Mathematics Welcome

Mathematics is an ancient study – one of the oldest intellectual disciplines – which has been essential to the development of society and an important feature of most civilisations throughout history. Mathematics plays a key role in describing and understanding the world in which we live, underpinning science, engineering, economics and technology. There is hardly a branch of human endeavour in which mathematics does not find application – not only has mathematics been fundamental to the development of information technology, telecommunications and financial markets but has also played an important role in advances in areas such as pharmaceutical research, medicine and the performance of sports.  While recent years have seen the solution of a number of famous mathematical problems which evaded the best efforts of mathematicians for centuries, many problems remain unsolved providing intellectual challenges for mathematicians and giving rise to work of real ingenuity.  

The study of Mathematics involves not only the acquisition of computational skills and algorithms, but also the understanding of abstract concepts. Many mathematicians describe mathematics as an art rather than a science, because discovering and exploring ideas and patterns are fundamental elements of a mathematician’s work. The exploration of patterns and the proof of the existence of relationships often lead to results of great elegance and beauty.

The Mathematics Programme at St Patrick’s College aims to develop students' ability to think creatively and independently, to reason logically, to solve problems and to communicate effectively. We hope our students come to appreciate the aesthetic appeal of mathematics as well as its practical applicability over the course of our programme. The numerate skills of Mathematics graduates are always in demand, as are their ICT skills, their training in analytical thinking and their flexibility of mind.

Click here for more details on the Mathematics modules offered to BA and BEd students.

(A brief history of the department can be found here.)

 

Last Updated: Friday September 24 2010