Other Should I Become a Mathematician?

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Becoming a mathematician requires a deep passion for the subject and a commitment to problem-solving. Key areas of focus include algebra, topology, analysis, and geometry, with recommended readings from notable mathematicians to enhance understanding. Engaging with challenging problems and understanding proofs are essential for developing mathematical skills. A degree in pure mathematics is advised over a math/economics major for those pursuing applied mathematics, as the rigor of pure math prepares one for real-world applications. The journey involves continuous learning and adapting, with an emphasis on practical problem-solving skills.
  • #2,191


is Serge Lang's Linear Algebra a good book?
 
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  • #2,193


On the topic of applying to graduate school and the whole process of starting a career in math, I recently discovered the book by Steven Krantz "A Mathematician's Survival Guide". It's a real gem.
 
  • #2,194


The book "Letters to a Young Mathematician," by Ian Stewart is also a nice book about the journey from student to mathematican.
 
  • #2,195


Since we're on th topic, Stanislaw Ulam's book "Adventures of a Mathematician" is quite fun.
 
  • #2,196


I have been waiting a bit to ask this: How is a bad semester viewed by an admissions committee in light of much better semesters? That is, is it better to have a 3.5 cumulative GPA with every semester but one or two above a 3.5(and without these you would have say a 3.6 or 3.7) or is it better to have a 3.5 across the board or does it matter?

I ask this because my GPA for the last two years(sophomore and freshman) has looked like this:
3.5(12 semester hours); 2.286(14 semester hours, my bad semester); 3.75(16 semester hours all math);3.833(18 semester hours, best and most recent semester). In my last two semesters I took five and four mathematics courses respectively.

So I bombed one semester but have done quite well in the others. How much will this affect my chances at a strong grad school should I continue to achieve 3.5+ GPA every semester? Very little?(I did receive a C in calculus 2 that semester, my only C in mathematics).
 
  • #2,197


Where is mathwonk? I want to ask him some questions. He seems to have disappeared... :(
 
  • #2,198


I miss the guy too. What is he up to if anybody knows?
 
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forgive me if i am over sensitive, but i was disciplined for offering what i thought was good career advice, and i decided to leave the forum:

to be honest, you don't need me. this forum is going extremely well. best wishes!
 
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  • #2,200


I'd definitely rather see russ_watters gone
 
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I've noticed this elsewhere; some moderators take an annoyingly heavy handed approach to their function. They think that if they don't take action on every slightly off topic or conceivably mildly offensive post, the forum will explode.

I really appreciated your contributions, mathwonk (despite my annoyance with your GRE comments).
 
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I'm going to miss mathwonk :(
 
  • #2,203


That is being very sensitive. I too am so sick of those lame comments every time someone mentions the defence industry.
 
  • #2,204


mathwonk's comment was not lame at all, nor was it necessarily against the defence industry. War is perhaps sometimes necessary, and it makes sense to be prepared to wage it - but only in the very last resort, and it is certainly never "cool".
 
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Although I agree with mathwonk that there are much better avenues to which one can apply their intelligence than a glorification of war, I'd have to agree with russ in the sense that the original post was not asking for an ethical argument but instead asked a simple directed question regarding employability.

That being said, it'd be a damn shame to let that be the cause for one of the most prominent and influential PF members to leave.
 
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Awww. His angry comment that I shouldn't find Munkres easy was great motivation. For that I will be always thankful. <3 :(
 
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Is there anything we can do to change your mind and get you to stay mathwonk?
 
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I understand your point, mathwonk, but I wish you'd reconsider. You make a tremendous contribution to PF.
 
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We have a politics forum to cater to those times when people want to talk about politics; the academic guidance forum is not the place for it. (And mathwonk's comment completely derailed the thread before it could even get started)
 
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I'm sure that "cool" OP made a lot of people's blood boil... ...but it's best to just try to not pay attention to these people on the Web.

mathwonk, please do come back!

I've learned SO MUCH from reading this thread (my main reason for coming to this forum) and all the posts have been extremely informative and inspirational.
 
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If it's okay to butt in and ask a question, has anyone here attended http://www.hcssim.org/"? If so, what did you think of it?

EDIT: Or related summer math program.
 
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what jobs are there for mathematicians other than teaching profession. can u be specific.
 
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mathgeek2 said:
what jobs are there for mathematicians other than teaching profession. can u be specific.

Many. One easy way to tell is to look at job ads where they specify i.e Target qualifications with mathematics in it. Common ones are in commerce and technology/computing jobs.
 
  • #2,214


Reminds me of that Good Will Hunting rant where he answers 'Why not work for the NSA?' =P

Ontopic though, I'm starting to enjoy math more and more and hopefully will be taking it forward to some level (alongside physics!)
 
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Is it possible for me to learn mathematics on my own as a hobby? I wasn't really into it in high school, mainly because from middle school I was shoved with a bunch of formulae and asked to solve a horde of similar looking problems that did nothing to help me think in different directions, or heck, even give me a clue that such a fascinating world of mathematics existed. Indeed, mathematics to me meant rigidity rather than creativity for a lot of years. Because of my limited concept of it, I actually struggled a bit when some creativity was needed in my course, it took me a while to get used to it as it had come as a surprise, all I had done in mathematics till then was learn how to put values into equations to get results, and some methods on how to solve things without an actual explanation of those methods.

All that started changing in the past year or so, my last year of high school, after having found a good teacher that did a little more than explain how to solve problems that are going to come in examinations. I started gaining more interest in the subject, and at the present am quite enthusiastic about learning more about it.

Right now I will probably be going into electrical engineering(a result of my interest in physics and whatever little I have heard about engineering) having already almost joined a college, but I still want to learn mathematics as well, maybe not as much as in a pure course, but as much as I can on my own anyway.

Would it be possible for me to learn stuff on my own doing self-study, using the internet as a resource? I can't afford to spend much on books, as I will be spending a lot on doing my actual college study anyway, hence the internet, so are there quality resources on the net that I can effectively use to learn on my own? If so, can someone please guide me to those resources? I would prefer to start from the basics covering the theory, even stuff that I already know, as I really wasn't taught a lot of them very well, so that I can get them right in my head before proceeding to more advanced topics.
 
  • #2,216
The good news is that there's quite a lot on the internet. The first two places I'd look for maths are:
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/courses/courses/index.htm#Mathematics
A huge list of free resources -Some of these will be better than others.
The hard parts will be 1) finding time to study such a broad and sometimes challenging subject in your spare time, and 2)working through things in a sensible order and sluicing out things you find interesting from things you don't without formal guidance.
My advice rearding the former would be to be prepared to work slowly- if math gets in the way of life rather than the other way round, you're probably doing something wrong. As for the latter, wikipedia might be able to help with giving you an overview of maths and a feel for individual topics; for some idea of a sensible order in which to study things, and a guide for what's important, have a look at a few university syllabuses.
Hope that helps!
 
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No one really tracks the math books torrent files as far as I know, so you could download "math complete"(google search it) without worry about getting in trouble. If you're worried about getting in trouble anyway, you can just get peer guardian 2. I think many of the books in the file are public domain, but many are not.
 
  • #2,218


Thank you for the replies!

Well I think I will find enough time to study math, right now I have 2 months of free time, and I will have sporadic periods of such joblessness anyway, so that won't be much of a problem. Even if I have to go slow, I would prefer it, I like to think upon things others consider basic and examine them to my satisfaction before letting go of them.

What I find intimidating(and exciting) is the sheer amount of resources from which I can study from.
 
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Bourbaki1123 said:
No one really tracks the math books torrent files as far as I know, so you could download "math complete"(google search it) without worry about getting in trouble. If you're worried about getting in trouble anyway, you can just get peer guardian 2. I think many of the books in the file are public domain, but many are not.

I understood the point of that site to be that the works were all freely accessible?
 
  • #2,220


Not sure what you are asking. I was simply indicating that if you have the inclination to download something with questionable copyright status, the option was open and no one really would be keeping track. If that is contrary to your moral stance, ignore it.
 

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