Theoretical Math Research?

[Deleted]

Hey so I got a question and I figured somebody here could know an answer for since many people around here are involved in math, physics and such.

I know a guy. He is in the guild I was in when I still played and he also attends the same university I do. He is at Math-Physics faculty in last year of his phd program in Theoretical Math. He doesn't teach much, only one course once a week in winter semester. He says he mostly does research and isn't even interested in teaching all that much.

Now can anyone tell me what exactly do you research in Theoretical Mathematics?

Physics, biology, chemistry, medicine, anything... You name it, I imagine a lab and a person doing research, obviously.

But theoretical mathematics... Isn't that like all researched since 19/20th century? What do you research there? Could anyone informed on the matter tell me something about this? For example what does the work day look like? You come to the office, turn on the coffee maker and then do what?

Just so you know why I am asking... its pure interest. He refuses to tell me because I am in law faculty and he says I wouldn't understand anyway. We are friends though, it's said in a fun way, not serious way. And he might even be right because I really don't know much about math, I have Calculus 1 and 2 and that's about it.

Thanks.

[Badpaladin]

From my understanding, you'll be getting heavily into playing with equations that jump into multiple dimensions, toying with the idea of infinite, and generally trying to come up with more efficient ways to solve problems.

[Linkedblade]

Well we don't know what you mean by Calculus 1 and 2. Have you studied Calculus in 3 dimensions? Linear Algebra? Qualitative Analysis? Complex Analysis? Even Differential Equations has three or more courses under its wing.

Addendum: Most of the courses I've listed are undergrad. This doesn't even begin to scrape the field of graduate mathematics.

[Deleted]

Theoretical Mathematics as in Pure Mathematics or as in Theoretical Mathematics for a sub-devision of Science?

[SoulPoetry]

But theoretical mathematics... Isn't that like all researched since 19/20th century? What do you research there? Could anyone informed on the matter tell me something about this? For example what does the work day look like? You come to the office, turn on the coffee maker and then do what?

basically work with lots of lots of equations. what your day looks like i honestly don't know =P of course there's more maths to be researched but it's so abstract, even for maths students or graduates.

[Chyrch]

Relax. Your friend is just crazy and has accepted it to the point where he doesn't care if others think him crazy when he tells them what he does for a living. Damn Mathematicians ... the epitome of the saying "more brains than sense".

[Paoa]

i would assume proofs, as in the 4 pages of work that are required to prove 1+1=2. Things that we know to be true cannot always be proven mathematically, such as Cantors Continuum Hypothesis. I would assume he would study this, but to be honest, this type of mathematics is entirely useless to humanity. It's like studying philosophy.

[Deleted]

Hey guys I think I get the picture now a bit and I see why he didn't want to explain anything to me... I am not exactly the abstract math type being a law student... So it would have been a waste of words

...this type of mathematics is entirely useless to humanity. It's like studying philosophy...

This actually popped in my head when I googled a bit about this. Well the similiarity to philosophy, the uselessness of it is... Well maybe so.

[goki]

Hey so I got a question and I figured somebody here could know an answer for since many people around here are involved in math, physics and such.

I know a guy. He is in the guild I was in when I still played and he also attends the same university I do. He is at Math-Physics faculty in last year of his phd program in Theoretical Math. He doesn't teach much, only one course once a week in winter semester. He says he mostly does research and isn't even interested in teaching all that much.

Now can anyone tell me what exactly do you research in Theoretical Mathematics?

Physics, biology, chemistry, medicine, anything... You name it, I imagine a lab and a person doing research, obviously.

But theoretical mathematics... Isn't that like all researched since 19/20th century? What do you research there? Could anyone informed on the matter tell me something about this? For example what does the work day look like? You come to the office, turn on the coffee maker and then do what?

Just so you know why I am asking... its pure interest. He refuses to tell me because I am in law faculty and he says I wouldn't understand anyway. We are friends though, it's said in a fun way, not serious way. And he might even be right because I really don't know much about math, I have Calculus 1 and 2 and that's about it.

Thanks.

Don't believe what these guys are telling you about working with equations, equations are the simplest form of math known, they may not have solutions but that does not make them difficult, juggling with letters is not. Theoretical math involves either finding solutions to unsolved problems (proofs) or inventing math (via logic) to simplify or better define said problems, you might also be redoing already proven theorems in other ways, a geometric proof for an algebraic theory, or a set theory proof for a geometry theory. I will be taking a pre-phd class next semester where supposedly you learn how to invent math to fit your problems (like Feynman, Newton etc did), I am a physicist btw and this is my understanding, math students might be able to give you a better answer.

[Verdris]

Dunno about "theoretical mathematics", but at my college it's called "pure mathematics", which I suppose is math for math's sake? The neat thing is that what was once the realm of pure mathematics (topology, differential geometry, whatever) is now finding amazing applications in physics, chemistry, and biology.