Ask HN: How do people validate deep self-study in math or CS?
3 pointsby _willhf5 hours ago1 comment
  • mamonster5 hours ago
    Just look at qualifying exams for some PhD program in the relevant area.

    For example, if we take abstract algebra (I assume you mean rings, groups and fields), I found this

    https://www.math.kent.edu/~white/qual/

    I had a look at for example the Aug19 one, 80% of the problems are doable for a 3rd year Bachelor student and close to what you would see in a term exam for the topic (except for the Galois stuff because AFAIK Galois theory is a separate optional course in most undergrad degrees).

    • _willhf5 hours ago
      Thanks for the reply. That looks like a great resource, and I’ll check it out.

      What I was missing is the verification aspect. Someone can work through old quals on their own, but there’s no standard way to demonstrate to a third party that they actually met a particular bar, short of enrolling in a program. I’m curious whether people see that gap as something that matters, or whether it’s simply not something most people care about.