Academic Interests

Why Study Mathematics?

Many people think that a degree in mathematics only prepares one for a career in teaching or in the actuarial field, and nothing else. This is not true.

A major in mathematics is excellent preparation for work in the world of finance, economics, or business. Almost every bureau and branch of the federal government employs mathematicians. Many fields that require applied science and technology, such as medicine, DNA forensics, weather forecasting, environmental science, and computer programming, to name just a few, need people with a strong mathematics background.

Here are two quotes from prominent mathematicians on the nature and significance of mathematics.

“A mathematician, like a painter or a poet, is a maker of patterns.”
G.H. Hardy

“Applied mathematics is mathematics for which I happen to know an application. This, I think, includes almost everything in mathematics.”
Henry O. Pollack

Many prospective employers are looking for individuals with critical thinking skills combined with a willingness to tackle difficult problems. A degree in mathematics offers evidence of these characteristics.