IBM – Maths - Will I ever use this stuff?

Will I ever use this stuff? Why maths is more important than ever.



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With industries and enterprises clamouring to apply mathematical models to innovate for all manner of problems, maths has gone mainstream. As a result, the demand for skilled mathematicians is rising with career options burgeoning in fields from finance to medicine to entertainment.

You may have wondered whether all that trig and calculus would ever prove useful. But the old stereotypes of maths and mathematicians no longer apply as the discipline has acquired major cachet in countless fields. Today's maths whizzes are at the forefront of addressing some of the most pressing issues in business and society.

Maths in the real world

As maths steps out from the theoretical into the deeply practical, the world's awash with new maths applications and commercial uses as a wide range of industries, some quite unexpected, are hiring mathematicians to create algorithms that optimise how they do things.

One reason maths has hit this stride now is that data and technology have reached a level that enables mathematicians to crunch numbers in ways they never could before. "Now we have vast streams of data in most fields and access to that data in realtime," said Baruch Schieber, senior manager of the Optimisation Centre at IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research Centre. "We also have the computational power to solve larger problems than ever and networks that provide the required speed to execute on algorithms quickly."

All this adds up to a period of great innovation in commercial maths solutions in virtually every aspect of life. Here's just a sampling of math's impact on various industries.

Supply chains

Algorithms work wonders in yielding greater operational efficiency across supply chains. This includes optimising raw material acquisition, production scheduling, distribution and inventory levels. Maths has proved invaluable for business optimisation in other areas as well, including customer recognition, marketing, pricing and transportation.

Utilities

To help prevent power outages, electric companies can use maths to create an "intelligent grid" that effectively monitors current and voltage throughout the system and can automatically detect where problems arise so they can be resolved quickly - maybe even before your lights go out. "This solution has the potential to lower downtime on the grid and, together with the optimised dispatch of repair crews, it may be a game-changer," Schieber said.

Airlines

Airlines use maths extensively to manage their operations. Complex algorithms determine fleet assignment, crew scheduling, fuel acquisition and even predict the likely number of no-shows on a flight so the airline can strategically overbook while minimizing the risk of bumping passengers at the gate. "Given the current size of the airlines, they clearly could not survive without these types of tools to address key logistical matters," Schieber said.

Hospitals

The entire sequence of steps necessary to prepare for and conduct an operation can be modelled and processed mathematically to ensure optimal scheduling of surgeries and use of facilities. This includes acquiring prep rooms, doctors, nurses, necessary medical equipment, the O.R. itself and the recovery room. "We can vastly improve the flow of these steps using mathematical techniques, which can help cut costs and improve patient care," Schieber said.

Video games

Video games are becoming more realistic and challenging by the day - with stunning graphics and extraordinary environments - thanks to mathematical innovations. A complex algorithm sits beneath just about every precise droplet of water, strand of hair or realistic gesture by a character in today's hottest games.

Human capital

Mathematicians can model the skill sets and proficiencies of individual employees and then create algorithms to allocate the best qualified people to various jobs and projects - which includes teaming up employees with good chemistry and keeping apart those who don't work well together. "This sort of matching is almost impossible to do manually, but we can do it on a large scale using mathematical tools," Schieber said. Algorithms can also be used to forecast long-term staffing requirements and then determine optimal hiring practices to meet predicted needs.

Finance

Mathematics is profoundly changing how financial markets operate, with complex algorithms increasingly used to analyse stocks, assess risk and value and automatically make trade decisions at lightning speed. maths has become crucial to all types of investing. In fact, one of the world's wealthiest hedge fund managers is a mathematician by training.

Forestry

Algorithms can determine the highest risk areas for forest fires so agencies can allocate equipment and firefighters where they'll be needed most. Mathematical models take into account the type of vegetation in a given area, amount of rainfall, probability of a fire starting and various damage scenarios so agencies can respond to fires effectively and minimise acres burned.

Entrepreneurship

Maths has become such a big deal, with mathematic solutions to all sorts of problems in such demand, that it's becoming an industry unto itself. Entire companies are being established to provide algorithms to specific industries. "As the world becomes increasingly maths-driven, the market for sophisticated algorithms is only going to grow," Schieber said. "There's exciting, lucrative opportunity for new start-ups strictly built on maths."

Mathematicians wanted

As the demand for maths-based solutions grows worldwide, so will the need for top-notch mathematicians. Many experts express concerns, however, that the supply of maths graduates and career mathematicians will fall short of global needs.

In the United States, poor maths performance among primary and secondary school students has been an issue for years. Other countries, such as Australia, have raised red flags about maths education and student achievement as well. By contrast, Singapore and China seem to excel in teaching maths and turning out skilled graduates.

Ultimately, the state of innovation and progress across the global economy will be tied directly to the quality and quantity of mathematicians the world produces in coming years. Use the choices at right for a snapshot of maths education around the world.

Kids and maths

While assessments vary, international tests generally indicate a rise in math scores and competency by students in Asian countries and a decline in the United States. Singapore, widely regarded as a leader in maths instruction, tops key tests while China and India, which have also demonstrated a strong commitment to maths education, do not participate in most global comparisons.

"In the United States, the state of maths education is certainly a cause for concern because with low interest and competency in maths, we may be losing a generation of mathematicians," said Brenda Dietrich, IBM Fellow and director of mathematical sciences at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Centre.

Click to see full chart

College maths

Which countries are producing mathematicians? It's difficult to pinpoint and compare the true number of degrees granted worldwide because countries use different criteria and definitions, and many (such as China and India) have not participated in most education comparison studies.

But for one kind of view, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reports on a variety of fields among its 30 member countries, including college or advanced degrees in mathematics and statistics.

Click to see full chart

Women in maths

Opportunity abounds for women with degrees in not just maths but also math-dependent fields like engineering and computer science. In some countries (including the United States), however, women continue to lag behind men in choosing maths as a field of study, particularly in pursuing advanced degrees and careers.

"Women have traditionally been unaware of the career options that maths provides them," Brenda Dietrich, IBM Fellow and director of mathematical sciences at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Centre, said. "It truly is a wonderful time to be doing the type of work that I do because we can have so much impact."

The percent of maths degrees earned by women varies widely among countries, as the following information from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development demonstrates. Other data shows that, at least in some countries, the more advanced the degree, the fewer women among the degree earners. For example, in the U.S., the National Science Foundation reports that in 2004, 45.9 percent of bachelor's degrees in mathematics were earned by women, but they earned only 28.4 percent of the field's doctoral degrees.

Click to see full chart

Our maths department

Mathematical Sciences (US)
Basic and applied research in algorithms, data mining, optimisation and statistics.

Maths whiz quiz

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Women in technology

Women have made contributions to the advancement of information technology throughtout IBM's history. Read more (US).

Hire a mathematician

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Turning complex data into business insights.



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