Why tensors should be taught at undergraduate levels

Andrey Beyle; Bernard Maxum

doi:10.1117/12.2223104

15 December 2015 Why tensors should be taught at undergraduate levels

Andrey Beyle, Bernard Maxum

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Proceedings Volume 9793, Education and Training in Optics and Photonics: ETOP 2015; 979319 (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2223104
Event: Education and Training in Optics and Photonics: ETOP 2015, 2015, Bordeaux, France

Abstract

Many academic subjects that were taught previously in the framework of theoretical physics moved to engineering. These include courses in electromagnetics, statics and dynamics, heat and mass transfer, mechanics of solids, nuclear power, and courses that branch from these, like fiber optic communications thermodynamics. However, the mathematical foundation in engineering education has remained substantially unchanged during this transition period, typically peaking at the level of linear algebra, vector calculus and integral transforms. As a result many undergraduate engineering courses are built in such a way as to avoid tensor analysis and tensor calculus, as if such mathematical constructs are beyond the capacity of the undergraduate student to understand. We show that this not the case.

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Andrey Beyle and Bernard Maxum "Why tensors should be taught at undergraduate levels", Proc. SPIE 9793, Education and Training in Optics and Photonics: ETOP 2015, 979319 (15 December 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2223104

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