What are all the types of math used in astronomy ?

Question

What are all the types of math used in astronomy ?

Answer 1

Mathematics not math, is a developing art, since long before the Greeks so you cannot name them all. It encompasses everything from the Greek philosopher Thales c600 BC to the present day some 24 centuries later. It would be a rather long list including superstring and twistor theory and quantum mechanics.

Answer 2

Astronomers usually have a PhD in astronomy or physics, and definitely have a 4-year degree in a physics field.  That means they've taken math up through at least Calculus II (including algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and pre-calc), 2-4 semesters of math-based physics, linear algebra, differential equations, and complex analysis.  If you go into theoretical astronomy or cosmology, you'll also need topology and differential geometry.

Answer 3

Well, I don't know if there's specific areas of math.

Certainly with all advanced sciences, there will be algebra and calculus involved. Probably also geometry and trig.

Answer 4

When an astronomer finds a problem that can't be solved with any existing form of math, he usually teams up with a mathematician who invents an new kind of calculus. Sometimes a mathematician reads about an astronomy problem and realizes that he has already invented a calculus to solve it. So almost every kind of math ever invented has found some use in astronomy or cosmology.

I am an amateur cosmologist, myself; and I need someone to invent a calculus to simulate acoustic waves moving thru the cosmic foam because of walls of galaxies being torn apart by the expansion of space. I think this will be a branch of the math of chaos and fractals.

Answer 5

a bit of algebra, but a lot geometry, trigonometry as well as calc., and the math formulas you use in physics. as well as complicated forms of mathematics based on the quantom theory and the superstring theory. the complete list is actually extreamily long.