All Questions
71 questions
33
votes
3
answers
25k
views
How to transition from pure math PhD to nonacademic career?
I'm finishing up a PhD in math and am thinking about options outside of academia. So far, I've really only focused on pure mathematics, but I have a year left of grad school. Suppose I am interested ...
16
votes
4
answers
3k
views
How important is it for one on the job market to have thought about suitable REU projects?
An REU is a "Research Experience for Undergraduates" and entails undergrads (usually after their junior year) coming for 8-10 weeks out of the summer to University X to learn about and work on a ...
18
votes
5
answers
5k
views
Advice on changing topic for thesis problem
I am starting to find my thesis problem not meaningful nor interesting and too technical. As I learn more mathematics I am finding myself attracted to other topics and only started on my intital ...
36
votes
3
answers
29k
views
What counts as an 'invited' talk?
When you write your CV, what do you count as an invited talk? Does it count if you're invited but not provided funding (this has happened to me several times at AMS special sessions)? What if someone ...
17
votes
2
answers
5k
views
How to make the move to a research university from a liberal arts school?
Some mathematicians are in positions that emphasize teaching at predominantly undergraduate colleges but find themselves desiring positions at research universities. This may happen because their ...
23
votes
5
answers
7k
views
Moving to academia from industry
I hope that the following question is suitable for MO. There have been several others in a similar vein, including this one about moving from maths into industry, this one about careers advice for ...
10
votes
7
answers
5k
views
How to/Can you get a PhD position when you need more experience first?
My friend loves mathematics and wants to continue research as a
mathematics PhD student, but this doesn't seem possible!
She did a prestigious but inadequate bachelors program (almost no math) and
...
19
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Training towards research on birational geometry/minimal model program
Being a not yet enrolled independently supervised graduate student in mathematics, with prospects of applying to American graduate schools hopefully in a 1-2 years' time, I have a background of having ...
- 1,335
16
votes
6
answers
17k
views
Curriculum vitae: including grants you've applied for, not received (or not yet received).
I've heard from multiple sources now that one's CV should include grants you've applied for, even if you didn't receive them or won't find out if you've received them until after your CV goes out. I ...
9
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How common is it for universities to create new positions for dual hires?
Let's say you happen to be a mathematician, and your spouse is also an academic and in a humanities field in which there are very few jobs advertised. Assuming that you can convince universities to ...
2
votes
0
answers
562
views
How practical is it to change research areas within math after a PhD? [closed]
The title says most of it really. How constrained are you in an academic career based on the topic of your PhD thesis? Is it plausible for someome to be researching in an area of math vastly different ...
- 37
17
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Contacting an eminent mathematician
I have recently started a PhD. and am researching an area that two now eminent mathematicians devoted considerable time to in the 1980s. However, there appears to have been fairly moderate focus on ...
1
vote
0
answers
202
views
Doubts related Shifting from Pure to Applied math [closed]
I am a second year (Pure) Math and (Theoretical) Physics undergraduate in India. I want to do a masters in Applied/Computational Science or Math, for which I have apply after next 7 months.
I have ...
- 127
8
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Switching tenure-track position [closed]
I have a tenure-track position at a research university (among top 20 in USA) in a decent city. This has been my fourth year as a tenure-track. I still have not heard from my department regarding the ...
24
votes
3
answers
2k
views
How to assess research "impact" for tenure/promotion committees
Over the last several years, the college-level promotion & tenure committee at my university has increasingly been seeking to apply "objective" criteria for assessing the impact of candidates' ...
24
votes
3
answers
5k
views
How do you make a good math research poster for a non-mathematical audience?
I have the opportunity to prepare a research poster for a non-mathematical, yet scientifically savvy audience, and I want to do it well. I have asked a few mathematicians, and I have heard the ...
5
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Preparing for Set Theory Research
Is reading Jech's text on Set Theory too little, just enough, or overkill to prepare oneself to do independent research in set theory? This would be my first attempt at doing independent research ...
7
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Does it ever make sense NOT to go to the most prestigious grad school you can get into? [closed]
I'm a senior undergrad at a top-ish(say, top 15) math school. I'm a solid, not stellar, student. This year I'm taking the qualifying exam grad courses in algebra and analysis and have been taken aback ...
7
votes
1
answer
3k
views
How should a professor feel peace of mind when a student leaves academia? [closed]
I apologize if this is the wrong forum for this question -- if so, could somebody please point me to the correct one?
I'm a professor who recently started advising graduate students, and I'm trying ...
12
votes
0
answers
819
views
State of research in moduli space of flat connections
I am a recent PhD student trying to settle into a research topic. Even though I have a current project I am working on, I am not particularly enjoying it and would like to switch. Before braving the ...
- 627
9
votes
1
answer
2k
views
website for jobs in applied or industrial mathematics (or financial math) [closed]
What are the websites for general position in applied or industrial mathematics(or financial mathematics) related jobs (that is if we have to find a non academic job temporarily) ?Thanks!