Math major

[GLOBALTRAVELER]

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If you decide to do any type of math major, though, I don’t think it’s a good idea to wait to learn how to write proofs. While getting skilled at and comfortable with proofs takes time and practice, learning the basics of how to write them is pretty trivial. If you’re thinking about a math degree and don’t have any experience with proofs, now’s a good time to at least get acquainted with them. In any case, it’ll help you figure out if a math degree is right for you.

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<p>The “learn how to write proofs” course is something that I think has only been in effect the last 10 years or so. I know that at Michigan State (late 80’s/early 90’s), we had no such course. You went from Calculus III or Linear Algebra STRAIGHT to Advanced Calculus or Real Analysis and had to learn to write proofs while learning Advanced Calculus. I WISH I had a “writing proofs” course first.</p>

<p>Plus, since I was Computational Math, our Advanced Calculus course was like “Real Analysis Lite”. I shudder to think if I had to take the Real Analysis course with the “Rudin Book” with no prior experience in writing proofs.</p>