Maths and Theoretical Physics Course Thread TR031 TR035

Bottleopener · 08-12-2011 1:54am

Feel kinda sad. Just finished off my last Linear Algebra homework for the year ;_;.

cookiemonst3r · 08-12-2011 11:24am

Bottleopener wrote: »

Feel kinda sad. Just finished off my last Linear Algebra homework for the year ;_;.

What, Linear Algebra is only a half year course?!

Bottleopener · 08-12-2011 11:30am

Us TSMs do the second part in second year.

ride-the-spiral · 08-12-2011 7:27pm

I feel bad for TSM's having no Pete for the rest of the year.

Bottleopener · 10-12-2011 3:17pm

ride-the-spiral wrote: »

I feel bad for TSM's having no Pete for the rest of the year.

Meh, we have him next year so no complaints :P

Burkie.EXE · 10-12-2011 4:32pm

Don't feel too bad for them. They still have Donal next semester.

Maybe_Memories · 10-12-2011 6:50pm

Frolov > Pete >> Donal.

Frolov: "So we get this. *massive equations with like a million partials*
But this is obvious!

"

ride-the-spiral · 10-12-2011 6:54pm

Yeah I heard Frolov is like that, the Russian style of lecturing I heard somebody call it...

Ah Donal's great, I think I might just go to Analysis next semester even though I don't have it anymore.

Maybe_Memories · 10-12-2011 9:25pm

In fairness to Frolov he's amazing, but a lot of the time I can't understand a word he says because he talks so quietly.

And fair play to him for setting practically the exact same exam every year.

Aoibheann · 10-12-2011 9:30pm

I'd probably die laughing if he completely changed the paper this year.. :pac: Although, seeing as a huge portion of your class would likely fail if that were to happen, I guess it's not that likely. Remember though, papers for this year (end of year as opposed to schols I mean) haven't been set yet, so don't count your chickens etc!

Maybe_Memories · 10-12-2011 10:14pm

Aoibheann wrote: »

I'd probably die laughing if he completely changed the paper this year.. :pac: Although, seeing as a huge portion of your class would likely fail if that were to happen, I guess it's not that likely. Remember though, papers for this year (end of year as opposed to schols I mean) haven't been set yet, so don't count your chickens etc!

I'm very much relying on Simms asking the usual questions on the schol exam. :pac: Just vomit up the answers to the four Geometry questions, then some stuff on the residue theorem, some stuff about holomorphic functions and do a few integrals (c'mon Derek!!)
Be grand. :pac:

asdfghjz · 11-12-2011 1:01pm

While Frolov asks the same questions every year, there doesn't seem to be any pdf knocking about with all the questions worked out?

Bottleopener · 11-12-2011 4:36pm

Burkie.EXE wrote: »

Don't feel too bad for them. They still have Donal next semester.

Pete > Donal.

Although Donal is the man.

PurpleFistMixer · 11-12-2011 5:35pm

Guys, the set of lecturers is not well-ordered.

Phil92 · 12-12-2011 5:26pm

1st Year TP here, and I'm havily considering switching to Maths.
Basically, I'm sick to my teeth of labs and Waves Lectures, and I'd quite like to go on Eramus.
Since it looks like 3rd/4th year Maths people can still do quantum mechanics and stuff like that, I don't see much point in staying.

Any advice?

asdfghjz · 12-12-2011 8:16pm

Phil92 wrote: »

1st Year TP here, and I'm havily considering switching to Maths.
Basically, I'm sick to my teeth of labs and Waves Lectures, and I'd quite like to go on Eramus.
Since it looks like 3rd/4th year Maths people can still do quantum mechanics and stuff like that, I don't see much point in staying.

Any advice?

If you don't enjoy labs/physics lectures then I would say no, there is no point in staying. All the theoretical physics material is taught by the school of maths and is fully available to maths students (except the yang-mills course this year if the maths page is to be believed, but I imagine you could do it if you wanted), along with other modules that would be quite useful to anyone looking to go ahead to postgraduate work in TP.

Maybe_Memories · 12-12-2011 9:47pm

asdfghjz wrote: »

If you don't enjoy labs/physics lectures then I would say no, there is no point in staying. All the theoretical physics material is taught by the school of maths and is fully available to maths students (except the yang-mills course this year if the maths page is to be believed, but I imagine you could do it if you wanted), along with other modules that would be quite useful to anyone looking to go ahead to postgraduate work in TP.

Why can't we do yang-millis? The only pre-requisites are either differential geometry or QFT.

Aoibheann · 12-12-2011 10:54pm

You can now do Yang-Mills as an SS Maths student, see the Hilary term selection of modules here. I know a few of the final year Maths students did ask, and they're definitely taking the module next term. Possibly an error initially, I'm not sure.

ride-the-spiral · 12-12-2011 11:18pm

Although I'm only a first year TP i'd like to stick with it. Waves will be finished this week, and If special relativity is anything to go by then I think that the physics will pick up when they stop catering to people who haven't done LC physics. I know labs are awfully tedious and boring, but in 3rd year we have 28 hrs of labs for the year (Compared to 66 at the moment) but that is a while away.

For me anyway, looking at the 3rd and 4th year maths modules, the ones which interest me most are the ones which TP's do, and the physics modules still look interesting too.

However I'm just a first year, and am probably a tad naive. Obviously the experiences of the people who did or didn't switch should have more weight on your decision but I thought it would be helpful to represent the side of people in the class who like both parts of the course.

PurpleFistMixer · 12-12-2011 11:45pm

Phil92 wrote: »

1st Year TP here, and I'm havily considering switching to Maths.
Basically, I'm sick to my teeth of labs and Waves Lectures, and I'd quite like to go on Eramus.
Since it looks like 3rd/4th year Maths people can still do quantum mechanics and stuff like that, I don't see much point in staying.

Any advice?

You can do TP courses in the maths department, but if you switch you will definitely be a mathematical theoretical physicist (at least for the rest of your undergrad). Your focus will be different (ie you won't do spectroscopy/solid state physics, the like) which could be what you want. It's quite difficult to advise really because ultimately it just depends on what you want to get out of the degree. TP has more of a physics focus to TP, maths has more of a maths focus to TP. Probably in the end which one you do isn't going to massively affect your career choices etc. (unless you're applying for something which demands labs experience or somesuch), so pick whatever you're going to enjoy more and find more interesting.

Disclaimer: 4th year TP, almost switched to maths in 3rd year.

IllusionedEyes · 05-01-2012 5:36am

Hey guys

I'm a JF Engineering student who's thinking of transferring to TP. Naturally, I've arranged a meeting with my tutor to discuss it, but I was just wondering if anyone here could offer any advice! I've tagged along to a handful of TP lectures, including Analysis, Astro, Linear Algebra, Mechanics, Special Rel and Waves and I've found most of them quite interesting - Analysis in particular.

I absolutely adore maths and I've quite an interest in physics too. TP was the course I wanted to do when I was in 5th year, but when 6th year came around I changed my mind every 2 weeks and ended up in Engineering! One of the main things that concerned me about TP is the career opportunities - the tcd website seems quite vague when it comes to that information, would anyone be able to give me a bit more insight?

Also wondering what TP Schols are like. The papers for my current course don't seem too difficult, but when I checked out TP I got a little bit of a shock..

Cheers in advance for any help or advice anyone might be able to offer!

Maybe_Memories · 11-01-2012 12:35am

How does one become one of the helproom people?

Fringe · 11-01-2012 1:53am

Donal sends an email to JS/SS at the start of the year.

Maybe_Memories · 11-01-2012 4:55pm

Also since I'll be trying for schols again next year, what are the chances Simms/Frolov retire? :P

Please say very low?

Aoibheann · 11-01-2012 8:14pm

Simms is technically retired, seeing as he is an Emeritus professor! :P And I can't see Frolov retiring any time soon!

Kwekubo · 11-01-2012 9:00pm

Maybe_Memories wrote: »

Also since I'll be trying for schols again next year

I don't hear no fat lady singin' yet

Maybe_Memories · 11-01-2012 9:28pm

Aoibheann wrote: »

Simms is technically retired, seeing as he is an Emeritus professor! :P And I can't see Frolov retiring any time soon!

Well in that case... is it likely that Simms will still be teaching geometry next year?

Kwekubo wrote: »

I don't hear no fat lady singin' yet

This made me think of Independence Day. :cool:

PurpleFistMixer · 11-01-2012 11:24pm

Maybe_Memories wrote: »

How does one become one of the helproom people?

I would recommend pre-emptively emailing Donal about it. That's what I did, anyway, afair...

Maybe_Memories · 12-01-2012 3:38pm

Simms has his own wiki page! Deadly!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_J._Simms

Aoibheann · 12-01-2012 6:04pm

PurpleFistMixer wrote: »

I would recommend pre-emptively emailing Donal about it. That's what I did, anyway, afair...

That's a good suggestion - I'm pretty sure it's first-come, first-served when he sends the general email out to JS and SS students. I was lucky enough to be online when it was sent last year, so I fired off a reply within about five minutes and thankfully got it!

Fringe · 12-01-2012 8:07pm

Yeah, do that. I applied fairly late and was rejected.

Maybe_Memories · 16-01-2012 1:50pm

Trying to set up a maths homepage. The mkhyplan command I'm supposedly supposed to use doesn't work. Advice?

PurpleFistMixer · 16-01-2012 3:16pm

Maybe_Memories wrote: »

Trying to set up a maths homepage. The mkhyplan command I'm supposedly supposed to use doesn't work. Advice?

scp into your maths account, put HTML files in the www folder, sorted.

dabh · 16-01-2012 3:50pm

Maybe_Memories wrote: »

Trying to set up a maths homepage. The mkhyplan command I'm supposedly supposed to use doesn't work. Advice?

If not sorted in accordance with PFM's comment, check out UNIX file permissions. The www folder (or directory) needs to be general readable. Also the specific HTML files.

Specifically, presuming you have www as a subdirectory of your home directory, then

ls -ld www

in your home directory should tell you the permissions of the www directory. To make it readable by others besides yourself, try

chmod o+rx www

when you are in your home directory.

Then

cd www

and

chmod o+r myfile.html

where myfile.html is the file you want to make available on the Web.

Maybe_Memories · 16-01-2012 6:10pm

Right, let me get this right. (Sorry if I'm wrong! :P )
Make the www folder, drop the html files into it, make them readable. Basically?

dabh · 16-01-2012 6:35pm

Maybe_Memories wrote: »

Right, let me get this right. (Sorry if I'm wrong! :P )
Make the www folder, drop the html files into it, make them readable. Basically?

http://www.maths.tcd.ie/local/admin/faq.html#wwwhome

Mr. Maths · 23-01-2012 11:11pm

Anyone know when they announce who got the physics entrance scholarships?

Aoibheann · 23-01-2012 11:31pm

The School of Physics scholarships tend to take quite a while.. I was officially told in March of first year that I'd be getting it, so it could be a while yet. I know that at the time the best person to ask was the school administrator, so I'd imagine that popping into the office in the SNIAM wouldn't be a bad idea.

ride-the-spiral · 22-02-2012 10:35pm

So how's this Advanced Calculus mid term test? I doubt it will be too hard but I'm a bit apprehensive as it's our first actual college test.

Maybe_Memories · 23-03-2012 6:10pm

Anyone know anywhere with some good Algebraic Geometry notes? Unfortunately a certain lecturer's writing is illegible.

Not helped by not understanding algebraic geometry either. Should've done number theory. :pac:

CJC86 · 23-03-2012 6:20pm

Maybe_Memories wrote: »

Anyone know anywhere with some good Algebraic Geometry notes? Unfortunately a certain lecturer's writing is illegible.

Not helped by not understanding algebraic geometry either. Should've done number theory. :pac:

Calin taught the course a couple of years ago and he has links to some nice notes here: http://www.maths.tcd.ie/~calin/teaching/AG.html

ClovisI · 03-04-2012 10:49pm

Hey guys, I'm still in school and I was just wondering if any of you have ever heard of someone doing a Master's Degree in Engineering after the TP degree?

See I want to be an engineer but I also want a solid backround in maths (at least more solid than what they do in the engineering degree; the maths there seems to be only "Maths Methods"), since I love maths. I'm also interested in Theoretical Physics anyway but I don't see myself working in that background at all. So anyway I was wondering if it's possible to enter engineering after TP?

I'd like to leave Ireland to do my Masters' so if you know of anyone that went abroad to do it that would be great!:D (Especially France/USA/Englad)

myfatherrsson · 04-04-2012 4:12pm

ClovisI wrote: »

Hey guys, I'm still in school and I was just wondering if any of you have ever heard of someone doing a Master's Degree in Engineering after the TP degree?

See I want to be an engineer but I also want a solid backround in maths (at least more solid than what they do in the engineering degree; the maths there seems to be only "Maths Methods"), since I love maths. I'm also interested in Theoretical Physics anyway but I don't see myself working in that background at all. So anyway I was wondering if it's possible to enter engineering after TP?

I'd like to leave Ireland to do my Masters' so if you know of anyone that went abroad to do it that would be great!:D (Especially France/USA/Englad)

Hey so I'm sort of considering that option at the moment. I'm in third year and went to the careers advisory service to see what my options were and there aren't that many...

While it is possible you're fairly limited into what you can apply for since most master's courses look for a B.Eng and not a B.Sc. There are two taught master's courses that I know of in Ireland that will accept a B.Sc. one is in UCD and the other in UCC (although I'm not so sure about the second one).

My advice is if you want to do engineering in the long term then go do that because whatever about the maths you'll be an engineer at the end of it. TP does give you a lot of options after college but it wont give you a professional engineering qualification.

I have no idea about foreign master's courses but I would say UK is your best bet there in terms of applicability. Hope this helps!

Maybe_Memories · 04-04-2012 8:37pm

The only thing that I know of off hand, is an Aeronautical engineering course in Glasgow (I think?). You can get in with a science or maths course (TP).

I'm sure someone else will have a better answer as well!

ClovisI · 13-04-2012 10:16pm

Thanks guys

Maybe_Memories · 01-05-2012 4:25pm

Is it true that for the Geometry summer exam the first question we answer is worth 40%, the second is 30%, etc???

PurpleFistMixer · 02-05-2012 12:15am

Maybe_Memories wrote: »

Is it true that for the Geometry summer exam the first question we answer is worth 40%, the second is 30%, etc???

I don't think so, unless someone has extracted the secret of the marking scheme from Prof. Simms. It seems somewhat unlikely though. Why would the order in which you answer questions be important?

Maybe_Memories · 02-05-2012 12:29am

A few people who have had him before have said it, and a PhD student said he doesn't mark consistently and that if you're not doing so well on the exam he'll be much easier on the marking, but if you're doing well he's much stricter.

Lisandro · 02-05-2012 2:58am

Maybe_Memories wrote: »

A few people who have had him before have said it, and a PhD student said he doesn't mark consistently and that if you're not doing so well on the exam he'll be much easier on the marking, but if you're doing well he's much stricter.

Yes, Simms is truly a unique lecturer. It's something I've heard a number of people say, one person said he answered two questions and got 40%, so it sounds somewhat plausible given that Simms allows you to answer as many questions as you like.

PurpleFistMixer · 02-05-2012 10:20pm

I have some dim* memories (from all of two years ago) of him saying the rubric is intentionally vague such that he can be flexible about giving marks to people where they can demonstrate they deserve them. That is, it's not a case where only your top x questions matter, so if you can half do all the questions, it's in your interests to do so. It seems like a good idea in a way, though it must be a nightmare to mark.

*Do not take this as fact. This is not an official Simms statement re: the marking.

Maths and Theoretical Physics Course Thread TR031 TR035

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