title: How to design a physics problem Database?
body: <p>I have both problems and solutions to over twenty years of physics PhD qualifying exams that I would like to make more accessible, searchable, and useful.</p>
  
  <p>The problems on the Quals are organized into several different categories. The first category is Undergraduate or Graduate problems. (The first day of the exam is Undergraduate, the second day is Graduate). Within those categories there are several subjects that are tested: Mechanics, Electricity &amp; Magnetism, Statistical Mechanics, Quantum Mechanics, Mathematical Methods, and Miscellaneous. Other identifying features: Year, Season, and Problem number.</p>
  
  <p>I'm specifically interested in designing a web-based database system that can store the problem and solution and all the identifying pieces of information in some way so that the following types of actions could be done.</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Search and return all Electricity &amp; Magnetism problems.</li>
  <li>Search and return all graduate Statistical Mechanics problems.</li>
  <li>Create a random qualifying exam — meaning a new 20 question test randomly picking 2 Undergrad mechanics problems, 2 Undergrade E&amp;M problems, etc. from past qualifying exams (over some restricted date range).</li>
  <li>Have the option to hide or display the solutions on results.</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Any suggestions or comments on how best to do this project would be greatly appreciated!</p>
  
  <p>I've written up some more details <a href="http://jonathanwhitmore.com/2010/12/suggestions-wanted-how-to-create-a-physics-problem-database" rel="nofollow">here</a> if you're interested.</p>