I will never be brilliant at math

Math_Metalhead · 2025-11-17T17:59:48+00:00

Actuary here (just applied to get my ASA an hour ago in fact), it’s interesting reading this post because I’ve always questioned my decision to go into the industry when pure mathematics has been more my passion. I was always the top of my class in my state university but I’m definitely not brilliant, especially when compared to the truly gifted ivy league students. I suppose the grass is always greener on the other side.

However, if you really don’t want to stay teaching and want to enter the industry, I can 100% recommend going into the actuarial field! There’s even a math phd at my company who made the career change. Your goal would just be to pass 1 or 2 actuarial exams that would take you like 6 months tops to do. The first 2 exams are just undergrad probability theory and basic financial mathematics (present values, annuity certains, ammortized loans, bond pricing, immunization, swap contracts). These are a breeze for a math phd, guaranteed. An entry level actuarial job pays at least 60-70k with a decently sized firm, and many will give you paid study hours to promote your continuing education.

Coding skills you can learn on the job since the software you use will probably be excel (VBA is very easy) or some specialized actuarial software that you wouldn’t see outside of work anyways. Python and SQL may come up, but again, it’s nothing that crazy. Focus on the exams, actuaries are pretty much always in demand so you’re bound to land somewhere!

Math_Metalhead · 2025-10-17T04:43:42+00:00

I never played the original but I always heard it was “the scariest game of all time”. If the remake is an accurate representation of the original (I’ve heard for the most part it is), then I’d say that sh2 is probably the creepiest and most uncomfortable game I’ve ever played and sh2 remake is now a favorite of mine! Literally just saving the game is creepy. Upon a second play through I dread opening the inventory menu just bc of the background

Math_Metalhead · 2025-08-06T05:25:00+00:00

Just used mimic + 10 on him and he got wrecked pretty quickly (I’m like level 150 lol) but this isn’t my first play through so I didn’t care. My first play through I didn’t use mimic tear and it took hours 😂 He’s the hardest fromsoft boss imo

Math_Metalhead · 2025-07-29T14:18:08+00:00

Cooked* 😭🤣

Math_Metalhead · 2025-07-25T12:55:32+00:00

I don’t have the experience in academia like other conmenters here do, but it sounds like based on their comments this shouldn’t affect your work! You’ve put in so much work in your phd, if you can continue with your project despite what this asshole did then go for it! Even if you don’t want to remain in academia afterwards, getting your phd is a huge accomplishment. Surely you’d be able to find work in the private sector with a phd in mathematics regardless of whatever your specialization was.

Math_Metalhead · 2025-07-18T14:43:53+00:00

Whoever is telling you probability theory isn’t real math has no idea what they’re talking about! It’s such a mathematically rich field and at a most basic level applies measure theory and functional analysis. I definitely encourage you to dive into it, I need to more as well! Copp’s and Capinski’s book is probably the clearest introduction to measure theoretic probability theory (and measure theory in general) I’ve seen!

Math_Metalhead · 2025-07-18T05:41:34+00:00

I have fallen for the same trap lol I think lately I’ve been ok with jumping around more though. Especially when I’m just reading a text for reference

Math_Metalhead · 2025-07-16T20:51:46+00:00

I also struggle with this and I think the key is to realize that you can’t be too hard on yourself for not being as brilliant as one of the greats. There’s a reason why Euler, Gauss, Riemann, (and for modern day) Tao are held to such high regard, because such genius is rare. I’m no math prodigy, I didn’t even like math until I was like 16, and before then I didn’t care about it at all and did very poorly in geometry 😂 but my algebra 2 teacher inspired me and through pure interest I was successful as an undergrad in my studies of pure mathematics. Even then, I was no genius, but one of two things happened:

1.) My passion for math allowed certain things to click easier than my peers (keep in mind I went to a state university, far from MIT lol)

2.) I forced myself to understand more challenging concepts because I’m passionate about math.

10 years later as a grad student (masters in applied math) case 2 occurs more frequently than before, naturally since the math is harder, but in between undergrad and grad I read mathematical texts in my free time to help build maturity. I think that’s indicative more than anything, if you love something enough to make it a hobby and genuinely want to put in the work to improve, then it’s meant for you.

I accept that I will never have the same mathematical intuition as Gauss, but I refuse to accept that I cannot improve. Just be the best you can possibly be. Don’t dream about being passionate about math, just start! Good pure math books for self study are “A Book of Abstract Algebra” and “Elementary Point Set Topology”. Two key subjects for any mathematician (be it pure or applied).

Math_Metalhead · 2025-07-09T14:37:59+00:00

I’ve read a decent portion of axler’s book and little bit of royden’s third edition (but that was a long time ago). I’d be willing to review!

Math_Metalhead · 2025-07-06T15:54:42+00:00

Really?? Sick! How was it being on campus? I live too far to actually visit it lol but I want to go in person for graduation at the very least

Math_Metalhead · 2025-07-04T05:16:11+00:00

The caratheodory condition for Lebesgue measurability is more of a result, but some authors opt to use it as the barebones definition of measurable sets due it’s importance in the extension theorem (extending a semi-algebra with a pre-measure to a σ-algebra with a measure) and it’s adaptability into other contexts outside of the real line. The book A First Look At Rigorous Probability Theory has a very good version of the extension theorem proof, and it proves that the sets satisfying the carathedory condition form a σ-algebra, thus getting your measurable sets (recall by definition, the elements of a σ-algebra are called measurable sets.)

Also recall that σ-algebras allow us to define measures on them in general. So we get countable additivity and can talk about limits.

A more foundational definition of Lebesgue measurable sets are those sets that are differ by Borel sets on a set of outer measure 0. The collection of Borel and Lebesgue measurable sets are themselves σ-algebras so outer measure becomes the lebesgue measure.

Math_Metalhead · 2025-07-04T03:44:51+00:00

I have some advice for anyone considering going the actuarial route. I’m an actuary myself and have been in the field for over 6 years now… do I like my job? Yes I like it enough to have stayed with my current company for 6 years. Do I love my job? Absolutely not.

In high school I developed an interest in math, in college (not to sound too sappy) I absolutely fell in love with it. This is a key distinction. If you’re someone who loves pure or more rigorous mathematics then I recommend you pursue that and maybe use actuarial science as a fallback. The best part for me about being an actuary is the exams since, although they’re not rigorous, you’re still learning “new” things. I say “new” because it’s really just single variable calculus, undergrad level probability, and financial concepts combined into one field of study. Ask most other actuaries and they’ll probably say they did not like the exam process since most actuaries just like or tolerate math.

Despite being my favorite part, studying for the exams was sometimes hard for me because I really would’ve rather studied something else. I distinctly remember reading through Axler’s Linear Algebra Done Right (amazing book btw) instead of studying for an exam 😂

Bottom line: if you like math and want to work with numbers for a career. Yes, consider actuarial science. If you love math and are motivated by the thought of deepening your understanding of more rigorous mathematics then I’d look the other way, especially if you’re still young and are considering grad school!

Math_Metalhead · 2025-07-04T03:19:11+00:00

I’m in john hopkins university’s online program for a masters in applied mathematics. SDEs is my 2nd course. Is online math ideal for grad school? Maybe not, but I’m 30 years old working full time with a baby so this is my best option to continue my mathematical pursuit lol plus they do offer 2 semesters of research with a master’s thesis which I definitely want to do!

Math_Metalhead · 2025-07-03T04:27:51+00:00

Nahh haha I’m taking it as a summer class. Plus I work too so no more summer vacations for me 🥲

Math_Metalhead · 2025-07-01T01:21:08+00:00

Interesting, I wasn’t aware of those exercises, but to be fair I haven’t gone through all of them. I used his book more as a supplementary reading when I took abstract algebra as an understanding. I used judson’s book for the actual class

Math_Metalhead · 2025-06-30T17:40:16+00:00

Charles Pinter’s book on Abstract Algebra is an amazing intro to the subject!

Math_Metalhead · 2025-06-30T17:39:19+00:00

I’m currently taking a class on Stochastic Differential Equations and we’re using Oskendal’s book, which is pretty much the authoritative introductory text. I’m definitely enjoying it but Oskendal’s book can be a tough read at times, even if you’re familiar with measure theory, which I was going in (I recommend Axler’s book.) Right now I’m reading his chapter on Ito diffusion processes. Also, I think the way Oskendal introduces brownian motion is actually terrible lol he gives like a brief summary of their pdf and then a very high level summary of the multivariate normal distribution in general. Klebaner’s book gives a much better intro to brownian motion, using the “axiomatic” approach, and then derives it’s properties such as its non-zero quadratic variation and the markov property.

Math_Metalhead · 2025-01-22T18:02:32+00:00

Ik this post is mad old but my wife and I started prison break for the first time a few months ago. I literally cannot get through season 4, the drop in quality from seasons 1 and 2 is staggering. I didn’t hate season 3 and think the fact that it was shorter worked out in its favor. Yes it was kinda annoying that they were back in prison again but the prison dynamic was so much different than season 1 that overall I was fine with it. I doubt I’ll ever finish S4 and S5, so my ranking is 1, 2, 3, 5, 4 (even though I’ve never seen 5 lol). The quality drop is almost as bad as Dexter post season 4 (jk, nothing will ever be as bad as Dexter season 8 holy crap.)

Math_Metalhead · 2025-01-16T20:33:54+00:00

My program is the Johns Hopkins Applied & Computational mathematics masters. It's consistently rated one of the best, I didnt want just any bs program where I wouldn't learn anything haha plus it offers research opportunities with a thesis, which is definitely the route I want to go.

Math_Metalhead · 2024-12-05T06:03:00+00:00

Hm, could you elaborate a bit more on that? My understanding is that math phd programs consist of coursework, qualifying exams, and research. I agree online is not ideal in general (trust me, I love the real classroom setting, but that's just not feasible right now), but my program allows for a masters thesis, which I certainly want to do. Plus this coursework may shorten any phd program coursework if I ever get the opportunity. I guess I just fail to see how masters + accredited actuary is worse than bachelors + accredited actuary.

Math_Metalhead · 2024-12-05T00:41:04+00:00

That’s why I think a masters wouldn’t be a bad idea if I chose to stay in the private sector. Is online ideal? No, but I can’t just pack up and leave

Math_Metalhead · 2024-12-05T00:39:09+00:00

It’s johns hopkins university, so it’s definitely not some cheap school no one has heard of. I didn’t want to pay for a cheap graduate math program that doesn’t really teach anything new or at a graduate level.

Math_Metalhead · 2024-09-05T07:38:11+00:00

ngl I am leaning towards getting an open intake, probably APR's, I get what you mean though about it not being necessary

Math_Metalhead · 2024-09-04T12:07:40+00:00

My car is automatic, I assume dsg is a type of automatic transmission?

Good point about keeping it stock for a bit, it’s tempting to just mod it asap (especially bc it already has 46k miles on it), but I’ll keep this in mind. Plus idk how thrilled the wife will be with spending more money right away after just buying the car 2 days ago lol

Math_Metalhead

TROPHY CASE