Physics Curriculum
Complete Learning Roadmap
From high school foundations to PhD-level research — every major topic in physics and supporting mathematics, organized by level and prerequisite chain.
Curriculum progress10 / 66 topics built
✓ Built & interactive · Outlined = content planned · Greyed = not yet started
High School— Algebra/Pre-calc
Introductory— Calculus-based
Upper Division— Junior / Senior
Graduate— MS / PhD coursework
Research— Frontier topics
| Track | High School Algebra/Pre-calc | Introductory Calculus-based | Upper Division Junior / Senior | Graduate MS / PhD coursework | Research Frontier topics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
⚙️Classical Mechanics | Rotational Mechanics✓ Torque, angular momentum, moment of inertia, rolling Introductory↳ 1 prereq Gravitation & Orbits✓ Newton's gravity, Kepler's laws, orbital mechanics Introductory↳ 1 prereq Oscillations & SHM Simple harmonic motion, pendulum, resonance, damping Introductory↳ 1 prereq | Lagrangian Mechanics Generalized coordinates, Euler-Lagrange equations, constraints Upper Division↳ 1 prereq Hamiltonian Mechanics Phase space, Poisson brackets, canonical transformations Upper Division↳ 1 prereq Nonlinear Dynamics & Chaos Strange attractors, Lyapunov exponents, double pendulum Upper Division↳ 1 prereq | Continuum Mechanics Stress, strain, elasticity, fluid mechanics Graduate↳ 1 prereq | Turbulence Navier-Stokes, Kolmogorov scaling, computational fluid dynamics Research↳ 1 prereq | |
〰️Waves & Oscillations | Wave Basics✓ Wavelength, frequency, speed, transverse vs longitudinal High School Sound & Acoustics Decibels, Doppler effect, resonance in pipes High School | Interference & Diffraction✓ Double-slit, diffraction gratings, Huygens principle Introductory↳ 1 prereq Standing Waves & Modes Normal modes, harmonics, boundary conditions Introductory↳ 1 prereq | Fourier Analysis Fourier series, transform, signal decomposition Upper Division↳ 1 prereq Wave Equation & Solutions PDE derivation, d'Alembert solution, dispersion relations Upper Division↳ 1 prereq Nonlinear Waves Solitons, shock waves, KdV equation Upper Division↳ 1 prereq | Classical Field Theory Action principle for fields, Noether theorem, stress-energy tensor Graduate↳ 1 prereq | Gravitational Waves Linearized GR, strain, LIGO detection, ringdown Research↳ 1 prereq |
⚡Electromagnetism | Electric Charges & Fields Coulomb's law, field lines, electric potential High School DC Circuits Ohm's law, series/parallel, Kirchhoff's rules High School | Magnetism Lorentz force, Biot-Savart, Ampere's law Introductory↳ 1 prereq Electromagnetic Induction Faraday's law, Lenz's law, inductance, AC circuits Introductory↳ 1 prereq | Maxwell's Equations Integral and differential forms, displacement current, EM waves Upper Division↳ 1 prereq EM Wave Propagation Plane waves, polarization, Poynting vector, radiation pressure Upper Division↳ 1 prereq Electrostatics & Potentials Multipole expansion, Green's functions, boundary value problems Upper Division↳ 1 prereq | Classical Electrodynamics Radiation from accelerating charges, retarded potentials, scattering Graduate↳ 1 prereq | Plasma Physics MHD, Alfvén waves, fusion, tokamak confinement Research↳ 1 prereq |
🌡️Thermodynamics & Stat Mech | Heat & Temperature Thermal equilibrium, specific heat, calorimetry High School Ideal Gas Laws PV=nRT, Boyle, Charles, Avogadro, kinetic theory High School | Laws of Thermodynamics Entropy, heat engines, Carnot efficiency, free energy Introductory↳ 1 prereq Phase Transitions Phase diagrams, latent heat, Clausius-Clapeyron Introductory↳ 1 prereq | Statistical Mechanics Microstates, Boltzmann distribution, partition functions Upper Division↳ 1 prereq Statistical Ensembles Canonical, grand canonical, microcanonical ensembles Upper Division↳ 1 prereq Quantum Statistics Fermi-Dirac, Bose-Einstein distributions, degeneracy Upper Division↳ 1 prereq | Critical Phenomena & RG Phase transitions, critical exponents, renormalization group Graduate↳ 1 prereq | Non-equilibrium Stat Mech Fluctuation theorems, Jarzynski equality, active matter Research↳ 1 prereq |
🔭Optics & Photonics | Geometric Optics Reflection, refraction, Snell's law, lenses, mirrors High School | Wave Optics Thin-film interference, diffraction, polarization Introductory↳ 1 prereq | Fourier Optics Spatial frequency, lens as Fourier transform, 4f systems Upper Division↳ 1 prereq Lasers & Coherent Light Stimulated emission, cavity modes, coherence, Gaussian beams Upper Division↳ 1 prereq | Quantum Optics Photon statistics, squeezed states, cavity QED, entanglement Graduate↳ 1 prereq | |
⚛️Modern Physics | Special Relativity (intro) Time dilation, length contraction, E=mc² High School Quantum Intro Photoelectric effect, Bohr model, wave-particle duality High School | Quantum Mechanics I Schrödinger equation, wavefunctions, particle in a box, tunneling Introductory↳ 1 prereq | Quantum Mechanics II Hydrogen atom, spin, angular momentum, perturbation theory Upper Division↳ 1 prereq Special Relativity (full) 4-vectors, relativistic dynamics, covariant electrodynamics Upper Division↳ 1 prereq Nuclear Physics Binding energy, radioactive decay, fission, fusion Upper Division↳ 1 prereq Particle Physics Intro Standard model overview, Feynman diagrams, conservation laws Upper Division↳ 1 prereq Neutrino Physics✓ Oscillations, MSW matter effects, mass generation, neutrinoless double beta decay Upper Division↳ 1 prereq | Quantum Field Theory Path integrals, canonical quantization, Feynman rules, QED Graduate↳ 2 prereqs General Relativity Curved spacetime, Einstein equations, black holes, cosmology Graduate↳ 1 prereq | Quantum Gravity Loop quantum gravity, string theory, holography, information paradox Research↳ 2 prereqs |
∑Mathematics for Physics | Algebra & Trigonometry Equations, unit analysis, trig identities, vectors High School | Single-Variable Calculus Derivatives, integrals, fundamental theorem, chain rule Introductory Multivariable Calculus Gradient, divergence, curl, Stokes and divergence theorems Introductory↳ 1 prereq | Linear Algebra Eigenvectors, matrix exponentiation, diagonalization Upper Division↳ 1 prereq Differential Equations 2nd-order ODEs, oscillator, Green's functions, Laplace transforms Upper Division↳ 1 prereq Partial Differential Equations Wave, heat, Laplace equations; separation of variables Upper Division↳ 1 prereq Complex Analysis Analytic functions, contour integration, residue theorem Upper Division↳ 1 prereq Group Theory for Physics Symmetry groups, representations, Lie algebras Upper Division↳ 1 prereq | Differential Geometry & Tensors Manifolds, metric tensor, covariant derivative, Riemann curvature Graduate↳ 1 prereq | Topology in Physics Berry phase, Chern numbers, topological insulators Research↳ 1 prereq |
How to use this roadmap
- Read left to right within each row — topics progress from high school to cutting-edge research.
- Read down any column for all topics at a given level across all tracks.
- Highlighted cards with a check mark are fully built chapters with simulations and exercises.
- Click any built card to jump directly to that chapter.