Our Trip To JMM14 In Numbers!!!

JMM 2014 - Baltimore Trip

The Center of Math traveled south from their headquarters in Cambridge, MA to attend the Joint Mathematics Meetings 2014 in Baltimore, MD.  The conference is the largest mathematics meeting in the world, attracting over 6,000 students, educators and more.  The Center of Math brought along a video camera and created a short video showing some of the numbers behind the trip.  Enjoy!

Worldwide Math Shorts

Brought to you by the Worldwide Center of Mathematics, Worldwide Math Shorts is a brand new collection of videos introducing important basic and foundational mathematics concepts. The videos are now available free on the Center of Math YouTube Channel.

Here at the Center, we are dedicated to providing 1) top-to-bottom coverage of the concepts you need to know and 2) the additional resources you’ll need to master them. Worldwide Math Shorts, featuring Tom Lewis (Northeastern University ‘15), was created to better serve the needs of math students, instructors and the greater community. The collection is comprised of six parts, including the basics of derivatives, integrals, matrices, probability, trigonometry, and vectors.

The topics were chosen to provide viewers with a better understanding of the early concepts essential to executing advanced calculus, differential equations, or linear algebra. Short and sweet, the videos are great for any aspiring mathematician, and serve as especially helpful “refreshers” for those using Center of Math textbooks. Each video introduces basic definitions and concepts followed by worked examples.

As we continue to expand our collection of study/help videos and resources, we want to hear from you! Which topics do you need help with? What kind of video or topic would you like to see the Center of Math produce next? Leave your comments or send your thoughts to info@centerofmath.org.

Center of Math Productions are recorded in the Center of Math Studio Classroom space in Cambridge, MA. The Center of Math was established to strengthen the math community by providing free and affordable resources for all. 

Check out one of our Worldwide Math Shorts below!

A Textbook Carol | The Evolution of the Textbook Publishing Industry

Hello math lovers! We know all of you love math... and you probably love the holidays, too, so we thought we would combine the two to give you a fun and informative infographic about the evolution of the publishing industry! We drew inspiration from the classic "A Christmas Carol" that we thought you'd all be able to relate to. We hope you enjoy it!

 

Though it's a topic you might not have ever thought about, publishing has an impact on you whether you are a student, professor, collector, or just a math enthusiast. We appreciate those of you who choose the Center of Math and support our mission of finding ways to make math affordable and accessible!

From the Center of Math, Happy Holidays!!!

P.S. If you'd like a print-friendly version of this infographic (at full size), send us an email at info@centerofmath.org.

6 Jobs You Can Get With a Math Degree

Have you ever wondered, “What can you do with a math degree? Is becoming a math teacher my only option?” Well today I am here to show you the many options you have upon graduating with a math degree.

Actuary

An actuary is someone who calculates the financial impact of situations that have risk and uncertainty. This is common in the insurance industry, since the nature of these industries is based on unplanned events. Actuaries are also hired by private companies to determine things such as potential demand for a new product, or to predict the probability and cost of an event. Being an actuary has proven to be a very lucrative field, and is consistently ranked as one of the most desirable professions that will continue to be in great demand in the future. If you feel you have a strong understanding of mathematics, statistics, as well as business, this would be a great job to consider.

Statistician

As the name implies, statisticians work with using statistics in the application of mathematical principles. They collect, analyze, and present numerical data in the form of surveys and experiments. If you are considering or are already majoring in applied mathematics, this might be the career for you. Additional background in computer science would help, as would additional studies in chemistry or a health science (in the case of testing products).

Market Research Analyst

If you like gathering and analyzing information, particularly about what people think and how they will perceive things, this might be the career path for you! Market research analysts help companies use statistical data from past sales to predict future sales and to predict which market they should target for their products or services. In addition to mathematics and statistics skills, knowledge in computer science, survey design and sampling theory would help you in this field.

Budget/Financial Analyst

Budget and financial analysts will both work with a company to maximize the way they spend their money. Budget analysts develop, analyze and execute budgets, making sure that they are accurate and in compliance with laws. Financial analysts also guide businesses in their finances, but are more geared towards investment opportunities. They give recommendations and help companies develop investment strategies that will be profitable after evaluating the industry and business trends.

Government Careers

Many departments of the government recruit math majors for various types of careers (notably, the NSA). For many of these fields, you would need significant knowledge in another field such as engineering, computer science, or business, but your background of analysis, statistics, and differential equations from your math education will give you a great start into any field you decide to go into.

Teacher/Professor

Yes, it’s the most obvious job that people think of when they think of a math degree, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing! If you truly love both math and teaching, then it makes sense to consider a career as a math teacher. You can become a K-12 math teacher with a bachelor’s degree, but you will most likely need a Ph.D. to become a college professor or higher.

These are just a few of the examples of amazing careers you can pursue with a math degree. Some of them may have been obvious, but hopefully you’ve learned a bit more about the possibilities that are open to you! Remember, even if a job does not specifically involve math, having a math degree still makes you desirable to employers because it shows that you have experience with analyzing data and problem solving.

 We also have a fun and helpful infographic to share with you, showing all of these various jobs!

So if you were undecided about declaring yourself as a math major, or perhaps you had even overlooked it as a possibility, I hope this article has changed your mind! If there are any other job possibilities for math majors you’d like to share, we’d love to hear it in a comment!

P.S. If you'd like a print-friendly version of this infographic (at full size), send us an email at info@centerofmath.org.