COMPARE Double major: Math and CS or Math and Applied Physics

[Takemikazuchi]

Between the option to follow an double majored undergraduate degree in Applied Math and Computer Science or Applied Math and Applied Physics, which would you recommend for a future in quant finance and why?

 

[weab]

CS is more useful than physics if you want to do quant finance since you get a chance to work on coding skills / machine learning.

 

[Daniel Duffy]

CS is more useful than physics if you want to do quant finance since you get a chance to work on coding skills / machine learning.

You can learn CS on the job. And it's relatively easy.
Physics is of fundamental importance.

 

[Xerium]

You can learn CS on the job. And it's relatively easy.
Physics is of fundamental importance.

My undergrad was in physics and I sort of disagree. If you don’t take programming that are IN CS faculties, your programming will be very underwhelming.

Most math and physics programs, especially as a double major, don’t have the time for Student’s to take foundational programming classes. The programming you will do is very basic and is testing you on the physics or math, rather than actually how to code. You will come out of your degree not even knowing what a class is.

I will say though, lot of topics in quantitative finance become very intuitive if you take physics classes. And if students are driven and happy to learn to program with passion projects, physics can be better.

I only learned to program because I took extra foundational programming classes and had many side projects. All of which were a large factor in me gaining employment.

But I don’t think physics in a vacuum is a good undergrad for working in quantitative finance (unless it’s a PhD, but it’s more about the PhD than a PhD in physics)

 

[weab]

You can learn CS on the job. And it's relatively easy.
Physics is of fundamental importance.

How is Physics of fundamental importance to quant finance specifically? I love physics but CS is clearly more useful in real life quant work.

 

[Daniel Duffy]

How is Physics of fundamental importance to quant finance specifically? I love physics but CS is clearly more useful in real life quant work.

Depends on the context.
PDE,SDE models are all based on physics + intuition. just think Fokker-Planck. Markov chains etc.

For me, CS education on its own is a bit soft IMO. It doesn't teach maths or domain stuff.
I learned it on the job.

 

[Daniel Duffy]

Most math and physics programs, especially as a double major, don’t have the time for Student’s to take foundational programming classes
That's the fault of your university, not of physics.
They don't take the time and/or they are not interested. Same old story of the last 60 years. Believe me,

One solution: do QN C++

BTW I did maths and physics at uni.

 

[weab]

Depends on the context.
PDE,SDE models are all based on physics + intuition. just think Fokker-Planck. Markov chains etc.

For me, CS education on its own is a bit soft IMO. I learned it on the job.

I agree is true that you can "catch up" on CS/programming on the job, but nowadays almost all quant jobs require you to know programming already to even get the job (at least in the US, I don't know much about other countries). Of course you can always spend extra time learning it on your own time, but honestly that can take up a lot of your time and makes it difficult to do other things like research, social activities, etc. In my eyes, the biggest benefit of doing CS is that it sets you up better to possibly do quant dev positions and SWE without having to spend that extra time. Also landing a position at a top quant firm in the US is extremely competitive, at least you can have a backup plan if you fail.

PS I respect you for studying math and physics. I studied pure mathematics myself and I wish I would have studied physics as well, although purely for my own interest.

 

[Daniel Duffy]

I wasn't fishing for compliments, but stating what my experience was, for good or bad.

I have been told that QN C++ is miles ahead of any CS course.

So, maths + physics + C++ and good to go.

 

[Xerium]

Most math and physics programs, especially as a double major, don’t have the time for Student’s to take foundational programming classes
That's the fault of your university, not of physics.
They don't take the time and/or they are not interested. Same old story of the last 60 years. Believe me,

One solution: do QN C++

BTW I did maths and physics at uni.

Except that’s most physics programs, not just mine. After learning nuclear, calculus classes, solid state, electromagnetism, classical mechanics, stat mech, QM, optics, materials etc. there isn't any room for CS classes. Maybe, if you’re doing a 4 year bachelor and have to take electives outside of your field you might, but there isn’t time.

But even then, the intuition from physics for learning PDE isn’t really required. I took a PDE class in my MFE and we used your book. Most students had no trouble understanding the intuition with flux and divergence of heat for solving PDE when they didn't have physics backgrounds

 

[Daniel Duffy]

Except that’s most physics programs, not just mine. After learning nuclear, calculus classes, solid state, electromagnetism, classical mechanics, stat mech, QM, optics, materials etc. there isn't any room for CS classes. Maybe, if you’re doing a 4 year bachelor and have to take electives outside of your field you might, but there isn’t time.

But even then, the intuition from physics for learning PDE isn’t really required. I took a PDE class in my MFE and we used your book. Most students had no trouble understanding the intuition with flux and divergence of heat for solving PDE when they didn't have physics backgrounds

well, PDE in finance is fine.
But can you write a PDE solver for Maxwell's electromagnetic equations w/o physics?

flux and divergence of heat

eh!! that's high-school level, unfortunately.

In my day, maths students learned Fortran, C etc. by osmosis during 4-year degree program.
Just make time and prune other non-essential things (games, frisby, whatever).

PS
It is now 2023.
who can say what PDE is in 2033, 2043,...