What is the point of teaching terrible mathematics in universities?

Question

IT education

In some of those universities teach mathematics at such a high level that questions arise.
Who are the programmers counting on? Only a small part of scientists can apply this knowledge. An ordinary university graduate simply has nowhere to go with this. It really is. And between graduation and the moment when a person grows up to the point that he needs such mathematics, a very large amount of time passes. But this abstract knowledge, without practice, disappears in a month or a year or two.
People pay a lot of money for this, people are expelled for this, but where to go with this?

Answer 1

I agree with the formulation of the question by the author and those answers where we are talking about education in general. We have it set wrong. And all because there is a course that is approved from above by some leader (group). The developers decided to stuff as much as possible into the student's head, not realizing that a person would not learn it (usually on a new course I forgot what was on the previous one). Usually a student understands only an interesting teacher, but there are few of them. After completing the course, I developed a new teaching method: first (in a couple of lectures) I talk about the main directions, give and briefly explain definitions and main results, distribute brochures indicating the literature, and this ends the theory. Next, the class is divided into groups that solve applied problems (disassembly with the teacher).
Take, for example, quantum mechanics. Do I need the laws of microparticles? On the other hand, one day I heard that field theory is very interesting, but time has passed, I myself cannot master it without a teacher. But breakthroughs in development often appear when the methods of one industry are transferred to another.

Answer 2

As our matan teacher said, you will, of course, forget all this, but the person who mastered it and who didn’t are two different people in terms of the level of development of thinking.

Answer 3

brainick The people who invented the Internet and Google, and those who launched satellites, didn't exactly learn this in college.
Most students will never learn creepy math simply because they are not interested in it.
And why did you decide that the terrible mathematics can help people make inventions?
And yet, do you think that everyone who studies at the university wants to make inventions?
The education system does not make people brilliant personalities.
It even makes people dumber.

Answer 4

The current education as a whole carries a huge number of debatable issues. And it's not just about math. As for deductions, let's say right away that most teachers still make concessions and it will not be difficult for a student to beg for a three. But what to say about knowledge is that in any case it flew into one ear and flew out into the other, no, if it’s one thing to do science and go to write a doctoral thesis, let’s say on the topic “embeddings of homogeneous spaces and the geometric theory of invariants” but not everyone is given and interested. Where to go ask? You can also ask where to go with higher education if you don’t develop yourself additionally? - Nowhere. Education gives impetus to development, or at least it should, and where a person goes with his knowledge, he decides on his own.

Answer 5

An ordinary university graduate simply has nowhere to go with this.

In exactly the same way, you will complain if you are taught this or that specific technology stack.
Mathematics is a discipline that broadens the range of your mind in general.
What is taught in technical universities, by the way, is not even close to terrible mathematics.
And so, a small reviewer, so that later, when the need comes, you would at least know which way to dig.
If you have such a short memory, then maybe you don’t even need a university with its many years of study - forget everything. Are monthly or year-long courses enough?

Answer 6

Mathematics is the queen of sciences, mathematics is the science of abstractions.
If it doesn't work for you at all, there's nothing to do in programming.
Although, I agree, mathematics is somewhat overkill.
But she still needs it.

Answer 7

A little not in mathematics, but, the first teacher at the university in mechanics at the first lecture said, not verbatim, but - no one will teach you physics, but you will learn to read and understand books, and already on the basis of this you will learn physics and everything else. I think it's the same with math.

Answer 8

so high that there are questions.
Who are the programmers counting on?

Not to generate discussion, but still it would be nice to clarify in the question what specific sections of mathematics are meant. In which universities do we still have high-level mathematics?
But I agree that abstractions do not impress employers, yet.

Answer 9

Judging by the post, you simply chose an inappropriate way of learning for yourself and ask an abstract question, more like a complaint. Instead, ask yourself the pragmatic question: "How can I get the knowledge and skills I need without wasting time learning what I don't need."
If you are trying to hammer nails with a saw, the saw is not the problem.