I was walking around yesterday and just recalled that I wanted to learn physics. Like, beyond watching YouTube videos and feeling philosophical awe, I wanted to get an undergraduate understanding of physics.
I figured that doing structured learning for myself worked pretty good -- I really like making checklists and all. I tend to design syllabi by quizzing internet, language models, etc. on the canonical resource and potential supplementary readings and then talk through readings with language models, too. I guess in a sense it's a really good time to learn alone, but you have to have a mild skepticism on the internal logic of the model and whether you can trust its own assessment of your learning.
How do you go about learning new stuff outside your field? Also, if you know physics, how's this?
Main textbooks:
- "University Physics" by Young and Freedman (13-15th?)
- "Feynman Lectures on Physics"
Year 1
- [ ] Introductory Calculus
- "Calculus Made Easy" - Silvanus Thompson
- Main understanding necessary is derivatives, integrals and slopes, which show up immediately in mechanics (velocity etc)
- [ ] Classical Mechanics
- Feynman 1 ch. 1-4 (Basic Physics, Spacetime, Newton's Laws)
- [ ] Electricity and Magnetism
- Feynman 1 ch. 8-10, 2 ch. 1-5 (Conservation of Energy; Electromagnetism Foundations)
Year 2
- [ ] Waves, Oscillations and Optics
- Feynman 1 ch. 38-42 (Harmonic Oscillator and Waves), 39-45 (Optics)
- [ ] Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
- Feynman 1 ch. 44-46 (Thermodynamics)
- [ ] Mathematical Methods for Physics (differential equations, linear algebra)
- [ ] Advanced E&M
Year 3
- [ ] Quantum Mechanics (Introduction)
- Feynman 3 ch. 1-4 (Quantum principles), ch. 7-8 (Uncertainty Principle)
- [ ] Classical Mechanics (Lagrangian, Hamiltonian)
- [ ] Modern Physics (atomic structure, nuclear physics)
- [ ] Computational Physics
Year 4
- [ ] Quantum Mechanics
- Feynman 3 ch. 18-19 (Symmetry in Physical Law)
- [ ] Solid State Physics
- [ ] Astrophysics and/or Particle Physics (elective)
Teaching yourself...
Teaching yourself...
We don't care what you say but we care what you do.
We’re the invisible entity that looks out for you.