Are math degrees useless?

Recently, I found a post published in IEEE Spectrum in 2012 by Robert. W. Lucky. (http://spectrum.ieee.org/at-work/education/is-math-still-relevant)

The main thrust of the piece is a report on the very common perception that studying mathematics might not guarantee exciting job opportunities after graduation. The author reports that the demand for mathematical talent in engineering and STEM is likely to be decreasing given the presence of sophisticated software. I disagree with a couple of other statements reported there too i.e.

“Programming is rigidly structured and, at the same time, an evolving art form—neither of which is especially amenable to mathematical analysis.”

I’m sure that the software engineering community would disagree. (https://www.sei.cmu.edu/measurement)

I decided to comment on the more general sentiment about mathematics becoming increasingly theoretical and exclusive field. In the presence of such tools as Matlab, capable of symbolic problem solving, it might seem that mathematical calculations can be done by clicking a mouse button a couple of times.

From the research point of view, we are far from reaching “the final frontier”. I think that just the opposite is true. There is a huge number of open research topics. Many more research directions will emerge in the future. We can get some feel for the future by reviewing various mathematical contests. The “Millennium Prize Problems” are focusing on classical problems (http://www.claymath.org/millennium-problems).

Perhaps perspectives offered by Stephen Wolfram will ignite new research fields.

 

 

 

Wolfram MathWorld (http://mathworld.wolfram.com/UnsolvedProblems.html ) features another list of very diverse mathematical problems. The above lists and general tone of discussion among mathematicians (see American Mathematical Association ams.org and Mathematical Association of America www.maa.org) makes me feel that we are just scratching the surface of mathematical research. I’m sure that the future will bring many breakthrough discoveries. Many more brilliant mathematicians  will carry the torch of Paul Erdos and John Nash, to name only a few among the greatest.

We have to make sure that mathematics as a field of study is not unfairly marginalized as reported by R.W. Lucky. We need a lot of people entering the field in order to keep the research fields flourishing. It will be difficult in our fast-paced environment to include John von Neumann Theory Prize winners in the evening news programs. However, we need to realize that this is an important field and the future of our economy, technology and education depend on mathematical research.

Such comprehensive programs as The Joy of Math by The Great Courses are a step in the right direction.  

 

 

Secondly, applying mathematics in various fields like engineering, data analysis or artificial intelligence is not getting any easier. It is true that some of the mechanics of solving mathematical problems are easier in the presence of such tools as Wolfram Alpha (http://www.wolframalpha.com/ ) or apps like Maple (http://www.maplesoft.com). However, the process of formulating the problems, selecting the appropriate mathematical tools and interpreting results is probably as difficult as ever. Complexity of algorithms is increasing. Most fields of computer science are no longer focusing on “toy problems”. Those who tried to find the appropriate mathematical function in Excel know what I mean.

Also, let’s not forget that software utilizing mathematical software will have to be developed by people with deep understanding of cutting edge research. One of the fields, in which there are abundant career opportunities is software development.

Mathematics in education is in the state of crisis. The causes and consequences are a separate topic. In my opinion, we need to work on raising the level of mathematical education in order to develop talents capable of dealing with increasing complexities of mathematical problems applicable in such fields like artificial intelligence, robotics, etc.