WebSpot Topics

• Symmetry, Conservation and Noether's Theorem.

Brief Bio

Zach was raised in Westborough, Massachusetts. He liked math in high school but came to college expecting to be a social science major. Nevertheless, he is now an honors physics major, course math major, and honors math minor at Swarthmore College.

Question & Answer

What was your favorite math experience?

One of my favorite topics was Galois Theory (taught in the Math 102 seminar); it's a very beautiful connection between the somewhat disparate subjects of field theory and group theory. In fact, I've enjoyed algebra in general more than analysis, if only because it deals with subject matter that I didn't see in high school at all.

What do you hope to be doing next year this time?

I hope to be going to graduate school in theoretical physics, possibly in particular studying string theory. I would like to be a very mathematically oriented physicist.

What advice would you give freshman and sophomores considering majoring in mathematics and statistics?

Math is hard. However, it can be very rewarding and even quite fun. If you think the previous statement is patently absurd, perhaps a math major isn't for you. Otherwise, just remember that being stuck on a problem with your friends in your professor's office during office hours is a lot more fun than being stuck on a problem alone in your dorm room the night before the problem set is due.