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How much harder is a Physics path compared to Engineering?
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I'm not sure I agree with the implication.</p>
<p>I've heard that it is. I was just wondering the validity of the assertion, and if true, the details of such.</p>
<p>Although I do understand the initial question, it is hard to answer because both mathematics and physics have "applied" versions of their disciplines that are very similar to engineering anyway.</p>
<p>Math: applied math, computational math, industrial math, operations research
Physics: applied physics, engineering physics, computational physics</p>
<p>All of the above are offered as part of ENGINEERING schools at many universities.</p>
<p>is a physicist a person who majored in physics?</p>
<p>What you are depends on your profession, not your major.</p>
<p>Engineers go to work in the industry. Physicists and mathematicians stay in colleges. Engineers make more money but may have less respect and may feel unhappy when getting older because of age discrimination. Physicists and mathematicians probably will get more respect when getting older.</p>
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Engineers go to work in the industry. Physicists and mathematicians stay in colleges.
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</p>
<p>Nope. You can have engineers in academia and physicists in industry too.</p>
<p>math is a tool for physics to use, math and physics are tools for engineers to use.</p>
<p>there's a joke:
An engineer, a physicist, and a mathematician are shown a pasture containing a herd of sheep, and told to enclose them with smallest possible amount of fence. </p>
<p>The engineer is first. He herds the sheep into a circle and then puts the fence around them, declaring, "A circle will use the least fence for a given area, so this is the best solution." </p>
<p>The physicist is next. She creates a fence of infinite radius around the sheep, and then draws the fence tight around the herd, declaring, "This will give the shortest fence around the herd." </p>
<p>The mathematician is last. After giving the problem a little thought, he puts a small fence around himself and then declares, "I define myself to be on the outside!"</p>
<p>
[quote]
math is a tool for physics to use, math and physics are tools for engineers to use.</p>
<p>there's a joke:
An engineer, a physicist, and a mathematician are shown a pasture containing a herd of sheep, and told to enclose them with smallest possible amount of fence. </p>
<p>The engineer is first. He herds the sheep into a circle and then puts the fence around them, declaring, "A circle will use the least fence for a given area, so this is the best solution." </p>
<p>The physicist is next. She creates a fence of infinite radius around the sheep, and then draws the fence tight around the herd, declaring, "This will give the shortest fence around the herd." </p>
<p>The mathematician is last. After giving the problem a little thought, he puts a small fence around himself and then declares, "I define myself to be on the outside!"
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</p>
<p>That's funny.</p>
<p>You know, it really depends on the professors you talk to, when discussing the "academic hierarchy" of the sciences. I know some Math professors who would shriek to see their precious formulas and proofs sullied by "engineering applications" and similarly, engineers, who will quickly gloss over the proofs and "complicated math". </p>
<p>As Hardy said in A Mathematician's Apology, most mathematicians (pure) live in a different world and that the concepts of practicality and realism are trivial compared to Mathematical beauty. Therefore its natural that most Mathematicians and Physicists have an air of arrogance and even bitterness to Engineers--most feel that they engineers only care about the solution and not the steps to get there. It makes sense since most Mathematicians or Physicist will claim how elegant and beautiful their craft is though I can't say the same about engineers.</p>
<p>This is really very interesting subject matter. I'm glad I brought it up.</p>
<p>My take on this:</p>
<p>In higher level CS/engineering (EE in particular); a much higher level of mathematical skill is essential, not much of physics. In Mech/Aero, you need a fair amount of good math & physics as well. </p>
<p>If math is not your cup of tea and you’re doing some kind of graduate work based on experiments, this is a tip: When you’re doing oral defense of your thesis (or dissertation), there may be a committee member who’s more inclined to mathematical rigor; you should then stress the importance of physical understanding of the problems that you are trying to solve - This can be most efficiently accomplished in the introduction of what you have done. </p>
<p>Re: Respect
I don’t think there are too many ill feelings among engineers and mathematicians/physics: they tend to respect each other’s specialties.</p>
<p>Engineers are the gods of the new era.</p>
<p>That is all.</p>
<p>^While engineers are important, I don't think they're any more important than theoretical mathematicians or physicists. The work of engineers is just more noticable.</p>
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Engineers are the gods of the new era.</p>
<p>That is all.
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</p>
<p>hahaha, you need to say that to the liberal art kids who are bitter about engineers getting pay too much</p>