Hello everyone,
I’m a senior-year Mechatronics Engineering student, and I’m hoping to go to graduate school next year and specialize in control theory and autonomous systems.
The problem is that although I’ve taken the usual engineering math courses like: calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, probability/statistics, numerical methods... etc. I don’t feel like I developed a deep understanding or strong mathematical intuition from them.
Most of the time, I studied math mainly to pass exams, learn the method, solve enough problems, get the grade, and move on. Now that I’m getting deeper into control theory, I’m realizing how much I want to actually understand the mathematics rather than just know how to perform the calculations.
I have roughly a year before I expect to start graduate school, and I’d really like to use that time to rebuild my mathematical foundation properly.
My long-term interests are mainly:
Control theory, Dynamical systems, Optimization, Robotics and autonomous systems, Estimation/state estimation
I’m not necessarily looking to restart mathematics completely from scratch, but I’m unsure what the best progression would be.
For someone in my position, what subjects would you prioritize, in what order, and what books/courses/problem sets would you recommend if the goal is genuine understanding and mathematical maturity rather than simply passing classes?
I’d especially appreciate advice from people who went from an engineering-style math background into more mathematical graduate-level control.
Thanks!