Expert: Jayendra Upadhye - 1/12/2009

Question
sir now i am in class 11 th having subject
pcm+c++ i want to be an cosmologist so what should i do?

Answer
Dear Sarthak,
If I am not mistaken, you already asked me some question some time back.

If you want to be a cosmplogist..do the following.
1 - Brush up and pay special attention to physics.
   Not the class taught one, but the practical and theoretical
   aspects of it, as applied to day to day situations.
   Astrophysicists face this type of situations daily.
   Where imagination and application are the tools that come in
   handy rather than any school taught physics.
   This is NOT to undermine what is taught at school.
   But this is to let you know that it is better to be an
   illiterate but practical guy than a literate one who simply
   keeps parroting lines and cant do a thing. Remember "an ounce of
   practise...".
2 - Brush up your maths skills till you dont have to exert when the
   time comes to apply them.
   Learn (yes it is an acquired skill) to associate maths with day
   to day practical issues, rather than think of it something far
   divorced from mundane issues and existing in splendid isolation
   all by itself.
   Nothing can exist in isolation anywhere in this universe.
   Try by applying laplaces transforms to oscillating pendulums or
   spring and weight etc.
3 - Dont accept anything at face value. Yes you have to when you are
   learning. Afterall we dont question "abc" and multiplication
   tables do we? But it is worth while to know at leas thow
   multiplication tables work. (that was just a crude example, but
   in engineering and cosmology, this holds true. One must know the
   fundamentals like the back of his palm).
4 - Try out this sample "problem". Generate a program to simulate
   multibody gravitational system where each body is of 'unit mass'
   but at random distances on a 2 dim plane viewed from the top.
   Try simulating their interactions, keeping the system center of
   mass centered on the screen. (C graphics application.
   Give facility to speed up down the system and add a trace
   facility so one can see their motions "historically".
5 - If possible, subscribe SCIENTEFIC AMERICAN INDIA". 1500 / - will
   cover 3 years of excellent knowledge in cosmology, anthropology
   etc.

When you are in 12th, try to find out how one can enter TIFR Bombay, OR IISC Bangalore.

regards
Jayen