https://www.amazon.com/No-bullshit-guide-math-physics/dp/099...
The green book is a subset of the longer book that also covers mechanics and calculus https://www.amazon.com/dp/0992001005/noBSmathMechCalc (see preview here https://minireference.com/static/excerpts/noBSguide_v5_previ... )
High school math is very deep, so I will not claim to cover all topics, but I present the most useful parts (equations, algebra, functions and inverses, math modelling), so it would be a good starting point.
Independent and in addition to the above, you can check out this printable tutorial on SymPy that can also be helpful as a review of lots of high school math material: https://minireference.com/static/tutorials/sympy_tutorial.pd...
[1] https://www.amazon.com/dp/0992001005/noBSmathphys (high school math review, mechanics, and calculus) [2] https://www.amazon.com/dp/0992001021/noBSLA (linear algebra) [3] https://www.amazon.com/dp/099200103X/noBSmath (high school math review)
There is also the No Bullshit Guide to Linear Algebra https://www.amazon.com/dp/0992001021/ Extended preview: https://minireference.com/static/excerpts/noBSguide2LA_previ...
Both come with a review of high school math topics, which may or may not be useful for you, depending on how well you remember the material. Many of the university-level books will assume you know the high school math concepts super well.
One last thing, I highly recommend you try out SymPy which is a computer algebra system that can do a lot of arithmetic and symbolic math operations for you, e.g. simplify expressions, factor polynomials, solve equations, etc. You can try it out without installing anything here https://live.sympy.org/ and this is a short tutorial that explains the basic commands https://minireference.com/static/tutorials/sympy_tutorial.pd...
Some notes/links below:
> Before you begin studying physics and working through the topics in the sections below, you have to be familiar with some basic mathematics.
That is very true and often a big obstacle for people who have been out of school for some time. Note it's not enough to just be familiar with the concepts—you must achieve fluency with the procedures so you can use them as building blocks for later studies. For example, it's not enough to just read about the quadratic formula (-b ± sqrt(b^2-4ac))/(2a) and use it a few times, spending 5 minutes each time to think about the steps, plugging in the vars, etc.
Because solving quadratic equations is used so much in math and physics, you have to package that procedure as a reusable routine that you don't think about anymore and you can apply almost without thinking, in under 30 seconds. This "fluency with the basics" will ensure you're not slowed down when you reach the more advanced topics where solving quadratic equations is used.... and there is only one way to build fluency...
> Regardless of your learning style, you'll still need to solve the physics problems in each textbook. Solving problems is the only way to really understand how the laws of physics work. There's no way around it.
This. A thousand times this. I wish someone told me that when I was studying. It may not be fun to get stuck, go down the wrong path, doubt your abilities and feel stupid along the way, but that's what growth looks like. If every time you read a solution to a problem provided by someone else you gain one "knowledge unit," then finding the solution on your own is > 10 knowledge units. Forget 10x engineer, be a 10x learner—solve some problems!
> 1. Introduction to Mechanics [...] the basics of motion in a straight line, motion in two dimensions, motion in three dimensions, Newton's Laws, work, kinetic energy, potential energy, the conservation of energy, momentum, collisions, rotation and rotational motion, gravitation, and periodic motion. > You'll need to learn calculus while working through University Physics. >
Shameless plug, I wrote a book called No Bullshit Guide to Math and Physics that covers these exact topics. It would be a great starting point for someone who wants to review high school math and learn mechanics and calculus in an integrated manner. Here are some links if anyone wants to check it out:
- preview: https://minireference.com/static/excerpts/noBSguide_v5_previ...
- https://minireference.com/static/tutorials/conceptmap.pdf
- condensed printable tutorial: https://minireference.com/static/tutorials/mech_in_7_pages.p...
- reviews: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0992001005/noBSmathphys
The useful part of a publisher is developmental editing (product) and copy editing (Q/A), so there is an opportunity for "lightweight" publishing companies that help expert authors produce the book—like self publishing, but you don't have to do the boring parts. I'm working in that space. We have two textbooks out: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0992001005/noBSmathphys and https://www.amazon.com/dp/0992001021/noBSLA
!!!
If you're a freshman in college, please check out my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0992001005/noBSguide It's super affordable and it will get you through MECHANICS and CALCULUS without too much suffering.
You won't get a degree or anything, but the knowledge will last with you longer than the case of beer ;)
[1] https://www.amazon.com/dp/0992001005/noBSguide preview: https://minireference.com/static/excerpts/noBSguide_v5_previ...
I just wanted to pop in and say this book has been excellent. These papers are brief and therefore a bit cryptic, but the book is eminently readable. https://www.amazon.com/No-bullshit-guide-math-physics/dp/099...
I also have a book on linear algebra, which would be good for people doing more machine learning or data sciency stuff: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0992001021/noBSLA
Both books are perfect for math haters, since they start out with a review of high school math.