In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
Christopher Tong <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>On 11 Dec 2001, Herman Rubin wrote:
>> Most courses in physics are courses in mathematical physics.
>This is blatantly incorrect. Courses called "Mathematical Methods of
>Physics" are common, and some courses are called "Mathematical
>Physics" even though they are really methods courses. But these
>are not true mathematical physics courses.
>It IS true that most physics courses are theoretical courses,
>and that physical theory is always formulated mathematically.
>It is NOT true that these courses are Mathematical Physics courses,
>because such are courses where one proves mathematical theorems,
>usually involving functional analysis, Lie groups/algebras,
>differential geometry, category theory, et al.
This is a matter of terminology. There are few mathematics
courses, unfortunately, which prove theorems. Probably most
mathematics majors are college juniors before having to prove
a theorem themselves. I would not be all that surprised if
physics majors knew mathematical concepts at least as well
as mathematics majors.
>If you compare the journals "Communications in Mathematical Physics"
>and "Journal of Mathematical Physics" with, say, the "Physical
>Review" or the "European Physical Journal", you will see that
>Mathematical Physics and Physics per se are distinct from each other.
--
This address is for information only. I do not claim that these views
are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University.
Herman Rubin, Dept. of Statistics, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette IN47907-1399
[EMAIL PROTECTED] Phone: (765)494-6054 FAX: (765)494-0558
=================================================================
Instructions for joining and leaving this list and remarks about
the problem of INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGES are available at
http://jse.stat.ncsu.edu/
=================================================================
