What is Mathematics?

Mathematics is the science and study of quality, structure, space, and

change. Mathematicians seek out patterns, formulate new conjectures, and
establish truth by rigorous deduction from appropriately chosen axioms and
definitions.

There is debate over whether mathematical objects such as numbers and

points exist naturally or are human creations. The mathematician Benjamin
Peirce called mathematics "the science that draws necessary conclusions".
Albert Einstein, on the other hand, stated that "as far as the laws of
mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are
certain, they do not refer to reality."

Through abstraction and logical reasoning mathematics evolved from

counting, calculation, measurement, and the systematic study of the
shapes and motions of physical objects. Practical mathematics has been a
human activity for as far back as written records exist. Rigorous arguments
first appeared in Greek mathematics, most notably in Euclid's Elements.
Mathematics continued to develop, in fitful bursts, until the Renaissance,
when mathematical innovations interacted with new scientific discoveries,
leading to an acceleration in research that continues to the present day.

Today, mathematics is used throughout the world as an essential tool in

many fields, including natural science, engineering, medicine, and the
social sciences. Applied mathematics, the branch of mathematics
concerned with application of mathematical knowledge to other fields,
inspires and makes use of new mathematical discoveries and sometimes
leads to the development of entirely new disciplines. Mathematicians also
engage in pure mathematics, or mathematics for its own sake, without
having any application in mind, although practical applications for what
began as pure mathematics are often discovered later.

Why Study Mathematics?

Because it's fun and can prepare you for a variety of excellent careers! If
you like solving puzzles and figuring things out, then a mathematics major
may interest you. In addition, applications of mathematics are everywhere
and a strong background in mathematics can help you in many different
careers.
The sections below provide information about careers in mathematics and
the opportunities available to our mathematics majors.
Careers
The following links are to pages that provide information about the careers
available to students of mathematics.

American Mathematical Society

American Statistical Association
This is Statistics
Mathematical Association of America
Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM)
Society of Actuaries

Undergraduate Research
If you are considering graduate school in mathematics, you should think
about participating in some research as an undergraduate. There are
opportunities to do so with professors in our department or at other
institutions during the summer at an REU (Research Experience for
Undergraduates). REUs are usually four to eight weeks long and typically
pay the student a stipend.