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A little problem

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  • 03-08-2004 11:28pm
    #1
    nothing
    Registered Users Posts: 1,696 ✭✭✭


    Why do Mathematicians hate Statisticians? Please explain!!!

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    #2
    ecksor
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 10,501 Mod ✭✭✭✭ecksor


    What do you mean by 'have' ? They don't keep them as pets or anything like that.

    Statistics is a particular branch of mathematics and statistician is a particular title. It's possible to do a full degree in maths and never do a statistics module if you're thinking that one automatically implies the other?


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    #3
    nothing
    Registered Users Posts: 1,696 ✭✭✭nothing


    haha, I meant HATE. And I know what statistics is. :)

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    #4
    Syth
    Registered Users Posts: 1,865 ✭✭✭Syth


    Because they have no personality and still get paid more than real mathematicians? :)


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    #5
    Stark
    Registered Users Posts: 20,894 ✭✭✭✭Stark


    I said to someone before that "Statistics is to mathematics as satan is to angels" :)


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    #6
    Flukey
    Registered Users Posts: 11,001 ✭✭✭✭Flukey


    Do you have statistics to prove your belief, and do they add up? :)


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    #7
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,728 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    I agree with Disraeli

    I also have a pet hate for people who quote statistics without indicating
    value of sigma
    the confidence level
    and some reason to accept that bell curve applies to the values they use.


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    #8
    Syth
    Registered Users Posts: 1,865 ✭✭✭Syth


    Well statistics are misunderstood by large sections of the population. I really think some kind of basic statistics should be mandatory in education. It's very important to be able to see when someone is making stuff up. Even just making up your own phoney stats can be very educational. You learn all the tricks.


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    #9
    rainbow kirby
    Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators Posts: 26,928 Mod ✭✭✭✭rainbow kirby


    42% of statistics are made up on the spot. :p
    and stats makes kirby cry...:(


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    #10
    nothing
    Registered Users Posts: 1,696 ✭✭✭nothing


    So how do I stand if I do a double Honours degree in pure mathematics and statistics? Am I classed a mathematician or a statistician????

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    #11
    elivsvonchiaing
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,575 ✭✭✭elivsvonchiaing


    nothing wrote:
    So how do I stand if I do a double Honours degree in pure mathematics and statistics? Am I classed a mathematician or a statistician????
    Strikes me what Einstein said about how he would be perceived if (Special - I think) relativity were proved wrong applies: To mathematicians you will be a statistician and despised; to Statisticians - you will be a Mathematician - and a "rich-kid-bum" for having the luxury of studying Maths and not getting a real job :D I concede I could be wrong - maybe they'll all love ya :p


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    #12
    pooka
    Closed Accounts Posts: 58 ✭✭pooka


    nothing wrote:
    So how do I stand if I do a double Honours degree in pure mathematics and statistics? Am I classed a mathematician or a statistician????

    Probably neither. For example, I got a good single honours mathematics degree in university and I still study in my free time, but I wouldn't call myself a mathematician. Mathematics isn't "what I do". I really don't think I have the brain for it anyway.

    Cian


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    #13
    nothing
    Registered Users Posts: 1,696 ✭✭✭nothing


    elivsvonchiaing wrote:
    Strikes me what Einstein said about how he would be perceived if (Special - I think) relativity were proved wrong applies: To mathematicians you will be a statistician and despised; to Statisticians - you will be a Mathematician - and a "rich-kid-bum" for having the luxury of studying Maths and not getting a real job :D I concede I could be wrong - maybe they'll all love ya :p

    I can see where he's coming from. My mates in college all laugh at me for wanting to do statistics as well as maths, and the worst thing is none of them got the marks to go on and do pure maths, they're all stuck with maths applied (haha I say), except one who's also going on to do maths and stats but they don't laugh at him!!!!!! and I don't understand what their problem is.

    It's 'cos I'm a girl isn't it!?!?

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    #14
    ecksor
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 10,501 Mod ✭✭✭✭ecksor


    It's probably just pure jealousy.


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    #15
    nothing
    Registered Users Posts: 1,696 ✭✭✭nothing


    Possibly, since they keep trying to say that maths applied is harder than maths, but then why would they let the cabbage maths people do it?! Sorry, rambling a little now. They just make me so mad!!!!

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    #16
    ecksor
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 10,501 Mod ✭✭✭✭ecksor


    Incidentally, where are you studying? I wanted to do maths and statistics through arts in UCD at one point, but never got the impression that it was competitive entry into those courses in latter years. Sounds like you're doing science though ...


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    #17
    nothing
    Registered Users Posts: 1,696 ✭✭✭nothing


    Science it is, it's one year extra on those Arts students (haha I say again!). In Maynooth. They have quite a good maths course, went into first year intending to do Chemistry, came out of second year thinking Good God NOOOO!!!!

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    #18
    pooka
    Closed Accounts Posts: 58 ✭✭pooka


    I also studied in Maynooth, nothing.

    'Maths Applied' there is certainly not harder than maths. It's what it says on the tin - applied. It stays pretty much in the real world and doesn't wander valiantly into more abstract battlegrounds.

    There I go betraying my biases.

    By the way, the extra year you have on the Arts double honours is really just some applied mathematics - the Arts 2nd year is your 3rd year. So er, I don't know, 'haha' back? ;o)

    Cian


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    #19
    elivsvonchiaing
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,575 ✭✭✭elivsvonchiaing


    nothing wrote:
    It's 'cos I'm a girl isn't it!?!?
    It's mainly 'cos I hated stats so much and tried to get into the head of the lecturers. Wtf would he/she have studied this - failed actuary - only possible explanation.

    I'd rather root-canal dentistry than attend another stats lecture anyday. But that's just me :D


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    #20
    rainbow kirby
    Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators Posts: 26,928 Mod ✭✭✭✭rainbow kirby


    I hate stats with a vengeance too.
    Hence the reason why I'm switching from math science to single honour maths physics. I actually couldn't bear another day of stats.
    Had my last stats exam ever today!
    And while you were trying to get into the head of the stats lecturers I was playing Metroid Fusion during the lectures....


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    #21
    charlieroot
    Registered Users Posts: 196 ✭✭charlieroot


    I wonder is it because statistics can be so ( or seem so ) inexact. I've studied quite a bit of statistics for my troubles - ( degree in financial and actuarial maths ) but I never liked it. Nowadays I'm generally doing algebraic number theory - which is much more exact/clean? If that makes any sense to you?

    Noel.


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    #22
    nothing
    Registered Users Posts: 1,696 ✭✭✭nothing


    pooka wrote:
    By the way, the extra year you have on the Arts double honours is really just some applied mathematics - the Arts 2nd year is your 3rd year. So er, I don't know, 'haha' back? ;o)

    Now there is a lie if ever I heard one, I have friends doing maths through arts, same year as me, doing the same courses, we all took maple together! :) They had one extra course, Number Theory, aside from that it's identical courses in Arts 2nd year and Science 2nd year. The only exception is the Maths/maths physics degree, which is 3 years, but it's a science degree.

    As for your comments on Maths applied... I had a house mate who was in 4th year doing maths applied when I was in 1st year, and I could do more than half of her assignments, so I think it's a hell of a lot easier than Maths itself. Plus you have to get a first in Standard maths to get in, which by the way, isn't the easiest thing in the world. :) There were 20 of us in Standard maths in 2nd year, and only 6 of us who got enough to do maths next year.

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    #23
    ecksor
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 10,501 Mod ✭✭✭✭ecksor


    I looked at maynooth fairly closely before while considering going there and the prospectus seems to agree with what pooka is saying. Are you sure that's not the mathematical studies degree in arts you're thinking of rather than single honours mathematics (which I'm pretty sure is the one that pooka is talking about) ?


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