Programs by Campus
Bloomington
Mathematical Physics
College of Arts and Sciences
Curriculum
Degree Offered
Doctor of Philosophy
This program offers advanced graduate training for superior students in the overlapping areas of mathematics, theoretical physics, and their applications from a unified point of view and promotes research in this field.
General supervision of the program is controlled by the Interdepartmental Graduate Committee on Mathematical Physics. While no master’s degree is offered, a student may qualify for a master’s degree in mathematics or physics during the course of study. A student usually enters the program at the beginning of the second year of graduate study in mathematics or physics.
Special Program Requirements
(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)
Doctor of Philosophy Degree
Admission Requirements
Students in the Mathematical Physics Program must be enrolled in either the Department of Mathematics or the Department of Physics. Basic preparation should include courses in advanced calculus, linear algebra, modern algebra, complex variables, classical mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, modern physics, thermodynamics, and statistical mechanics. Knowledge of the following fields is desirable: real analysis, differential equations, probability, topology, differential geometry, and functional analysis.
Course Requirements
A total of 90 credit hours, including dissertation. Required courses are determined by the advisory committee on the basis of the student’s previous training and main fields of interest. (For a starting point, see requirements for Mathematical Physics minor.)
Advisory Committee
Composed of members of both the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Physics.
Minors
Mathematics and physics.
Foreign Language/Research-Skill Requirement
Same as in the department of residence.
Qualifying Examination
Consists of parts of the Departments of Mathematics and Physics qualifying examinations, as determined by the student’s advisory committee.
Final Examination
Oral and public defense of dissertation.