[Adenai]

To give a little bit of background, I am a sophomore chemistry student and have taken one inorganic chemistry class, a general chemistry sequence, and am currently taking the organic chemistry sequence. I have completed calculus 1 and 2 and earned A’s. I will be taking physical chemistry my senior year and am worried about my mathematics background.

I retain a general understanding of calculus 1 and 2 and am comfortable with the material. However, my professor omitted trigonometry function and kept the class streamlined. My university does not require chemistry students to take any other mathematics class and I will not have time in my schedule to do so.
Math is not my strongest subject but I have a strong desire to improve upon my skill set in preparation for physical chemistry. My question is, what level of math will I need to succeed in physical chemistry and are there any books, websites, or other resources you could recommend to me?

Any advice from past experiences or former students would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for any and all assistance!

[Corribus]

Multivariable calculus, handling trigonometric functions, imaginary numbers, and understanding of vectoral math is critical. It will probably be expected that you have basic understanding of these areas.

Linear algebra and differential equations are also commonly encountered, but in my experience these more advanced mathematical topics are usually taught in the course to account for variations in math backgrounds of the students.

[Adenai]

Thanks for the reply! I am comfortable with trigonometric functions and I am sure I will get plenty of vector practice with physics. Imaginary numbers are foreign to me.

From what I gather from current physical chemistry students my professor will spend several classes on linear algebras and differential equations.