Applied Mathematics Concentration
Mathematics and its applications have always been intertwined. Geometry developed in support of the great civil engineering projects of Egypt and Greece. At least since the time of Newton, physical science and mathematics developed in tandem. Other disciplines have become increasingly mathematical. To a large degree, economics and finance are now the study of specialized mathematical models. The social sciences use game theory, probability, and statistics as the organizing tools for much of their research. Modern industry uses the insights of operations research to achieve prosperous levels of efficiency. Modern biology uses differential equations to study population growth, predator-prey interactions, and the inner workings of cells. These applications, coupled with remarkable advances in computing, have created whole new fields of mathematics.
The applied mathematics concentration is designed for students who want to pursue applications of mathematics or to double major in mathematics and another discipline. Students who plan to seek employment immediately after graduating and who want to develop specific skills may be well served by the applied track.
Students who plan to pursue graduate study in applied mathematics may be better served by acquiring a strong background in the fundamental branches of modern mathematics via the standard concentration track.
The requirements for the applied mathematics concentration allow for a great deal of flexibility. Students develop their own program of study in consultation with their major advisor.
You can emphasize several topics within this concentration, including
