(October 7, 2022 at 5:07 pm)HappySkeptic Wrote:(October 7, 2022 at 11:45 am)polymath257 Wrote: If you want to learn physics, start with math. Go at least through differential equations and linear algebra.
Then get a good engineering physics textbook and read it. After that, you can start on quantum mechanics and special relativity. Don't expect to do general relativity until you have had more math (at least multivariate calculus and some more advanced linear algebra involving tensors).
Being able to do physics requires 2 things:
1) Math, as polymath says. If you can't do the math, you can't say you fully understand a physical concept.
2) An ability to go from the problem to the mathematics. This is a synthesis of knowledge. I do it by visualization, and by intuitively breaking down the problem into its fundamental pieces. This is the more fun part (sorry, polymath)
Different types of fun.
