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I have two Bachelor's degrees. One is electrical engineering and the other one is mathematics. I am studying mathematics (partial differential equations) in the graduate school (Master course) now. But I want to study electrical engineering later (for Doctor's degree). So I have a question here.

Would you tell me a field(or major) in electrical engineering which is deeply concerned with mathematics?

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I had a Professor who said that he got his PhD from examining the field in the gap between a dish antenna and a cetral coaxial monopole. – Russell McMahon Sep 15 '12 at 6:33
Is your aim to do new math or apply existing math? – markrages♦ Sep 15 '12 at 23:38
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With a Bachelor's in each, I think the original poster is almost uniquely qualified to answer the question on his/her own! Seriously, the PhD should fit into the career path that's planned, not the other way around. You don't start a PhD program looking for a career-- you should have a well defined career in mind, and understand why you need a PhD to get there. There are much more pleasant, less expensive, and more productive ways to spend 5-7 years than pursuing a PhD that might or might not support your career goals, especially in engineering. – Scott Seidman Sep 16 '12 at 12:04

4 Answers

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Other math intensive fields of electrical engineering are signal processing (which includes the detection of signals in noise as well as spectral analysis and reconstruction of distorted signals) and communications (which includes coding theory and cryptography). Also theoretical circuit analysis is highly mathematical.

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There is field known as EMFT(Electromagnetics field theory), it starts with some equation and ends with another.Best part is that, you barely bother to think about its physical nature, its all in Calculus ;)

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Thank you peril brain. – Kim Sep 15 '12 at 3:08
up vote 4 down vote

One field I stay away from, mainly because of mathematics, is advanced motor control. Non-linear systems are generally a tough issue, and engines are among the most complicated and most common systems you'll find in the industry. Field-oriented control, rotating coordinate systems, nonlinear transformations.

It's a multidisciplinary field. Engine systems have to be powered, controlled, modelled. They're an electrical system, but also a mechanical one. There is a lot of signal processing involved in this, too. Engines are everywhere. Every single factory relies on them, every power plant, hydrostation, processing line. An engineer who knows his engines will find a job everywhere.

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up vote 1 down vote

Simulation of nano-electrical systems. Apply boundary conditions to quantum physics and Maxwell's equations.

PhD would be investigating yet-unknown boundary conditions in interesting systems.

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