Financial Wealth in the World of Math.

[Sudharaka]

Hi everyone, :)

I got this thought after reading http://mathhelpboards.com/chat-room-9/grisha-perelman-documentary-10692.html#post49602.

It's a classic dichotomy. By "money" I don't actually mean cash, per se-there are lots of "surrogates" for financial wealth in the academic world: tenure, chair of a department, co-credit for important papers.

This piece of information seems quite interesting to think about. I had this thought for sometime that math is not the best discipline to pursue if one wants financial wealth. Well, a person having a degree in mathematics can work in many fields like in banks, as a computer scientist and many others places where math is used in some sense. And this is what I am told by many people when I ask about a job for a potential math grad. But then these are kinda open fields for many others also, isn't? I mean one does not really need to have an advanced math degree to get into one of these. Of course there are also jobs in NSA or IBM or Google for math grads but these are limited, and not every math grad can get them.

So the point is that if you have an engineering degree you'll be an engineer, if you have done medicine you'll be a doctor, if you have a degree in languages probably you can be a translator. But if you have a math degree (and only math) and you will have to develop some kind of extra knowledge to apply the math you learned in some other discipline (like computer science for example). Tenure, Chair of a department, Co-credit for important papers are all basically academia and one will probably need postdocs to get these. Also this isn't easy and you'll need to spend probably years to get there. Instead if you become an Engineer by the time the math grad becomes the department chair you might be a CEO and probably will have a lot of money than the math grad because in the days when the math grad is doing his graduate studies you'll be doing a full time job earning a lot more. :D

So my thought is that math is not the best discipline to pursue if you want financial wealth. And hoping to go to academia or become a department chair is not the best option for making money. Any thoughts? :D

 

[lofgran]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the relationship between mathematics and financial wealth. I would like to offer some insights on this topic.

Firstly, it is true that pursuing a career solely in mathematics may not lead to immediate financial wealth. However, there are many industries and fields that highly value individuals with strong mathematical skills, such as finance, data analysis, and computer science. In these fields, having a math degree can open up opportunities for high-paying jobs and career growth.

Additionally, the problem-solving and critical thinking skills that are developed through studying mathematics are highly transferable to other fields. This means that a math graduate can excel in a variety of roles, not just limited to traditional math-related careers.

Furthermore, I would like to challenge the notion that becoming a department chair or obtaining tenure is the only way to achieve success in academia. Many math graduates go on to have successful careers as professors, researchers, and consultants without holding these positions. It is important to remember that success can be defined in many ways and does not always equate to financial wealth.

In conclusion, while it may not be the most direct path to financial wealth, pursuing a degree in mathematics can lead to a fulfilling and successful career in a variety of industries. I encourage you to continue exploring and developing your passion for math, and to not limit your potential based on societal expectations of success. Thank you for sparking this interesting discussion.