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How to become A Theoretical Mathematician

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Theoretical Mathematicians weave poems of logical ideas in a global language...they seek to unearth the true spirit of delight and zero in on the touchstone of excellence while testing old theories and discovering new truths about numbers. Continue Reading

Skills a career as a Theoretical Mathematician requires: Data Analysis Calculus Geometry Investigation Mathematics View more skills
Theoretical Mathematician salary
$95,243
USAUSA
£32,549
UKUK
Explore Career
  • Introduction - Theoretical Mathematician
  • What does a Theoretical Mathematician do?
  • Theoretical Mathematician Work Environment
  • Skills for a Theoretical Mathematician
  • Work Experience for a Theoretical Mathematician
  • Recommended Qualifications for a Theoretical Mathematician
  • Theoretical Mathematician Career Path
  • Theoretical Mathematician Professional Development
  • Learn More
  • Conclusion

Introduction - Theoretical Mathematician

Theoretical Mathematicians weave poems of logical ideas in a global language...they seek to unearth the true spirit of delight and zero in on the touchstone of excellence while testing old theories and discovering new truths about numbers.

Similar Job Titles Job Description
  • Pure Mathematician

What does a Theoretical Mathematician do?

What are the typical responsibilities of a Theoretical Mathematician?

A Theoretical Mathematician would typically need to:

  • Develop new mathematical rules, theories, and concepts in traditional subject areas such as algebra, geometry, and logic; generate reliable mathematical or statistical models to analyze data
  • Use mathematical formulas and models to prove or disprove theories
  • Instruct students in colleges and universities, clarify difficult mathematical concepts, grade tests, and deliver lectures
  • Design surveys, experiments, or opinion polls to collect required data; screen the data needed to answer specific questions; follow up with data interpretation through computations and numerical analyses, before reaching and reporting valid conclusions
  • Act as the lead advisor in applying mathematical analysis, theories, and techniques; design and develop computational methods to solve practical problems in industries or to improve business decisions

Theoretical Mathematician Work Environment

Theoretical Mathematicians often work in academic environments. They may be teachers in high schools or professors in universities and may combine teaching with research. Some also get the opportunity to work with local governments where most of their work is office-based.

The majority use computers in their analysis, and most work alone a large part of the time. In some research positions, you may work with a team of Mathematicians, engineers, scientists, or other professionals. Occasionally, you may have to travel to attend conferences and seminars.

Work Schedule

When working as a professor or teacher, Theoretical Mathematicians will typically adhere to the standard teaching hours and regular workweek. Government or research positions also require full-time work and occasionally require overtime to meet deadlines and data collection requests or analyses.

Full-time work allows Theoretical Mathematicians to start work in the morning and spend the day working towards completing their current project by performing calculations and measurements and many trial-and-errors as experiments to attain or perfect the results of their theory.

Employers

Theoretical Mathematicians can seek out teaching job opportunities through personal contacts such as friends, relatives, and college professors and by inquiring at college career services offices. Departmental recommendations can help you obtain college and university assistantships, instructorships, and professorships. Governmental positions are generally advertised well in advance of any required examinations and may also be found through college career services, post offices, and government buildings. While jobs in theoretical research are highly competitive, openings are more numerous in applied areas, including computer science and data processing.

 Theoretical Mathematicians are generally employed by:

  • Universities & Colleges
  • Middle & High Schools
  • Government Departments
  • Medical Technology Businesses
  • Private Scientific Research Companies
  • Engineering Research Institutions
Unions / Professional Organizations

Professional associations and organizations are a vital resource for those interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more looks excellent on your resume to bolster your credentials and qualifications as a Theoretical Mathematician.

Workplace Challenges
  • Encountering roadblocks in the further development of theories, which can cause frustration
  • Lack of dedicated time purely for Theoretical Mathematics and research, given the practical responsibilities of another profession such as teaching

Work Experience for a Theoretical Mathematician

Prospective Theoretical Mathematicians are encouraged to participate in internships or part-time jobs arranged by the college’s career services office.

Recommended Qualifications for a Theoretical Mathematician

Aspirant Theoretical Mathematicians should take as many Math courses as possible in school. Since Theoretical Mathematicians often work with data analysis software, computer programming courses may be particularly beneficial. Communication skills are important because you will often need to interact with others, many of whom may not have extensive knowledge of Mathematics or its technical jargon.

Employment with the federal or central government requires candidates to have at least a bachelor’s degree or significant coursework in Mathematics. Bachelor’s programs in Mathematics should include calculus, differential equations, and linear & abstract algebra, along with additional or required courses in computer science, engineering, physics, or statistics.

Theoretical Mathematicians who wish to work in the private sector generally need either a master’s degree or a doctorate. Those seeking employment as Professors of Mathematics in a college or university require a doctoral degree.

Certifications, Licenses and Registration

Although the requirements may vary across locations, a Theoretical Mathematician seeking employment in a public school requires licensure and a bachelor’s degree at the very least and approved teacher training certification.

Government positions usually require that applicants take a civil service examination in addition to meeting specific requirements that vary according to the type and level of the job.

Theoretical Mathematician Career Path

Numerous opportunities for advancement to higher-level positions or into related areas of employment are available to Theoretical Mathematicians.

Opportunities in related fields, such as statistics, accounting, actuarial work, and computers, allow Theoretical Mathematicians to change their profession, relocate geographically, or advance to better positions with higher salaries.

Job Prospects

Those with a graduate degree in Mathematics, solid quantitative and data analysis skills, and a background in a related discipline, such as business, computer science, or statistics, should have the best job prospects. In addition to technical skills, applicants with strong communication skills and the ability to interpret and present their data and findings will have more robust job prospects.

Theoretical Mathematician Professional Development

Promotions in Theoretical Mathematics are generally made based on advanced preparation, knowledge of a specific application, an individual appraisal by a more knowledgeable colleague, or a competitive examination. Theoretical Mathematicians should read professional journals, talk with other Mathematicians, and attend professional conferences to maintain knowledge of current trends.

Continuing professional development (CPD) is the holistic commitment of professionals towards enhancing personal skills and proficiency throughout their active careers through work-based learning, a professional activity, formal education, or self-directed learning.

CPD allows future-oriented Theoretical Mathematicians to upskill continually, regardless of their age, job, or level of knowledge. CPD courses, seminars, and workshops prevent practical and academic qualifications from becoming outdated, identify gaps in knowledge, and afford progress to a new specialism.

Learn More

Navigating Competition

The occupation is small, and there are relatively few Theoretical Mathematician positions. With a background in advanced mathematical techniques and modeling, many candidates can navigate the strong competition and find positions in other closely related fields.

In addition to working with integers, Theoretical Mathematicians deal with abstract structures such as rings in the algebraic number theory. Applying theories to shapes and geometry is an example of how a particular skill can enhance effectiveness in this field.

Teaching

With a Mathematics background, you may choose to teach the subject at middle or high school. Many people with a PhD in Mathematics, particularly Theoretical Mathematics, work as postsecondary teachers, usually combining teaching and research responsibilities. They may conduct individual research or collaborate with other professors and Mathematicians. Collaborators may work together at the same institution or work from different locations.

Research

As a Theoretical Mathematician, you would conduct research to identify unexplained issues in Mathematics and resolve them. You would be primarily concerned with exploring new areas and relationships of mathematical theories to increase knowledge and understanding about the field. Although the practical use of Theoretical Mathematicians’ findings seems limited, the experience they develop through research can be an essential component of many scientific and engineering achievements.

Applied Mathematics

When a Theoretical Mathematician combines Pure Mathematics with another specialty, such as flight engineering or medicine, they enter the field of Applied Mathematics. The typical work environment is either a research lab, often within a university or the private sector, or a regular office setting.

Applied Mathematicians use theories and techniques such as mathematical modeling to solve practical problems, often working with individuals in other occupations. For example, they may work with chemists, materials scientists, and chemical engineers to analyze the effectiveness of new drugs. Other Applied Mathematicians may work with industrial designers to study the aerodynamic characteristics of new automobiles.

An Overlap Between Theory and Application

The fields of Theoretical and Applied Mathematics frequently overlap despite their differences, particularly as many Mathematicians tend to use knowledge from both areas to fulfill their job responsibilities.

Designations

Even with a degree in mathematics and despite developing mathematical theories and models, people may not be designated as Theoretical Mathematicians if they work in fields such as computer systems design. They may then be called computer programmers or systems analysts. Those working in finance may be known as quantitative analysts, financial analysts, or statisticians.

Utility Value

Computer and information research scientists, physicists and astronomers, economists, actuaries, operations research analysts, and many other occupations also use mathematics extensively.

Conclusion

Theoretical Mathematicians create and change theories that form the bedrock of all further solutions and Mathematics from that point forward. They may not work on any directly applicable real-world solutions to issues. Still, they are just as important in advancing the field of Mathematics...simply because Theoretical Mathematicians love to try unsolved problems...they love a challenge.

Advice from the Wise

Real pleasure lies not in the discovery of truth, but the search for it.

Did you know?

The lifeline of today's time, Google, derived its name from the word 'googol' -- a mathematical term for the number 1 followed by 100 zeros, which reflect an infinite amount of search on the internet.

Introduction - Theoretical Mathematician
What does a Theoretical Mathematician do?

What do Theoretical Mathematicians do?

A Theoretical Mathematician would typically need to:

  • Develop new mathematical rules, theories, and concepts in traditional subject areas such as algebra, geometry, and logic; generate reliable mathematical or statistical models to analyze data
  • Use mathematical formulas and models to prove or disprove theories
  • Instruct students in colleges and universities, clarify difficult mathematical concepts, grade tests, and deliver lectures
  • Design surveys, experiments, or opinion polls to collect required data; screen the data needed to answer specific questions; follow up with data interpretation through computations and numerical analyses, before reaching and reporting valid conclusions
  • Act as the lead advisor in applying mathematical analysis, theories, and techniques; design and develop computational methods to solve practical problems in industries or to improve business decisions
Theoretical Mathematician Work Environment
Work Experience for a Theoretical Mathematician
Recommended Qualifications for a Theoretical Mathematician
Theoretical Mathematician Career Path
Theoretical Mathematician Professional Development
Learn More
Did you know?
Conclusion

Holland Codes, people in this career generally possess the following traits
  • R Realistic
  • I Investigative
  • A Artistic
  • S Social
  • E Enterprising
  • C Conventional
United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals that this career profile addresses
Quality Education Decent Work and Economic Growth Partnerships for the Goals
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