Physics GRE Discussion Forums

Hello all,
in which department does this belong..math or physics? And which GRE is required..math or physics? Because this's an applied math program, but at some universities it is found in physics department. Or do applied math program consider only phy gre, than the pure math program? Is it the department that matters or the program.?
Thanks.

satyad18 wrote:Because this's an applied math program, but at some universities it is found in physics department.

You answered your own question. It just depends on the school. Some schools might offer a "mathematical physics" program through the math or the physics department and require the subject GRE accordingly. Others might not offer a program of study titled mathematical physics, but may have many research groups engaged in mathematical physics which can be based out of either department. You have to go school by school and look for interesting research groups doing mathematical physics in both departments and decide which you want to apply to. There is no universal rule that says what department mathematical physics research must be based out of or what these programs should require from their applicants. It is up to the particular university and each will be a little different.

It also depends which approach you'd like to take. If you prefer an axiomatic approach to physics in which everything is derived from first principles and mathematical rigor is paramount, then you should be looking for math departments that have mathematical physicists. If, on the other hand, you'd like to focus on working towards physically significant results motivated by intuitive reasoning, then (overall) you're better off to stick to physics departments. You should think about whether you'd like to self-identify as a mathematician or a physicist in the future, because by and large, the skill sets are quite different.

@grae:
in that case, if i find a school which has my topic of interest (mathematical physics) in their math dept, wont i require to take the math gre then.? Moreover, i have scored only 590 in the november pgre. So physics dept is almost out of league! What do you suggest then? Retake pgre or take math gre.? I'm from india.

What if i'm interested in both approaches.? What should i do then.?

So if i write math gre, what will i say in my SOP about the change in topic.? And do math departments offer full funding to ph.d students.?

satyad18 wrote:So if i write math gre, what will i say in my SOP about the change in topic.? And do math departments offer full funding to ph.d students.?

you should say:"Im interested in the research programs in your department and really want to hang out with you folks!" or something like that. and as far as I know they (math departments) offer very good funding to TAs.

satyad18 wrote:What if i'm interested in both approaches.? What should i do then.?

It's an advantage then. you have a broader range of places to apply. you can apply to some universities and ask the two departments to circulate your application to one another. math GRE is not going to be easier than physics GRE, if it's not even harder, so if you are a physics student and want to have a competitive score you need to spend more time into preparation for math GRE than you did for pgre.

Okay. But i'm not a physics student. And i'm in doubt whether 5 months time would suffice to study hard for math gre. I'm applying for the november test. And i don't know the depth into which i need to go in each topic for math gre. Perhaps, kroner can help me in that. And what if i retake pgre? Are there physics departments which have research groups in mathematical physics apart from georgiatech, indiana, virginia, central florida. Pls comment..thanks.

satyad18 wrote:@grae:
in that case, if i find a school which has my topic of interest (mathematical physics) in their math dept, wont i require to take the math gre then.? Moreover, i have scored only 590 in the november pgre. So physics dept is almost out of league! What do you suggest then? Retake pgre or take math gre.? I'm from india.

If you don't feel like you could do any better on the physics gre, try and ace the math gre and look for schools with good research in mathematical physics in the math department. If you can't do well in either exam, apply to low ranked masters programs and take what you can get

@grae:
In that case, its better if i just stick to PGRE, because i know i can score 990 on it. I'm a major in electrical engg. and i scored low because i had pgre exam in between my majors! Hope its a valid reason to state in my SOP. Thanks.

So when i apply to physics department, is it necessary that i apply to universities having research groups in mathematical physics or would it suffice to state my interest, be it a university not having research group in mathematical physics.?

you bewilder me. if you are interested in mathematical physics, why would you apply to a university that does not offer research you are interested in?

For each school, find at least a couple groups you would be interested in working with and mention them in your SOP. If that's not mathematical physics that's fine, just make sure you don't apply to a school to do mathematical physics that doesn't do any mathematical physics research. That's a sure way to get your application put in the reject pile.

Oh yeah..ofcourse. I'm sorry about that, i should have known. Thanks grae..
so, now the only problem remains is to find various universities that have research groups in mathematical physics. I did do some research, but i could get only a few schools, which i have listed in this thread. Do u have any idea of other schools having research groups in mathematical physics.? Pls comment..

Found one.....University of Iowa. Can anyone say how good it is.?
Thanks in advance.