Resources
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Resources

Resources

This is a collection1 of links and resources covering various topics within my fields of interest. If you have any recommendations for relevant additions, feel free to share them with me.

The scientist does not study nature because it is useful to do so. He studies it because he takes pleasure in it, and he takes pleasure in it because it is beautiful. If nature were not beautiful it would not be worth knowing, and life would not be worth living. I am not speaking, of course, of the beauty which strikes the senses, of the beauty of qualities and appearances. I am far from despising this, but it has nothing to do with science. What I mean is that more intimate beauty which comes from the harmonious order of its parts, and which a pure intelligence can grasp.

— Henri Poincaré, Science and Method.

Physics Study

  • Lectures on Theoretical Physics by David Tong:
  • How to become a GOOD Theoretical Physicist by Gerard 't Hooft:
  • How to Learn Math and Physics by John Baez:
  • So You Want To Learn Physics by Susan Fowler:
  • Theoretical Physics: Everything you need to learn by Paul Booker: ,
  • Theoretical Physics Reference by Ondřej Čertík: ,
  • Physics Travel Guide by Jakob Schwichtenberg:
  • Books about string theory by nLab:
  • Lectures Notes by Kevin Zhou:
  • Quite a good book list for learning Physics (Quora):
  • Book recommendations (Physics StackExchange):
  • List of freely available physics books (Physics StackExchange):
  • How to learn quantum mechanics on your own by Mithuna Yoganathan:
  • Online lectures by Tibra Ali (YouTube):
  • Pre-requisitions for QFT by Arshad Momen:
  • Pre-requisitions for string theory by Ashoke Sen (Quora):
  • Awesome Physics Simulations:
  • Physics olympiads for undergrads (Quora):
  • The Feynman Lectures on Physics:
  • Physics Pages:
  • AMS open math notes:
  • Mathematical reading list (University of Cambridge):
  • Conventions, Definitions, Identities, and Formulas in GR by Bob McNees:
  • How to succeed in graduate school in theoretical physics by Daniel Harlow:
  • Advice essays for different audiences by A.W. Peet:
    • Advice for prospective graduate students in theoretical HEP by A.W. Peet:
    • The Straight Dope: advice for aspiring string theorists by A.W. Peet:
  • NIST Digital Library of Mathematical Functions:
  • Book lists in GoodReads:
    • Physics Books:
    • Math Books:


The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool. So you have to be very careful about that. After you’ve not fooled yourself, it’s easy not to fool other scientists. You just have to be honest in a conventional way after that.

— Richard Feynman, Cargo Cult Science.

Advice

  • Four golden lessons by Steven Weinberg:
  • Advice for the Young Scientist by John Baez:
  • Career advice by Terence Tao:
  • Recommended non-physics reading for grad students by A.W. Peet:
    Links shared on Making Progress
    • Structured Procrastination by John Perry:
    • The importance of stupidity in scientific research by Martin Schwartz:
  • Research Debt by Chris Olah, Shan Carter:
  • Student “Learning Styles” Theory Is Bunk by Daniel Willingham:
  • Thoughts on graduate school by Secret Blogging Seminar
  • Quasi-mathematical writings by Kimball Martin:
    • Will you be my advisor? (Q&A) by Kimball Martin:
    • Some Career Advice for Postdocs and Grad Students by Kimball Martin:
      Links to other shared resources
      • Career Collection by AMS Notice:
      • What to do in talks by Jason Starr (), with tip sheet by Jordan Ellenberg ()
      • Practical suggestions for mathematical speaking by Bjorn Poonen:
      • Ten lessons I wish had been taught by GC Rota: ,
      • You and Your Research talk by Richard Hamming:
      • John Baez on Research Tactics by Luke Muehlhauser:
      • The Princeton Companion’s advice to a young mathematician:
      • Writing a teaching statement by James Oxley: ,
  • Writings (Advice, Expository, Links) by Kevin Zhou:
    • Keeping Study Notes Publicly Available by Kevin Zhou:
    • Nontechnical Articles (Research & Career advice) by Kevin Zhou:
      Links to some shared resouces
      • Research
        • Principles of Effective Research by Michael A. Nielsen:
        • How to Do Great Work by Paul Graham:
        • The Inner Ring by C. S. Lewis:
        • Gravity Turn by Xiaoyu He: ,
      • Career
        • Applying to STEM Ph.D. Programs by George Iskander:
        • How to Make Sure Your Talk Doesn’t Suck by David Tong:
        • What it means, and doesn’t mean, to get a job in physics by Brian Skinner:
        • My Secret, Cap by 4 gravitons:
  • Interview of Tibra Ali: A Physicist’s Poetic World (Part 1 , Part 2* , Part 3 )
  • Podcasts by Cal Newport:
  • Useful things to know when starting graduate school by Galois Group, UCD Math:
  • For potential Ph.D. students by Ravi Vakil:
    Links shared on General Advice
    • On seminars:
      • The “Three Things” Exercise for getting things out of talks by Ravi Vakil:
    • On giving talks:
      • Be considerate of your audience by Terence Tao:
      • Talks are not the same as papers by Terence Tao:
      • How to give a colloquium by JE McCarthy:
    • On writing:
      • How to write mathematics badly by Jean P. Serre:
      • Terence Tao on writing:
    • Links to other grad student advice articles
      • Some Modest Advice for Graduate Students by Stephen C. Stearns:
      • Modest Advice for New Graduate Students by Dorsa Amir:
  • On letter of recommendations by Ravi Vakil:

Papers

Tools

Footnote

  1. Apologies for the unsorted list. I’ll organize and update it when I have time. ↩︎

Updated