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Pure Maths as a Degree

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 37 mc_teo


    Hello there,

    I've been thinking lately about doing Maths at University. I'm in 6th Year, and doing Honours Maths, and Applied Maths, (no physics was available). I got an A pretty handily in the JC. Maths is easily the subject I enjoy most, since like primary school.

    My mother has a degree in Maths from Maynooth, and she went on to teach secondary level Maths. This probabaly has stopped me from seeing the wider career prospects. When I think of a Maths degree, I think of teaching being the best career after it (teaching is something I would hate.)

    During 3rd year I began programming, and since then I've been set on doing Computer Science, something that really interests me.

    I suppose its the logic of maths that I like so much, especially applications of said logic.

    So based upon the above aspects of my personality, do you think I would be suited to a Mathematics course?


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,481 ✭✭✭Fremen


    Sounds like you might like it, yeah. If you really like programming, then you could consider doing a maths/CS joint honours.

    Much of what you'd learn in a maths degree isn't really applicable outside of academia. On the other hand, you pick up "mathematical maturity" that allows you to cover a lot of the technical content in other disciplines with relative ease.

    You can move from maths to more applied areas (Economics, Actuarial science, some parts of Computer science) more easily than you can go in the other direction. If you're prepared to get a postgrad qualification in say, mathematical economics or actuary, you're not really constrained to be a teacher or an academic.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,745 ✭✭✭Eliot Rosewater


    I'm a second year mathematics student, which means I'm only mildly informed, but terribly biased to make up! :D

    I think it's true that, as Fremen said, it's far harder to go from an applied area back to pure mathematics. On the other hand, I've heard that after doing a mathematics degree on can do a computer science masters which will bring you up to a good level.

    Mathematics degrees feature an element of computer work that you'd like. In first year I did 3 computer modules out of 12 altogether; I did 3 again in second year. About half of those were computer programming for mathematics. For example, I did a course this semester on using computer programming to numerically approximate integrals and other things.

    There's an important point to be made as regards difficulty. A mathematics degree will have C or B honours maths as a prerequisite, which means you'll be challenged straight away. On the other hand, computer science degree are taught as if you've no previous experience whatsoever. If you're comfortable with programming you'll perhaps find parts of first year boring.

    A mathematics degree is a strong degree, and is portable. The longer I study maths the more frustrated I become by the question "what are you going to do afterwards?" There's lots you can do afterwards. Mathematics graduates are highly sought after in business and financial areas. Doing "normal maths" as opposed to "financial maths" doesn't seem to matter too much.


  • Registered Users Posts: 37 mc_teo


    Yeah, I would be fairly disappointed with anything less that an A2 in my L.C.
    I tried that Maths Olympiad Training in NUI Maynooth when I was starting 5th year, and couldn't make head nor tails of it then, which I think really scared me against maths for third level. Even now, where it seems quite managable, I would still think about that.

    I find programming fairly easy too. I am entirely self taught, so I don't think I can improve in anything in this aspect without formal training, and then a qualification.

    I suppose I am really just caught between two things I love doing. I am leaning towards the Computer Science still though, because of how broad the choices are, like I could branch off into AI, and Robotics later on, or that Cybercrime Forensics Masters in UCD, as well as anything with hardware or software.
    And on the other hand, I don't see myself enjoying any serious application of Maths (like financial maths, or actuary work)

    So Computer Science takes it then, but I'll be sure to take as many Math modules as possible through my four years.


    P.S. Internationally, how recognised are Irish Maths degrees?


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,481 ✭✭✭Fremen


    mc_teo wrote: »
    I suppose I am really just caught between two things I love doing. I am leaning towards the Computer Science still though, because of how broad the choices are, like I could branch off into AI, and Robotics later on, or that Cybercrime Forensics Masters in UCD, as well as anything with hardware or software.

    You can do that stuff with a maths degree too. Some roboticists in my department are trying to apply ideas from topology to robotics. They like differential geometry too.

    People in AI live off probability, linear algebra and functional analysis.
    mc_teo wrote: »

    P.S. Internationally, how recognised are Irish Maths degrees?

    I've lived/studied in the UK for about four years now. People recognise the name TCD and don't really know about the other universities, but as long as you have decent grades and can demonstrate that you know your stuff, it doesn't matter much.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 5,851 ✭✭✭PurpleFistMixer


    Just as an FYI, if you do Maths in TCD, you can take a lot of modules from the computer science course if you want.


  • Registered Users Posts: 151 ✭✭Anonymo


    Fremen wrote: »
    You can do that stuff with a maths degree too. Some roboticists in my department are trying to apply ideas from topology to robotics. They like differential geometry too.

    People in AI live off probability, linear algebra and functional analysis.



    I've lived/studied in the UK for about four years now. People recognise the name TCD and don't really know about the other universities, but as long as you have decent grades and can demonstrate that you know your stuff, it doesn't matter much.


    I'm here in the UK also and I reckon the reason the name TCD is better known is that there are colleges named 'Trinity' in Cambridge and Oxford! In fact, in my experience here, Queens and UCD are almost as well known as TCD. Certainly UCD and TCD have good reputations. In recent years Maynooth and UCC have certainly improved their degree programmes but I'd probably recommend the former two if you have the choice. Incidentally a science degree at UCD (I don't mean to show too much bias towards UCD, but I went there and don't know as much about the other unis) should offer you the best selection of choices - especially if you wish to take modules in computer science.


  • Registered Users Posts: 103 ✭✭Jan Hus


    In my view maths is certainly the best major. I am sixteen, and thus haven't been to university yet, but I love it. The maths taught at school, to be utterly frank, is not a good guide to go by if you are in university. You'll get away with it for two years while you are doing the calculus sequence (Calculus I, Calculus II (more integrating and also Taylor Series), Calculus III (also known as multivariable calculus, this is partial differentiation and multiple intergrals + vector calculus which I have yet to do) and Differential Equations (a more advanced form of what you do during LC Applied Math maybe with a few partial equations thrown in)). There is nothing too esoteric here and concentration is on technique. But after this you will (in my experience anyway) make a unconscious choice to pursue either geometry or analysis. I have done only a small amount of advanced geo but it seems to be pretty similar to analysis. Here the concentration is on proofs - your IrMO experience will come in handy. I personally prefer analysis but geometry is also good. Maths is fulfilling - it is beautiful. Even areas with little practical application like number theory have sublime attraction (come to think of it number theory has value in IT, I was thinking of Hardy's Mathematician's Apology). Maths is no less an art form than sculpture - a proof of Stoke's Theorem is no less beautiful than a Picasso (and in this case of infinitely more practical use). The standard order of mathematical progression in university is Calculus Sequence then Linear Algebra then either Euclidean Geometry, Group Theory or Real Analysis. Then your paths divide - my one has taken me from Real Analysis to Complex Analysis where I am currently stuck on geometrically converging power series - not quite as beautiful as Geometry. Anyway here is a way to prove you are proficient in "proper" Linear Algebra (not merely matrices) - prove the key theorem of linear algebra.


  • Registered Users Posts: 103 ✭✭Jan Hus


    mc_teo wrote: »
    Hello there,

    I've been thinking lately about doing Maths at University. I'm in 6th Year, and doing Honours Maths, and Applied Maths, (no physics was available). I got an A pretty handily in the JC. Maths is easily the subject I enjoy most, since like primary school.

    My mother has a degree in Maths from Maynooth, and she went on to teach secondary level Maths. This probabaly has stopped me from seeing the wider career prospects. When I think of a Maths degree, I think of teaching being the best career after it (teaching is something I would hate.)

    During 3rd year I began programming, and since then I've been set on doing Computer Science, something that really interests me.

    I suppose its the logic of maths that I like so much, especially applications of said logic.

    So based upon the above aspects of my personality, do you think I would be suited to a Mathematics course?

    I would currently be in 5th year. Pure maths is the best way to go if you want to do maths without teaching - I would say the best area for you would be algorithms, perhaps you will be the one to finally find the answer to the P=NP? problem!


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