The basics: Mathematics & Physics

The basics of Mechanical Design, Engineering and Manufacturing are mathematics, physics and a bit of chemistry (for instance regarding corrosion prevention and internal combustion engines). Thus, without a good understanding of mathematics and physics the design, engineering and manufacturing of high quality Industrial Design products is in my view impossible. Therefore, in my view all Industrial Designers should at least own 1 good mathematics and 1 good university physics book.

A good introductory mathematics books is the ebook of Grossman [Grossmann1984]. A good introductory university physics book is the book of Young & Freedman [Young2014]. But there are many more books which are good introductions into mathematics and physics.

Mathematical topics like:

• differentiation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derivative,

• integration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integral,

• polar coordinates: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_coordinate_system,

• complex numbers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_number,

• vectors: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_(mathematics_and_physics),

• matrices: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrix_(mathematics),

• the Fourier: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourier_transform and

• the Laplace transform: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laplace_transform

should be well understood.

Furthermore, in depth knowledge of physics topics like the

• [International System of Units](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_System_of_Units) (see also Figure 1),

• [materials](Mechanical%20Design,%20Engineering%20and%20Manufacturing/Engineering/Materials.md),

• [forces](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force),

• [moments](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_(physics)),

• [torques](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torque),

• [statics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statics),

• [dynamics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamics_(mechanics)),

• [Bernouilli's principle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernoulli%27s_principle),

• heat and [heat transfer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_transfer),

• alternating](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternating_current) - (AC) and

• [direct current](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_current)(DC) electricity,

• forced and unforced [vibrations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibration),

• [geometrical optics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geometrical_optics)

is needed.