The Field

Mathematics is the language of the sciences, providing a bridge between experimental observation and scientific theory. Modern mathematics encompasses a wide variety of fields, from the formulation of mathematical models of complicated physical and biological systems to the study of abstract objects.

As our technology improves, it becomes more reliant on powerful mathematics, while simultaneously driving mathematics forward. Modern algebra is closely connected to theoretical physics; number theory is increasingly applied to computer and communications security; geometry and analysis are applied to many problems of science and engineering; and ordinary, partial, and stochastic differential equations are central to many branches of engineering research. Contemporary applications of sophisticated mathematics include aircraft design, properties of materials, weather prediction, understanding the spread of disease, oil well simulation, image processing, communication, economics, genomics and many others. In addition, mathematics is increasingly applied in other fields such as biology, medicine, ecology, and sociology.

The last decade has seen an explosion in the quantity and variety of data available about virtually everything including pictures, stock prices, purchase patterns, medical information, and voting behavior. However, many agree with the characterization of our time as “drowning in information and starving for knowledge.” This challenge is the essential problem of the field of statistics: seeking understanding and knowledge through the study of data. Statistics has historically played a key role in medical research, and more generally in experimental science, by quantifying the interaction between various “causes” and “effects.” However, many new and exciting applications of statistics are emerging, such as deciphering the human genome, analyzing and facilitating Internet traffic, and the “mining” of very large collections of data to discern patterns and relationships. Statistics is inherently an interdisciplinary field allowing the practitioner to learn from and contribute to a wide variety of different areas.

Students interested in majoring or minoring in mathematics should contact the Chief Undergraduate Adviser, tel. (413) 545-2282, Lederle Graduate Research Tower (LGRT) 1521E.