<p>off topic, but mathmom, an easier way to remember:</p>
<p>“dessert” has 2 s’s because you always want more than one.</p>
<p>On topic, I can’t imagine a student would run out of math classes to take at Chicago. So I agree that one should base their decision on non-math issues.</p>
<p>I am not sure what people mean with regard to one school being more “rigorous” than another. The content and difficulty of material in specialized classes is mostly at the whim of the instructor. The same class may cover almost completely disjoint material in consecutive years (this is the case for example with the graduate complex analysis class at Chicago this year and last). Making comparisons between difficulty of specific classes at the two schools is not very useful. The catalogue course descriptions, especially for advanced math classes, at both schools give a very misleading idea of what is taught.
Someone who wants to learn as much math as possible will not run out at either school. If you’re going to be a mathematician at some point you’re going to start learning independently anyways–my biggest regret as an undergrad at Caltech is taking 25+ graduate classes and understanding next to nothing in half of them instead of sitting down and reading a book.
The minimum course requirements to get a degree in math from Caltech is higher than that at Chicago in the sense that there are more mandatory courses: eg three courses in geometry/topology, and logic, combinatorics, mathematical writing/presentation and a minimum of two graduate math classes of one’s choice. Depending on one’s interests one could become a fine mathematician without taking many of these courses, so not requiring them is hardly a fault of the math program at Chicago.
The minimum requirements to get ANY degree from Caltech are also higher than at Chicago in the same sense (even English majors [they exist and are very sad] at Caltech have to take quantum and stat mech).
Beyond that the answer to questions like “which school has more rigorous courses,”, “where can I learn more math,” and “which school will make me more likely to win a fields medal” depends mostly on how the environment at the school affects your motivation.</p>
<p>Perfect for “Independent study,” no?. Assuming of course that there is a prof who is in the field. </p>
<p>After I’d received a BA from UChicago as a Bio major, I lived in Hyde Park while working. A still matriculated friend of mine and I arranged to study a somewhat esoteric topic with the most respected/popular History professor (whom I had taken a class with previously) of the era. We met every week for an hour or two. He didn’t care that I wasn’t a ‘student’ then, only that I was interested. Lots of wiggle room in ‘independent study.’</p>