Mathematics has always been the foundation of the physical sciences, and it now plays a major role in the life sciences and in such disciplines as economics, computer science and psychology. Employers value numeracy, clarity of thought and the capacity for logical argument that the study of mathematics develops. There is a strong demand in business, medicine, government and the academic world for mathematicians. Banks and other financial institutions seek out numerate graduates as a matter of course.
Many disciplines require large mathematical calculations, e.g. financial derivatives on the Stock Exchange, weather prediction, modelling cancer growth and MRI scanning. Mathematics aids the design of fast techniques for such calculations, thereby allowing more accurate and reliable results. The increase in computer power over the last two decades has rapidly expanded this area of mathematics with new fields of application appearing continuously.
You don’t have to look far to find applications of mathematical ideas. Computers could not have been invented without maths; email and internet banking depend on maths for their security; the encoding on CDs and DVDs was created using maths. The safety and effectiveness of life-saving drugs are assessed using statistics. How does a supermarket decide on the 'right' number of checkouts? If you double the number of oarsmen in a boat, what should that do to its speed? How can we compress data so that you can get more tunes on your iPod or MP3 player? How best can we position mobile phone towers, to minimise their number while maintaining full coverage? Why were the manufacturers of the new Airbus confident that it would fly?
The answer to all of these questions lies in the use of mathematics, of course. Maths is everywhere. At the University of Sussex we celebrate mathematics and all its applications, in a beautiful campus, with dedicated and enthusiastic teaching staff who have chosen to come from all over the globe to teach and research mathematics at Sussex.
Please follow the links on the left to find out more. I look forward to welcoming you to our Department.
Miroslav Chlebik, Head of Department
Department Office
T 01273 877345
E f.hyde-thompson@sussex.ac.uk
Giles's perspective
'I came to Sussex because of its excellent academic record in mathematics, and because of the stunning campus.
'My degree course is enjoyable and varied, spanning most of the areas in maths and the content is challenging yet accessible. The lecturers make things clear and if there are any problems they will go out of their way to help, if not in the lecture then afterwards.
'I really enjoyed Mathematics in Everyday Life – learning how even the most abstract theories can be applied. It is excellent motivation when it comes to other courses; you can see there is always a point to things done in maths.'
Giles Smith
Mathematics MMath student and prizewinner for outstanding performance