Opportunities

The application of mathematics to problems in science, business, and industry has always been and continues to be an on-going activity. Increasingly, concentrators in mathematics are broadening their training to encompass other disciplines, most notably Computer Science and Statistics. Likewise, students in other disciplines are acquiring more mathematical skills, to strengthen their understanding of their subject and to enhance their marketability in the workplace. Pure mathematics research persists in universities and laboratories nationwide. The excitement generated by new discoveries (e.g. wavelets) and by the settling of old conjectures (e.g. Fermat’s Last Theorem) underscores the historical importance and the continued desirability of pure research.

The teaching profession straddles both pure and applied mathematics. It is here that we are introduced formally to the subject of mathematics, here that we add to our tools and sharpen our skills. The need for excellent mathematics instruction at all levels has never been greater.

Finally, mathematics is training in the discipline of thinking. The applicability of sharp insightful analysis in law or business cannot be overstated. To quote mathematicians Polya and Szego, “For the schooling of one’s power of thought only the practice of thinking is really useful.”