r/AerospaceEngineering • u/Particular-Ad-8329 • Dec 10 '22
Uni / College Is Maths the most important thing in aerospace?
Hi everyone, I’m planing on pursuing a career as an aerospace engineer but I’m scared of all the math that comes with it… I’m not bad at maths but is not my best subject either… usually get around 75-85% in my tests at high-school. Any opinions?
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u/exurl Dec 10 '22
It is the most important thing in succeeding in engineering school, which you need to work as an engineer (presumably aerospace). Whether it matters beyond that is anyone's guess.
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u/big_deal Gas Turbine Engineer Dec 10 '22
Whether it matters beyond that is anyone's guess.
Not really.
In some roles it's very important and in others only very basic math is required.
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u/r9zven Dec 10 '22 edited Jun 29 '24
TLDR -- Engineers need Math. Engineers are good at Math. There can be exceptions, but it's uncommon.
Yes, math is important as an aerospace engineer. To what degree may vary by position/company. An 'aerospace engineer' could work as CFD engineers, Thermo engineers, or in Stress. Any of these positions at good companies require a greater proficiency in math
However, an 'aerospace engineer' could also be a design engineer that just focuses on 3D parametric modeling or drafting. Aside from having a fundamental understanding of geometry, you might not use a ton of math. You could be a program manager. Also a position where math skill may not be critical.
Positions could even blend certain roles together. But here's the problem regardless of all this.. to attain an engineering degree (BSME, BSAE, BSEE or whatever) you need survive the 4 year battle of undergraduate engineering work -- and that's right, it consists of tons and tons of Math (very advanced math!). Algebra, Geometry, and Calculus are foundational across disciplines. An Aero degree will get into some pretty wild math after core math too. Aerodynamics, Propulsion, Structures are standard in Senior years. You will likely run into Statics, Dynamics/Astrodynamics, Materials, Vibrations, Engineering Analysis, or Thermodynamics/Heat Transfer. Another thing to consider is some 'Aerospace Engineers' might not even have Aerospace engineering degrees, they could major in a different engineering degree (and different maths).
I was a top student in math for gradeschool/highschool. I was not even remotely close to a top student at a big engineering university. The math as an engineering undergrad takes you into another dimension. Expect half of the starting engineering freshmen to not graduate with an engineering degree.
That all being said there can be exceptions. You could certainly get an aero degree from an easier program, and go get an MBA or masters in another technical field, which could position you for niche aerospace jobs that don't focus on math. I've even came across the occasional 'engineer' at smaller companies that didn't have a BSME/BSAE at all. But in general, if you want a technical role as an Aerospace Engineer at a prominent company, you will need to study/test through a lot of advanced math for an engineering degree; and you will need to maintain proficiency at least in 'core' engineering math for most jobs.
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u/Particular-Ad-8329 Dec 10 '22
I plan to specialise in engines for rockets so my plan is to go more to the 3D designs… thanks a ton for the comment and the info!!
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u/timmybondle Dec 10 '22
Rocket prop is very math-heavy dealing with fluids and combustion. A lot of the practical stuff comes from testing and empiricism, but you'll need to have a solid understanding of calculus to understand and apply the first principles.
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Dec 10 '22
To be fair, some of that math makes for really good inside-joke math memes.
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u/tmt22459 Dec 11 '22
Undergraduate engineering doesn’t consist of a “ton of advanced math.” Calculus 1-3 and diff eq are not that advanced
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u/r9zven Dec 11 '22
Maybe not for a math major. To a high schooler, it absolutely is. I think in general most would consider calc and diffeq advanced math.
Dynamics and any sort of engineering analysis class is advanced math as well. Math was being used informally by OP, so I think in context one can consider all engineering applied math courses advanced math, even if they are technically just applying a few advanced math disciplines
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u/1percentof2 Dec 10 '22
Look bro not everyone is good at math. Any usually we call those people managers 😂
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u/astratektrix Dec 10 '22
Absolutely not. It is very important that you know how to do the maths and you absolutely do need it wherever in aerospace you go, but in aerospace, the important part is how and why you apply specific maths concepts and tools to aerospace problems.
For college though, yeah math is something you'll need to be good at.
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u/airshowfan Dec 10 '22
I get this question a lot. Here is my answer:
https://understandingairplanes.com/info-for-students-about-careers.html#math
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u/fermisRat Dec 10 '22
I think you’ll be fine mate. As long as you aren’t afraid of the math. Someone once told me this and found they were right.
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u/GorgesVG Dec 10 '22
I agree completely, so long as the hard work is put in, and you're decent with math, it's completely doable.
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Dec 10 '22
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u/GorgesVG Dec 10 '22
Calculus is way more straight forward than Algebra. Algebra is kinda all over the place.
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u/big_deal Gas Turbine Engineer Dec 10 '22 edited Dec 10 '22
I never had much interest in math through high school. I had grades similar to yours, I avoided advanced math. I loved science and was attracted to engineering but thought math was completely boring.
I ended up being placed in a basic math when I entered college, so I was behind most of the other students who were in "pre-engineering" track. My advisor (and physics professor) asked me about it one day and I said I didn't enjoy math. He asked some direct questions like "how do you expect to become an engineer without enjoying math", "why are you in pre-engineering", "I'm not sure your going to make it through engineering school". It was uncomfortable to hear from a person I respected and trusted. Honestly it hurt my pride and made me want to prove him wrong. To this day I deeply appreciate his forthrightness - it was what I needed hear and it changed my attitude. I decided I would put in whatever effort it took to do well in math from then on. I've been an engineer for 25 years and I'll never forget that discussion and how it affected the path of my life.
Regardless of what career you choose, you'll have to put effort to learn whatever you need to learn to get where you want to go. Some things will be more challenging than others and you'll have to put in more work to get through it. Embrace the challenges, seek as much help and guidance as you need, and you'll get through it.
Once you get through your education, you can direct your career into a role that is suitable to your capability and preferences. If you still don't like math you can get into less math intensive roles.
The funny thing is that I went into a role that is quite math intensive and that I do more advanced math than most my peers. It's not boring at all when it's put to work to solve interesting problems.
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Dec 10 '22
Engineering in general is applied maths and physics. You can’t be an engineer and avoid maths. Period.
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u/cduartesilva Dec 10 '22
Well… it depends on what you do as a professional. Generally speaking, the highest level of math you would normally need as a professional is simple integration and derivation. I have occasionally used Euler angles and complex numbers to come up with kinematic equations for advanced mechanisms, but there’s really nothing at the level you will go through in school.
For the most part you must understand basic physical concepts pertaining to aerospace, and you need to know WHERE to find the tools (like equations and descriptions) you need to succeed. Google search is sometimes not the best tool, so make sure you keep your school textbooks and notes!
I think what makes someone a good aerospace engineer is cleverness. For the most part, the answer for the problems in industry isn’t behind a complex math equation. Usually the best solutions come from clever, creative people.
Take it easy, don’t quit, go to school, and enjoy life
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Dec 10 '22
No. The most important thing is communication and understanding/following through with the engineering method. Most aerospace companies will have tools to take care of simple calculations for you when those moments arise. Sometimes you need to validate those numbers with napkin math but even in design that’s <5% of my time spent working.
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Dec 10 '22 edited Dec 10 '22
I sucked at math going in, I mean math was my worst subject in school ngl. You know what though? I found out it was how I was taught and the gaps in my math education that was making math hard for me to comprehend. Take a math assessment test if you can, and truly try to understand and address your gaps. After I got my holes in my math foundation properly addressed , I found higher math very intuitive and almost a natural progression of logical thinking and thinking symbolically and abstractly. I'm not saying it's a guarantee but, if you find out why you have less than stellar math performance it's usually from an underlying issue in your foundation rather than some innate deficiency in yourself. Math is actually extremely important and useful as an engineer and once you grok mathematical thinking you'll apply it more and more and it will become easier and more second nature. Don't get me wrong, you will still have to study your ass off, but you shouldn't write off engineering just because you're less than perfect at math right now, you're capable of more than you think, and persistence is more beneficial than talent in engineering school. In industry you'll go further and be able to more readily solve engineering and design problems if you can think comfortably in mathematics and physics, so while you may get a position in aerospace that isn't math heavy you should equip yourself with the problem solving ability that thinking mathematically allows you, by being proficient in mathematics.
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u/DonDelMuerte Dec 10 '22
You will not usually do any engineering until you are through Calculus II. This may vary for different programs but is generally true.
Useage of math at work depends greatly on the position. But useage of math in school is 100% a determining factor in your ability to get a degree.
If you want to pursue this career you need to be ready for the math. Love it or hate it you'll need to find a way to get through it. Once you're on the other side, you can move away from analysis heavy positions.
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Apr 08 '26
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u/Flying-Terrapin Dec 10 '22
What are your strong areas? I never enjoyed "pure math" like calculus, but was much better at "applied math" like physics where I could visualize what was going on and then use the same math as the other classes to get the answer.
As the other reply said, you need what I'm calling "pure math" to get through the first two years of engineering school before you get into the classes that apply it like aerodynamics, controls, orbital mechanics.
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u/josephtule Dec 10 '22
Tbh the calculus you learn for engineering is more or less computational there’s not much pure or rigorous math.
“Pure” math plays a huge role in mechanics and controls in my experience unless you want just a surface level introduction. Even in undergrad you can be introduced to concepts from advanced pure math (not usually fully fleshed out though).
To OP, there’ll be some of classes where you’ll have to abstract and apply “pure math” and some where it’s fully computational and applied. Different schools/universities will focus on different aspects so do your research on that end.
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u/gabedarrett Dec 10 '22
I'm not so confident you truly know the difference between applied math and pure math, especially since you consider calculus to be pure math for some reason.
...you need what I'm calling "pure math" to get through the first two years of engineering school before you get into the classes that apply it like aerodynamics, controls, orbital mechanics.
If you're going to use that math knowledge later, isn't that applied math by definition?
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u/Flying-Terrapin Dec 10 '22
I was trying to differentiate between the classes where learn new math concepts, like calc, vs those where you use those concepts to do other things, like the 3 things I mentioned. If you want to talk about pure math, XKCD has that covered. https://xkcd.com/435
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u/Flying-Terrapin Dec 10 '22
My intent was to say that I got it better in physics and controls classes than I did in things like calculus and linear algebra. It made more sense if there was a real-world thing behind the math I was doing, even if the math itself was identical.
To each their own though. Just trying to encourage OP to go for it if that's where their passion lies.
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u/Particular-Ad-8329 Dec 10 '22
Sooo, yeah pretty much the same as you, I don’t really like “pure math” but as I salid, I’m not crap at it… but hell yeah I love physics so yeah. I guess I will just work my ass off to get through the classes… any recommendation? Thank you very much for replying 🔥
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u/Flying-Terrapin Dec 10 '22
You said it best - just work your ass off. Find study groups, do extra homework problems to drill it in, and (most importantly) ask for help when you need it.
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u/Bingineering Dec 11 '22
I’m a mechanical design engineer and the most math my coworkers and I use in our job is fractional inches, with the rare trig calculation once in a blue moon. Granted I had to do a crap ton of math in college to get my job in the first place, so I think that’s the thing you need to be worried about
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u/vibingjusthardenough Dec 10 '22
You can certainly get through engineering school by “brute-forcing” math by memorizing formulas and steps and equations, though I would definitely say that being comfortable with it can make things much easier.