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Math is one of the fundamental areas of study today. Nearly every course offered in the science and social science areas of post secondary education requires you to take some university math courses. However, math is one of the broadest topics of study with a number of different fields and many different courses within each field so it is often difficult to understand what math courses would be best for your preferred area of study. This page offers a brief explanation of the different fields of math that a student can choose to study and the career areas that they they are required or useful in. There are links to a number of math homepages maintained by universities in Ontario.

Pure Math

Pure math explores the boundaries of mathematics and reason. This course will give the student the ability to think and work independently. It installs discipline and and the ability to tackle new and challenging problems. A graduate of this course will be able to enter a variety of different fields including all science and engineering fields. Pure math would be valuable to students thinking of entering industry and teaching. Some of the areas covered in this field would be Algebra, Analysis, Geometry, Topology, Logic, and Number Theory.

Finance

Finance or Actuarial Science is the mathematics of investment. It teaches students the theory of rates and practical applications for math in areas such as mortgages, bonds, insurance, pension, and liability theories. This math also requires a working understanding of other areas such as computer science, law and economics. This would also be helpful for someone looking into English or humanities. Some areas covered in this field are Actuarial mathematics, demographics, statistics, mathematics of financial investment and risk theory.

Statistics

The study of statistics deals with the collection and analysis of data. This is used in many fields such as biology, agriculture, business and engineering. The course helps students learn how to assess intelligently claims based on statistical arguments. It deals with problems such as data collection and analysis and the presentation of results.

Computer Science

Computer science is the study of information and looks at all aspects of computing. It looks at the properties of data such as structure, classification, storage and retrieval, and the machines that perform these operations (computers). The field of computer science ranges from the theoretical such as system organisation, logic and formal languages to applied areas such as scientific computing, programming languages and software management.

Applied Math

Applied math is the use of math towards a purpose. It is intended to give students the insight to use their math skills to solve "real world" problems. The heart of this math is the development of analytical reasoning and its application to many different types of problems. It helps students better understand and analyze the vast amount of knowledge offered in the many science courses such as physics, computer science and engineering and to achieve a broader base of knowledge in these areas.

Combinatorics and Optimization

Combinatorics and Optimization are used in areas that require constant answers concerning operational efficiency, such as government, architecture, and commerce. Combinatorics is the study of discrete structures while optimization is the study of maximizing or minimizing functions subject to constraints.

Here Are Some Links to University Math Departments

Guelph	Waterloo	York	Queen's
Laurentien	Windsor	Brock	Western
Lakehead	McMaster	Ottawa	Toronto
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