TITLE: Pure maths vs applied
QUESTION [12 upvotes]: Is there any point in an aspiring theoretical physicist doing pure math topics such as analysis? (Assuming that he would not be doing them out of pure interest.)

REPLY [3 votes]: I don't think it would hurt mathematicians to know a bit more theoretical physics, either. A lot of our subject owes its start to physics. As a mathematician I spend a lot of time playing around in the abstract, and I enjoy it. Still, it's nice to know why someody somewhere got interested in studying something, whether the motivation was physical or mathematical. Keeping connected is always a good idea. Broadening the outlook is always a good idea.