Discrete… but everywhere!

 Areas in which mathematics is used... 

More than half of those receiving diplomas in mathematics work in the public sector. Among those, three out of four are teachers; the others have chosen research or have integrated mathematics into a variety of professions. Do you know that mathematicians also work in industry and the service professions? It is estimated that the number of areas in which mathematicians are employed has grown from a hundred to two thousand in twenty years. There is a large representation in banking, finance, and insurance; meteorology and space; transport; and medicine and pharmacology.

 Areas in which mathematicians are sought... 

When the subject is data protection (security, cryptography), reliability and quality control, transmission of information, or complex decision-making, mathematicians are in great demand. One meets mathematicians in a great variety of other areas as well, such as communication, the arts, criminal investigation, and athletics (performances optimization for top-level athletes).

 “Over the centuries, astronomy was mainly concerned with the study of the positions of the stars in the sky, or celestial mechanics, based exclusively on mathematics. The astrophysics of the twenty-first century continues to use mathematics, for example for the calculation of the trajectories of the probes sent to explore the solar system, or for image processing of data obtained by telescopes and satellites.” —Florence Durret, astrophysicist

Value-added employment! 

Teaching and research are and will remain creators of many employment opportunities. Data processing and R& D (research and development) are areas currently employing many mathematicians both in industry and the service sector. High-tech industries are also attractive areas for mathematicians, including aeronautics, petrology, energy, chemistry…

Specialists in data compression, modelling, and digital simulation, optimization, image reconstruction… mathematicians are everywhere in demand: 

Beginning with only the information contained in the edges of the squares in the image on the left, one can rebuild the image on the right using modern techniques in the calculus of variations. These same techniques have applications in fields as diverse as digital retouching of photographs, the restoration of old films, and image compression.


Opportunities to seize in the coming years 

It is envisaged that there will soon be many retirements in mathematical fields, particularly in teaching, but also among engineers. The need for mathematicians in industry and the service sector will continue to increase: 95% of students at the master’s level will find suitable employment within a year of graduating; the percentage for other disciplines in only 80%. The private and public sectors offer mathematicians opportunities for career advancement and attractive salaries. While most jobs require a university degree, there are employment opportunities for those with only an associate’s degree (such as a geometrician topographer with a vocational training certificate). In short, students of mathematics have a number of employment opportunities, from associate degrees through doctorates.