<p>At my college, only calculus is required for chemistry majors. I just finished multivariable calc and I'm wondering if I should take linear algebra next semester. I'm taking physical chemistry next year, would linear algebra be beneficial? Or is it not worth it, ie can easily be learned by cracking open a textbook or crash course guide?</p>
<p>Also, diff eq's? Useful or not?</p>
<p>My college only requires calculus for the chemistry major as well. I self-studied linear algebra as I thought it would help but it didn’t turn out to be too useful. I think it’s a good idea to understand the notation and how various concepts from these subjects are used (as it does come up in upper-level chem classes), but you can do easily this from self-studying instead of a formal course. If you want to go to grad school for physical chemistry I highly recommend taking those classes though.</p>
<p>I am a physics major so I may be a bit off but I couldn’t imagine a chemistry major not taking differential equations. This class should be extremely useful for physical chemistry. I would agree that most of linear algebra can be picked up along the way.</p>
<p>The chemistry program at my university, Illinois Institute of Technology, requires Differential Equations and Multivariate Calculus. The former is very useful for any quantum mechanics you will study in Physical Chemistry. Even if it is not required, it might be a good plan to take one of the two.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, my school required differential equations for chemistry majors. I wasn’t one myself, but my friend said he used it in some of his courses. It might be worth it to learn it now when you’re in the math mode, then try to figure it out later on your own.</p>
<p>It’ll depend on how the class is taught. I didn’t solve even a single differential equation when I took the quantum portion of physical chemistry (I haven’t taken the other portions yet so I can’t comment on those). The professor told us the solutions whenever any differential equations came up. In addition we have mathematica available if any ugly situations arise. I imagine in Sophia7X’s case if a class isn’t a prerequisite the professor will keep that in mind in lecture and in homework/exam problems. </p>
<p>That being said, taking any of these classes can’t do anything but help you (with perhaps the exception of your GPA), however I wouldn’t take them if you were planning to remove some other classes from your schedule for them.</p>
<p>Strange, linear algebra is a pre requisite for differential equations at my school. It isn’t for the engineering version of the course though. </p>
<p>We also have Mathematica. Also, just double checked the pre req’s and they are multivariable OR linear algebra OR diff eq’s for p chem. Interesting.</p>
<p>I might just take linear algebra instead of a “filler” liberal arts class I have. Diff eq’s later if I have room.</p>
<p>Statistics if much, much, much, much, much more useful than calculus, diff eqs, and linear algebra in the real world. No chemists in the real world except for those in academia are using calculus for anything. Many chemists are employed in sectors such as pharma, where they’ll have to read tons of papers on clinical problems and papers on lots of biology which will contain lots of statistics. If you have no idea what the official definition of a P value is, don’t know what what assumptions an ANOVA test makes, and don’t know some basic ideas behind bayesian analysis, you are much off taking a series of stats classes. You will see those topics much more in the real world. </p>
<p>You won’t need much linear algebra in PChem, you only have so much time, and most intro PChem classes are NOT going to going to go into treating things like the hamiltonian as an operator on a linear space. That’s saved for graduate work. I’d just take your schools required coursework, they know how the curriculum is set up. If you want useful coursework in the long run, take as much stats as you can.</p>