What the heck does a mathmatician do?

[Nothing000]

What does someone do once they get their PhD in Mathematics? Besides teaching, how many people that get math degrees actually work in the field of math, and get paid for it? Do they just prove theorums and things like that? I can understand that applied mathmeticians can use their kowledge for many practical things, but how do pure mathmaticians contribute to society, besides for knowleges sake by doing math proofs that haven't been done before?

 

[Manchot]

You can solve crimes for the FBI through the use of shady mathematics. Fridays at 9 on CBS.

 

[0rthodontist]

Well as you said if you are doing applied math you can do a lot of applied things. My stats professor last year makes $150k because of his professorship + being a statistical consultant.

 

[Nothing000]

Yes, I understand there are many useful things that an applied mathmatician can do with his knowledge. But what the heck can a pure mathmatician do that has any practical use? I also understand that math that is created by pure mathmaticians that at one time is considered to be very abstract and have no real application, then later applied scientists find ways to use that math tool. But do pure mathmaticians do anything that is of somewhat immediate practical importance and use?

 

[JasonRox]

Theoretical mathematicians work in pure mathematics. They develop new mathematical principles and solving puzzling equations. They work with numbers without concern for the practical use of what they do. Although this may seem "pie in the sky", their work has been instrumental in many scientific and engineering achievements. Most pure mathematicians work at research institutions, or as professors at universities, where they have the freedom and time to pursue their mathematical interests unsullied by the demands of industry.

http://www3.ccps.virginia.edu/career_prospects/briefs/K-O/Mathematicians.shtml

That's basically what I find.

There is also mention that some companies hire Pure Mathematicians to solve problems in particular areas they have trouble in. Sounds like contract work basically.

 

[rachmaninoff]

Join the country's leading employer of Mathematicians and work with some of the finest minds and most powerful computers.

http://www.nsa.gov/careers/careers_3.cfm

 

[Nothing000]

Your a math major, right JasonRox? What are you going to do when you gen out of school, or if you are alread out of school, what do you do?

 

[Pseudo Statistic]

What does someone do once they get their PhD in Mathematics? Besides teaching, how many people that get math degrees actually work in the field of math, and get paid for it? Do they just prove theorums and things like that? I can understand that applied mathmeticians can use their kowledge for many practical things, but how do pure mathmaticians contribute to society, besides for knowleges sake by doing math proofs that haven't been done before?

As stated by Manchot, you can use your superior math powers to fight crime. :rofl:
I guess another possible job is being a computer programmer and/or technician... I hear a lot of hired computer programmers were actually math majors. (And my friend's father is too)

 

[neurocomp2003]

cryptography, write mathematical software, consult with applied science people. Cryptography is probably the biggy.

 

[JasonRox]

Your a math major, right JasonRox? What are you going to do when you gen out of school, or if you are alread out of school, what do you do?

I plan on going to Graduate School.

As a job, I would like to become a professor, but that is a long road ahead. A job at a small local college will suffice, but I will ultimately try to land a job at a university.

The thing I'd really like to do is to find 2 other mathematicians (after graduate school) that have a strong foundation in other areas other than mine, but also have some knowledge of each others respective areas. Then just collaborate about mathematics and to try and solve as many problems as we can. You might not get paid for this, but atleast you can do it while you have a job.

Note: I have an business/accounting background so if I'm hurting, I'll fall back on that.

 

[Dumbobaby]

JasonRox do you have any friend who does the same thing ? who do you think he is and is he really good ?

 

[JasonRox]

JasonRox do you have any friend who does the same thing ? who do you think he is and is he really good ?

Find someone who likes mathematics at my school? Impossible.

 

[Dumbobaby]

You actually don't seem to figure out what I am asking. But that's a nice comment although I don't understand what it means.

 

[JasonRox]

You actually don't seem to figure out what I am asking. But that's a nice comment although I don't understand what it means.

That I can't possibly find a friend to do mathematics right now.

 

[Dumbobaby]

You have to inform yourself in public more, you will get more attention from people around. Some need to get paid to be friend with, some do all the stuff just for math funs.

 

[Dumbobaby]

You have to inform yourself in public more, you will get more attention from people around. Some need to get paid to be friend with, some do all the stuff just for math funs.

 

[Dumbobaby]

You have to inform yourself in public more, you will get more attention from people around. Some need to get paid to be friend with, some do all the stuff just for math funs.

 

[JasonRox]

You have to inform yourself in public more, you will get more attention from people around. Some need to get paid to be friend with, some do all the stuff just for math funs.

If I have to pay to be friends, then that certainly isn't a friend. I don't want to be associated with this person.

Some do mathematics for fun, but certainly no one around here does.

Note: I do it for fun.

 

[Nothing000]

Pay someone to be a friend? What are you talking about Dumbo? What level are you currently at Jason? What is mean is, what classes are you currently taking, and what year are you?

 

[mathwonk]

mathematicians get paid to teach and bring in grant money.

but to be able to rest easy at night, they try to advance the knowledge of mathematics.

odd as it may seem, there are people who enjoy thinking, about the same puzzles that have intrigued scholars for thousands of years, such as what is the structure of the set of prime numbers?

or how many different geometric shapes can be formed by setting polynomials equal to zero, and how can one classify them?

the question of whether these problems add to the ability of the US govt to kill foreigners, or to enhance the profit margin of Wall street, are not of primary concern to them.

there are however extremely few people or even organizations with the foresight to fund this kind of free flowing intellectual activity, which only adds to the intrinsic worth of the society, and not to its practical inevntory of goods, and so again it is prudent to have a second source of income.

I had a lawyer ask me the other day what was the use of knowing that there are infinitely many prime numbers, what good did it do anyone to know that? If that isn't ironic. I suppose the idea was that it is more useful to society to be able to cheat someone out of his property through clever writing of a contract, than to open his mind to the beauty of geometry or number theory.

in the other direction, it does seem as if mathematicians are rather good at solving all kinds of problems in any direction they turn their attentiton. I.e. they are often successful in applied areas that interest them. my wife changed from math major to physician and is a really good physician, especially skilled at diagnosis of cases, occasionally saving lives by doing so.


My son changed from mathematics to working in the development and maintenance of software used over the internet to help companies accomplish whatever business goals they have, and he is extremely good at it. he is still a problem solver, but in a different area, as is my wife.


I still like to mull over and over the same old useless questions about the structure and behavior of differential equations, polynomials, cohomology groups, matrices, Riemann surfaces, ...


a mathematician is some one who is curious, and bright, and willing to work hard at understanding, really deeply understanding things, and at using that understanding to explain previously mysterious phenomena. These qualities seem to be of value in many areas.


So many people come to us for answers, like you for instance.

 

[Poop-Loops]

Is that what you said?

You could have said something like "We both drain money from society and give nothing useful back."

 

[mathwonk]

No, I tried to be polite and encouraging. it was a rather young person.

 

[Poop-Loops]

You could have stopped him while he was still young... now he'll have to find out he was a waste of time on his deathbed. And then sue you from beyond the grave...

 

[Nothing000]

How many mathmaticians would you estimate there are that actually get paid just to find proofs and things like that?

 

[JasonRox]

Pay someone to be a friend? What are you talking about Dumbo? What level are you currently at Jason? What is mean is, what classes are you currently taking, and what year are you?

I'm in 2nd year at the moment.

I'm taking Complex Analysis, Basic Analysis, and Abstract Linear Algebra right now.

 

[JasonRox]

How many mathmaticians would you estimate there are that actually get paid just to find proofs and things like that?

Well, if you become famous like Andrew Wiles, then you get paid for just finding proofs and what not.

 

[matt grime]

Is that what you said?

You could have said something like "We both drain money from society and give nothing useful back."

But that would have been a complete lie since mathematicians contribute to our knowledge and add to the value of society. You might as well ask what use is a writer of fiction, a historian, philosopher, ethicist, or artist.

Try not to make judgement calls about the value of someone's work, it'll just highlight your own prejudices.

After all, you say applied mathematicians contribute something worthwhile, but do they (any more than a pure mathematician)? How has cosmology, quantum mechanics, chaos theory, chromodynamics, or relativity actually contributed anything tangible to your life?

 

[matt grime]

How many mathmaticians would you estimate there are that actually get paid just to find proofs and things like that?

Several thousand. Anyone holding a job at a university in the department of mathematics for instance is exactly that. Even those in 'applied' parts of the department are doing just that.

 

[mattmns]

I'm in 2nd year at the moment.

I'm taking Complex Analysis, Basic Analysis, and Abstract Linear Algebra right now.

Abstract Linear Algebra? Do you mean just Linear Algebra without Applications, or is it something else?

 

[matt grime]

Abstract linear algebra ought to be about linear maps, not matrices, and arbitrary fields, not just over R, or possibly C. Things like the Jordan Canonical form (every linear maps is conjugate to the composition of matrices of two certain types, approximately a diaginal matrix and one with 1s on the places immediately above the diagonal and zeroes elsewhere). It should not be about solving n equations in m unknowns which depressingly a lot of places teach as linear algebra. properly linear algebra is the representation theory of k, field, not linear equations.

 

[JasonRox]

Abstract linear algebra ought to be about linear maps, not matrices, and arbitrary fields, not just over R, or possibly C. Things like the Jordan Canonical form (every linear maps is conjugate to the composition of matrices of two certain types, approximately a diaginal matrix and one with 1s on the places immediately above the diagonal and zeroes elsewhere). It should not be about solving n equations in m unknowns which depressingly a lot of places teach as linear algebra. properly linear algebra is the representation theory of k, field, not linear equations.

You basically summed it up right on.

The problem is that they are still doing it over R and C, which is sad. He tells the students to replace F (field) with R.

I really don't get this school at all.

 

[mattmns]

Hmm, that seems a little more than what we are doing. We are not doing Jordan forms (although they are listed in the description of the class), and we will just be starting linear maps this coming up week. The book we are using is Lang: Introduction To Linear Algebra and we will be covering the entire book.

 

[JasonRox]

Hmm, that seems a little more than what we are doing. We are not doing Jordan forms (although they are listed in the description of the class), and we will just be starting linear maps this coming up week. The book we are using is Lang: Introduction To Linear Algebra and we will be covering the entire book.

Is this your first Linear Algebra course?

This is what I'm using right now...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0130084514/?tag=pfamazon01-20

We will cover just about everything minus a section here and there.

Note: This is my 3rd Linear Algebra course! We have students who didn't know what a basis of a vector space was. Now, the whole class is slowing down and we may not cover much of the text... sad.

The entire responbility of preparing for graduate school rests on my shoulders. You can't really trust my school to prepare you.

 

[devious_]

Jason, that's the same text used to teach the enriched linear algebra sequence (MATH 146 and MATH 245) at Waterloo. Just thought you'd like to know.

 

[JasonRox]

Jason, that's the same text used to teach the enriched linear algebra sequence (MATH 146 and MATH 245) at Waterloo. Just thought you'd like to know.

That's nice, but we aren't learning much from the textbook right now.

The professor basically came to a complete stop and started teaching linear combinations and what not.