Liberal arts college for math?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll throw my knowledge into this. I am an academic in an area adjacent to math, so this is second hand.

Me too. I liked pure math, but later found great applications in an adjacent area. Math provides great support for physics, cryptography, economics, actuarial science, management science and logistics, and finance. These days, most math majors are actually applied math majors or joint computer science. There is also statistics and data analysis.

It is unrealistic to expect an undergrad to complete all the Ph.D. core courses. Only a small minority of talented kids end up competing in Math Olympiads and becoming professors in something useless like number theory. Go someplace with lots of math majors and opportunities to explore interests.

Mine is also into cryptography. Placed out of all the base courses, so went into upper level electives as a freshman. Not interested in olympiads or competitions. Really turned off by that in magnet schools. I like that math can be so malleable. It doesn't have to be some narrow path.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Measure theory is more important than functional analysis for most PhD bound undergrads. Look to see if they offer that.

Real analysis may be sufficiently broad as to include
the principles of measure theory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Pomona link above seems a little wonky or indirect, but it offers two functional analysis courses: https://catalog.pomona.edu/preview_course_nopop.php?catoid=47&coid=158836 & https://catalog.pomona.edu/preview_course_nopop.php?catoid=47&coid=158837

And you'll find that its students are also interested in the topic: https://www.pomona.edu/academics/departments/mathematics-statistics/students (See Chloe, Class of 2026).

Thanks for better link.

Yes, Pomona, being a Claremont consortium college, like Amherst in the Five Colleges, has a broader curriculum than most more-isolated LACs.

Pomona’s faculty just teach more math classes, unlike its peers. Their offerings have almost nothing to do with the curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Math is the largest major at Amherst (sometimes alternating for 2nd with economics), and advanced students can take graduate classes at UMass.

This is important as some math students need more than is offered by the typical LAC curriculum. One reason that OP's student should give serious consideration to U Chicago or any other National University.

How many math major at Amherst College ? TIA

You wouldn’t have this issue at Pomona.

I'm not a mathematician, so actual mathematicians can correct me on this if needed. But my understanding is that the math offerings at LACs like Mudd, Pomona, Williams, Reed, and Swarthmore will be more than enough for the vast majority of math majors. If your kid is a true savant (not just the best mathematician in their high school), however, then they should consider a university's deeper grad school offerings. A university might also be preferable if a kid is interested in a niche mathematical area. But most kids at these LACs tend to get humbled pretty quickly when they realize that most of their fellow math majors also took Calc BC by their sophomore year of high school and are incredibly intelligent.

Ours did Calc BC freshman year and attends Pomona- hasn't run out of math. The prodigy types are going to MIT/Princeton/Betkeley

Or UChicago!

Did they take one or two math classes per year after BC in high school? How many math classes per semester does she take in college?

She takes about 2-3 math courses per semester. So far, she hasn’t had any issues with course availability as a rising senior.

[Anonymous]

NP. I am responding to the original question and I do not have time to sift through the subsequent post .

It really depends where the liberal arts college is located. If it’s in a big city it’s going to attract some really top teachers. Whereas in a rural setting it’s very difficult to attract the top talent in math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. I am responding to the original question and I do not have time to sift through the subsequent post .

It really depends where the liberal arts college is located. If it’s in a big city it’s going to attract some really top teachers. Whereas in a rural setting it’s very difficult to attract the top talent in math.

Not true. The faculty at Williams, for example, are stellar. Same with Amherst, Hamilton, Carleton, etc.

The academic job market is so competitive that the professors at every selective college, including those in the middle of nowhere, are top talent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I am responding to the original question and I do not have time to sift through the subsequent post .

It really depends where the liberal arts college is located. If it’s in a big city it’s going to attract some really top teachers. Whereas in a rural setting it’s very difficult to attract the top talent in math.

Not true. The faculty at Williams, for example, are stellar. Same with Amherst, Hamilton, Carleton, etc.

The academic job market is so competitive that the professors at every selective college, including those in the middle of nowhere, are top talent.

You didn't combat their statement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Measure theory is more important than functional analysis for most PhD bound undergrads. Look to see if they offer that.

measure theory is not important at all unless you plan to do a PhD in stats or research measure theory

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Pomona link above seems a little wonky or indirect, but it offers two functional analysis courses: https://catalog.pomona.edu/preview_course_nopop.php?catoid=47&coid=158836 & https://catalog.pomona.edu/preview_course_nopop.php?catoid=47&coid=158837

And you'll find that its students are also interested in the topic: https://www.pomona.edu/academics/departments/mathematics-statistics/students (See Chloe, Class of 2026).

The Claremonts offer a two-semester sequence of Real and Functional Analysis I and Real and Functional Analysis II, which would offer similar content to an LAC that offers a distinct course in functional analysis, for which real analysis commonly would serve as a prerequisite.

[Anonymous]

At Haverford / Swarthmore, you can take classes at the other school and kids at both can take classes at Penn. Not necessarily the most convenient, but very doable and allows kids to stay in LAC environment if that’s what they want. (Same with Amherst/Smith/Holyoke and UMass)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Pomona link above seems a little wonky or indirect, but it offers two functional analysis courses: https://catalog.pomona.edu/preview_course_nopop.php?catoid=47&coid=158836 & https://catalog.pomona.edu/preview_course_nopop.php?catoid=47&coid=158837

And you'll find that its students are also interested in the topic: https://www.pomona.edu/academics/departments/mathematics-statistics/students (See Chloe, Class of 2026).

The Claremonts offer a two-semester sequence of Real and Functional Analysis I and Real and Functional Analysis II, which would offer similar content to an LAC that offers a distinct course in functional analysis, for which real analysis commonly would serve as a prerequisite.

Hamilton offers an example of such an arrangement:

https://hamilton.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/college-catalogue/courses/math-mathematics-and-statistics/

Real analysis appears to be offered in both fall and spring semesters; functional analysis appears to be offered in spring semesters.

[Anonymous]

Drew university is an underrated gem. It is a short walk to Madison and can walk also to the train station to go into nyc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll throw my knowledge into this. I am an academic in an area adjacent to math, so this is second hand.

Me too. I liked pure math, but later found great applications in an adjacent area. Math provides great support for physics, cryptography, economics, actuarial science, management science and logistics, and finance. These days, most math majors are actually applied math majors or joint computer science. There is also statistics and data analysis.

It is unrealistic to expect an undergrad to complete all the Ph.D. core courses. Only a small minority of talented kids end up competing in Math Olympiads and becoming professors in something useless like number theory. Go someplace with lots of math majors and opportunities to explore interests.

Mine is also into cryptography. Placed out of all the base courses, so went into upper level electives as a freshman. Not interested in olympiads or competitions. Really turned off by that in magnet schools. I like that math can be so malleable. It doesn't have to be some narrow path.

Cryptography and Competition math both have a heavy emphasis on algebra and number theory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Pomona link above seems a little wonky or indirect, but it offers two functional analysis courses: https://catalog.pomona.edu/preview_course_nopop.php?catoid=47&coid=158836 & https://catalog.pomona.edu/preview_course_nopop.php?catoid=47&coid=158837

And you'll find that its students are also interested in the topic: https://www.pomona.edu/academics/departments/mathematics-statistics/students (See Chloe, Class of 2026).

Thanks for better link.

Yes, Pomona, being a Claremont consortium college, like Amherst in the Five Colleges, has a broader curriculum than most more-isolated LACs.

Pomona’s faculty just teach more math classes, unlike its peers. Their offerings have almost nothing to do with the curriculum.

What does this mean? Offerings have nothing to do with the curriculum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Pomona link above seems a little wonky or indirect, but it offers two functional analysis courses: https://catalog.pomona.edu/preview_course_nopop.php?catoid=47&coid=158836 & https://catalog.pomona.edu/preview_course_nopop.php?catoid=47&coid=158837

And you'll find that its students are also interested in the topic: https://www.pomona.edu/academics/departments/mathematics-statistics/students (See Chloe, Class of 2026).

Thanks for better link.

Yes, Pomona, being a Claremont consortium college, like Amherst in the Five Colleges, has a broader curriculum than most more-isolated LACs.

Pomona’s faculty just teach more math classes, unlike its peers. Their offerings have almost nothing to do with the curriculum.

What does this mean? Offerings have nothing to do with the curriculum?

They probably mean the consortium