The path of the future mathematician, isn't it wrong?

Question

Mathematics

In recent months, I have been racking my brains and looking for as much information as possible on the Internet, I hope that I will be able to gather here as well.
The essence of the question is this: I want to move to Germany within 1-2 years, respectively, in order to realize myself there, I will have to go to study and receive a German education. In Moscow, last year I graduated from a construction university, in a not very successful specialty - something between construction and construction economics, neither fish nor meat in general, which I was not particularly happy about when I started working in this area. Now, if you go to study again, already at a conscious age, you can use your second chance ...
So, during the course of my studies, I studied matan, as in all technical universities, not in depth, but for quite a long time, I liked it. Now, of course, a lot has already flown out of my head, because. for several years I did not have to apply this knowledge at all, but still the inclinations remained. Choosing the future field of activity and specialty, I came to the conclusion that I want to go to Matfak. In Germany, in addition to this, if I'm not mistaken from the 3rd year, you can take nebenfach (something like an additional specialty), you can take the same Computer Science, or move on to Economics. But matfak is matfak, it is the basis and foundation of the entire future profession.
My girlfriend says that they have very few vacancies for Mathematicians and very few, compared to Informatics. Almost inclined to go to computer science, but damn it, I've never been interested in it in my life, I don't even have school knowledge at all. After all, there should be a base, and suddenly not mine?
Are there mathematicians among users who have built their careers? Can someone share the prospects, opportunities? To what extent is it possible to apply your knowledge in the labor market?

Answer 1

Hello. I decided to make my small contribution, the question caused some emotional reactions.
Everything that is written below is my exclusively subjective opinion, I apologize in advance to those who disagree.
You can become a mathematician. If you really want it, then you even need it. However, mathematics is not just some romantic cloud somewhere high, consisting of sets of theorems and beautiful proofs that are worth knowing for their own sake. This is daily, hard, exhausting work. Actually, you already have a background, theoretically, you can deal with anything in mathematics yourself, only taking into account very significant, sometimes, time costs. You make yourself, so the traditional path that a girl from mathematics (respect!) went through is unlikely to suit you, although there are examples in the scientific world when a sharp turn to mathematics occurs after a narrow engineering education - Academician Glushkov, for example, who created the OGAS system. You have to somehow decide for yourself what to study and what not, and fight the thought, "
So there are 2 ways:
The most important thing is to have access to tasks. How you find it is up to you. It is not mandatory to go somewhere, although it is desirable. It all depends on your perseverance and diligence, Academician Zeldovich did not have a higher education at all, this did not prevent him from becoming an outstanding scientist in the theory of combustion, for example, and a lot more.
Nobody knows all mathematics, one can be an expert in one area, it may be more or less related to other areas. Mathematics education is aimed at developing applied skills in solving and setting problems and broadening the horizons of a future specialist, getting to know the context in each area of ​​mathematics on the basis that no one knows what he will do next. You have the opportunity to go from the opposite, only you have to read and solve a lot.
Ultimately, a mathematician is someone who solves problems that can be formulated mathematically. Theoretical, or more applied, it doesn't matter. Solving problems of increasing complexity, one day you will find yourself a mathematician.
Pay attention to American mathematicians, they treat mathematics more than utilitarian, in general, however, they implement space programs, and they operate submarines, and in general, in general, although not without problems, everything is fine. The same approach, criticized, but working. They most often go from tasks and do not bother about the deep methodological base in the form of a million theorems, when building some kind of adaptive control system for something.
Thank you for your attention.

Answer 2

Read the biography and writings of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Everything you can learn about this magical personality, maybe look at mathematics after that from the other side. Of course, you have grandiose plans, but the goals for which these plans are being built are not visible. Therefore, it is difficult for me to tell you something, I want to go to study at the VMK MSU. And I have been working as a programmer for 5 years, I roughly understand what such an education will give me and that I can translate something amazing into my own programs. I have a lot of acquaintances already grandparents with a mat. education, some were teachers, others just caught the period of punched cards and huge computers, others became professors. But in the end, with age, they were driven to play in the family. And the profession of a mathematician, a rather long history in terms of time consumption and without demand from the point of view of business, science, society - poorly paid. Since they pay for the applied and for the exact results that the front put. For general development, as an applied skill - useful, but not enough for steepness. And to gain a steepness in applied mathematics for 5-7 years. Learn to program too in 5 years. Become a doctor in 10 years. Think about your goals... Evaluate the prospects yourself. It seems to me that a true mathematician is able to answer all your questions on his own. And it seems that you are just estimating and suffering from romance in front of a difficult choice. Think about your goals ... Assess the prospects yourself. It seems to me that a true mathematician is able to answer all your questions on his own. And it seems that you are just estimating and suffering from romance in front of a difficult choice. Think about your goals ... Assess the prospects yourself. It seems to me that a true mathematician is able to answer all your questions on his own. And it seems that you are just estimating and suffering from romance in front of a difficult choice.
And about the extra specialties, departments, faculties - this is far-fetched. Choose where you open a narrow room in which you will be all your life. The task is not a university, but your own prerogative.
Regarding computer science, I read and understand that I seem to know computer science poorly, although I program and seem to know everything about hardware, I can imagine how BigData works. But, it seems that you somehow perceive computer science in a bourgeois way, it's just a theory about information. This is where programming comes in. And if we take education, then rather the general applied sphere of tasks of informatics are: Storage, processing of information, protection of information. What is a small part of Computer Science. Since Knuth's textbooks will help you process information more and mathematics than just some separate branches of computer science. Yes, in Russian universities it is studied superficially, but in Standford it is more of a designation of Computer Science than a separate science.
As for the economy, but applied mathematics, mathematical analysis, statistics, probability theory, numbers - open the way to analytics, financial management, just convenient and smart work on pieces of paper. But... I just have a diploma in economics, I respect Marx, Adam Smith and other economic heroes. Genesis, well, everything depends on a person, one, as an artist, will find use for dry mathematical laws and apparatuses and will invest, raise, create. Moreover, he will always create buildings, companies, securities with money, and he will like it. Another will sit in 1C to create an annual report or evaluate the tax collection and budget of a state institution for the year and hate their job. The third one will simply take humanitarian mathematics from the university, apply a couple of well-known theories and formulas for a long time and calculate the payback of the enterprise,
In programming (Computer Science), astrology, engineering - there is every chance to use the whole essence of mathematics. Therefore, I believe that this is a more correct way in terms of demand and scope for combining mathematical education.
Please treat my comment as an opinion, individually thinking and in search of a person who simply expressed his opinion. I may be wrong, since everything in our life is relative to the point from which you consider the topic of the day.
And by the way why Germany? Moscow State University Mehmat, I think it will be cooler :) And there will be so much mathematics that the Germans themselves will call later.
And it’s better, before taking such grandiose steps, to go to Moscow State University where they can test professional suitability, I don’t fight with mathematics for how long, I understand that my way of thinking is not mathematical, but rather intuitive and creative, this of course does not interfere with studying mathematics, but I definitely can't make a breakthrough in this area.
By the way, examples of who is a mat. successfully built a career in terms of applying his knowledge: Kaspersky, the founders of Google, Yandex, almost all have a mat education. Just happened to be in the right place at the right time...

Answer 3

Matan i terver opens so many doors that are forever closed to those who simply know programming languages.
In general, knowledge of a programming language is something that only a schoolboy can be content with at best.
If you know some basics, then it is possible to master any language. To understand the simplest primitives of any language - and I went to scribble shit code.
But to learn a mathematical apparatus - it won’t work so easily here. But there will be enough work: both machine learning and mechanical engineering, and data processing (google: ShAD) and many more disciplines where there is simply nowhere without all this stuff.

Answer 4

I have a couple of mathematicians I know. During their school years, they already took some places in the All-Russian and international Olympiads. And then they didn’t study in construction, mekhmat, vmk, phystech - at least.
And yes, most modern mathematicians do not and will not have problems with work, primarily due to the fact that in "computer science" they are like a fish in water.
With all due respect to the aspirations, but you are a little late. Come down to earth and don't waste your life, our life is very short, on an obsessive, unsubstantiated dream.

Answer 5

What to do - you decide. In your situation, I would look for a job, given your current diploma. In the office / remote / freelancing - somehow. Now I will explain why.
Summary:
First, I would take a piece of paper / Excel / Xmind / some kind of LeaderTask organizer, write out goals there, write down what is needed to implement them. If alternative options would turn out, then I would write them out on a tablet, write down "pluses", "minuses". So I chose between continuing my studies in the humanities in Russia, starting my studies in the IT field in Russia and starting my studies abroad.
Then I would choose some option, accepting the fact that I refuse the "pluses" of other options.
If I were in your place, I would most likely choose the option of moving to Germany with a preliminary finding of a remote job (a freelance job / yes, even opening a bakery - finding anything that would provide for you). With this option, you will be with a girl, you will feel confident due to the availability of income, and you will not waste time trying to find yourself. I would advise you to look for a job now, focusing on current skills. You already have a need to earn. The longer you delay getting a job, the more you will feel the gap between your already perceived needs (in earnings) and your vague aspirations to study (since you are talking about mathematics and related prospects, the idea of ​​studying mathematics in Germany seems clearly immature). And if your goal is to provide for yourself, then consider all options to achieve this goal. Working as a hired employee in the office / remotely, freelancing / starting your own business / renting out housing in Russia, etc. Now you have considered only one option for achieving your goals, and it is quite contradictory. By considering other possibilities, you can find something that will bring you closer to your goals, and will not require compromises.
All of the above is based on my experience. I hope it will help you figure out what you want and make a choice you won't regret later.