What can I do with mathematics?

Mathematical ecology is a growing and active area of interdisciplinary research between mathematics and ecology.

Revealing Nature’s Secrets

Mathematical ecology is a growing and active area of interdisciplinary research between mathematics and ecology, using almost every part of mathematics (linear algebra, analysis, differential equations, stochastic processes, numerical simulations, statistics) to understand and model complex biosystems. This modeling helps establish important parameters and thresholds, such as the area required to sustain a species or how fast an invasive species will spread through a region.

Models must be fairly complex to capture how a single species interacts with other species and with its environment. Today’s mathematical ecology researchers are faced with the far more daunting task of simulating several interconnected networks of organisms across different scales of time, size, and space. To do that, researchers resort to some relatively new areas of mathematics, for example non-linear dynamical systems and spatial statistics.

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Mathematical Models in Biology, Leah Edelstein-Keshet.

Article © AMS Mathematical Moments program

WHAT CAN I DO WITH A MATHEMATICS MAJOR?

While the main motivation to choose math as a major should stem from a combination of keen interest and high ability in math, students are naturally concerned about the opportunities available to a mathematics major or a mathematics teaching major after graduation. At this time, the math major appears to be in a better position than many other majors for employment in business, industry, government agencies, and teaching. The prospects are also good for well-qualified students to obtain support for graduate studies in either mathematics or mathematics education. Also a major in mathematics is excellent preparation for further study in many other fields.

In order to help you clarify your thoughts on what you want to get out of your collegiate experience as a math major, here are some questions to ask yourself:

  • Why do I like mathematics? What is it about math that attracts me to majoring in mathematics?
  • Whattype of mathematicsdo I like? Do I like the computational aspect? The rigor and logic? The problem solving experience? The theoretical aspect? Which content areas interest me?
  • What do I want to do for a career? Do I want to teach, or do I want pursue other avenues? If you want to teach, then:
    • what age group(s) do you want to teach? PreK, 1-6, 6-9, 9-12, college?
    • do you want to teach just mathematics, or do you want to have the flexibility to teach other fields as well?
  • If you are not interested in a career in teaching, then: are you interested in a career in business, industry, government, nonprofits, other alternatives?
  • How much education do I want to complete? Bachelors, Masters, or Ph.D.? Do I want to enter the work force right after graduation with the option to pursue graduate work later?
  • What do I need to do in order to further my career prospects?
  • What should I be doing academically to further my goals? Should I pick up a minor in another area? Should I try to double major?
  • What extracurriculars should I become involved in to further my goals? For example, should I get involved with the math club? Should I participate in the MCM Modeling Competition?
  • What types of work experience should I try to get to further my goals? Should I consider volunteer work experiences such as tutoring? Should I consider internships?
  • What organizations should I become involved in? What conferences or meetings might it be helpful to attend?