What Are the Advantages of Earning a Math Degree?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the advantages and experiences related to earning a math degree, including personal motivations for choosing math as a major, challenges faced in advanced math courses, and the relevance of math in various careers. Participants share their educational backgrounds and inquire about the experiences of others, particularly in relation to teaching and specific math courses.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express their lack of a math degree but share their interest in math and physics, highlighting career choices based on personal interests and job market considerations.
  • Questions are raised about the demographics of math and physics students, particularly regarding older students and their attendance in lectures.
  • Participants discuss the toughest math courses they have taken, with topology being frequently mentioned as particularly challenging due to its abstract nature and the need to memorize numerous theorems.
  • There is curiosity about the difficulties of topology and abstract algebra, with some participants contrasting their experiences in these subjects.
  • One participant expresses a desire to focus on precalculus before tackling more advanced topics like abstract algebra or calculus.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share personal experiences and opinions, but there is no consensus on the overall advantages of earning a math degree or the specific challenges of various math courses. Multiple competing views on the difficulty of topology and abstract algebra are present.

Contextual Notes

Some discussions involve personal anecdotes and subjective assessments of course difficulty, which may vary widely among individuals. The conversation also reflects differing educational backgrounds and goals among participants.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to current or prospective students considering a math degree, educators in the field of mathematics, and individuals curious about the challenges and rewards of studying advanced mathematics.

mathdad
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How many here have a math degree? If you do, why did you major in math?
 
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RTCNTC said:
How many here have a math degree? If you do, why did you major in math?

I do not have a math degree.
Instead I have a degree in computer science.
And I 'almost' have a master's degree in both math and physics.
I chose to major in computer science because that's where my interest lied, and where I could make a living.
I am here on this math site now because I'm still interested in both math and physics even though I'm not using them for my living.
 
I like Serena said:
I do not have a math degree.
Instead I have a degree in computer science.
And I 'almost' have a master's degree in both math and physics.
I chose to major in computer science because that's where my interest lied, and where I could make a living.
I am here on this math site now because I'm still interested in both math and physics even though I'm not using them for my living.

1. Any students in your math and physics over 50?

2. Can you teach math in high school?

3. What is the toughest math course you have taken?

4. Do you remember how to solve direct and indirect geometric proofs?
 
RTCNTC said:
1. Any students in your math and physics over 50?

I don't recall. There were some older people around, but at the time I wasn't paying attention to that.
And anyway, people with a job wouldn't have attended the lectures I did.
There were special evening lectures and such for them.
I have tutored people over 40 (and I think some over 50) though who made a career change.

RTCNTC said:
2. Can you teach math in high school?

Yes.

RTCNTC said:
3. What is the toughest math course you have taken?

Topology.

RTCNTC said:
4. Do you remember how to solve direct and indirect geometric proofs?

Not sure what you mean by those, but I'll just say yes.
 
I like Serena said:
I don't recall. There were some older people around, but at the time I wasn't paying attention to that.
And anyway, people with a job wouldn't have attended the lectures I did.
There were special evening lectures and such for them.
I have tutored people over 40 (and I think some over 50) though who made a career change.
Yes.
Topology.
Not sure what you mean by those, but I'll just say yes.

By geometric proofs I mean proving, for example that triangle ABC is congruent to triangle DEF given a diagram with information about both triangles.
 
RTCNTC said:
By geometric proofs I mean proving, for example that triangle ABC is congruent to triangle DEF given a diagram with information about both triangles.

Sure. I'll stick to 'yes'.
 
You are not the only person to confirm that topology is really hard. Soroban told me the same thing in 2006. He said topology is insane. I am not intetested in learning topology but I am curious what makes topology such a tough course.

I think Soroban said that memorizing hundreds of theorems was the hardest part for him. What made it hard for you? Is it too abstract? Speaking of abstract material, how about abstract algebra? Have you ever taken that course?
 
RTCNTC said:
You are not the only person to confirm that topology is really hard. Soroban told me the same thing in 2006. He said topology is insane. I am not intetested in learning topology but I am curious what makes topology such a tough course.

I think Soroban said that memorizing hundreds of theorems was the hardest part for him. What made it hard for you? Is it too abstract? Speaking of abstract material, how about abstract algebra? Have you ever taken that course?

Topology was hard for me due to its abstract nature and requirements to study and learn its proofs by heart.
I consider abstract algebra to be easy in comparison. I can help you there if needed.
 
I thank you for the offer to help me with abstract algebra but as you can see from my many precalculus posted questions, I am not ready to tackle abstract or modern algebra. My goal here is to learn precalculus material sufficiently well to step into a calculus textbook. My favorite courses are algebra 1, algebra 2, geometry, trigonometry, precalculus and very curious about calculus.
 

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