, until I get further detail back from the OU i'm a little in the dark about what exactly is going to be involved, but one of the maths modules requires:

Didn't the OU course specify pre-conditions?

BugBear

 

[ByronBlack]

Hi Steve,

At the moment, until I get further detail back from the OU i'm a little in the dark about what exactly is going to be involved, but one of the maths modules requires:

Didn't the OU course specify pre-conditions?

BugBear

Not in much detail no - as I am doing the introduction 10 point course, there is no requirement, but obviously as I go further in, the maths become more and more important, and they do advise that some prior knowledge is advantageous.

Mike - I don't think I'll be trying to build one of them, that looks very complicated! I'm not even sure how much telescope work there will actually be - i'll be going to Mallorca for a week to use on of their observatories, but i think the bulk of the course is theoretical.