Applied mathematics

Applied mathematics is the application of mathematical methods by different fields such as

physics, engineering, medicine, biology, finance, business, computer science, and industry. Thus,
applied mathematics is a combination of mathematical science and specialized knowledge. The
term "applied mathematics" also describes the professional specialty in which mathematicians
work on practical problems by formulating and studying mathematical models.

Efficient solutions to the vehicle

routing problem require tools from
combinatorial optimization and
integer programming.

In the past, practical applications have motivated the development of mathematical theories, which
then became the subject of study in pure mathematics where abstract concepts are studied for their
own sake. The activity of applied mathematics is thus intimately connected with research in pure
mathematics.

History

A numerical solution to the heat

equation on a pump casing model
using the finite element method.
Historically, applied mathematics consisted principally of applied analysis, most notably differential
equations; approximation theory (broadly construed, to include representations, asymptotic
methods, variational methods, and numerical analysis); and applied probability. These areas of
mathematics related directly to the development of Newtonian physics, and in fact, the distinction
between mathematicians and physicists was not sharply drawn before the mid-19th century. This
history left a pedagogical legacy in the United States: until the early 20th century, subjects such as
classical mechanics were often taught in applied mathematics departments at American
universities rather than in physics departments, and fluid mechanics may still be taught in applied
mathematics departments.[1] Engineering and computer science departments have traditionally
made use of applied mathematics.

As time passed, Applied Mathematics grew alongside the advancement of science and technology.
With the advent of modern times, the application of mathematics in fields such as science,
economics, technology, and more became deeper and more timely. The development of computers
and other technologies enabled a more detailed study and application of mathematical concepts in
various fields.

Today, Applied Mathematics continues to be crucial for societal and technological advancement. It
guides the development of new technologies, economic progress, and addresses challenges in
various scientific fields and industries. The history of Applied Mathematics continually
demonstrates the importance of mathematics in human progress.

Divisions

Fluid mechanics is often considered a

branch of applied mathematics and
mechanical engineering.

Today, the term "applied mathematics" is used in a broader sense. It includes the classical areas
noted above as well as other areas that have become increasingly important in applications. Even
fields such as number theory that are part of pure mathematics are now important in applications
(such as cryptography), though they are not generally considered to be part of the field of applied
mathematics per se.

There is no consensus as to what the various branches of applied mathematics are. Such
categorizations are made difficult by the way mathematics and science change over time, and also
by the way universities organize departments, courses, and degrees.

Many mathematicians distinguish between "applied mathematics", which is concerned with

mathematical methods, and the "applications of mathematics" within science and engineering. A
biologist using a population model and applying known mathematics would not be doing applied
mathematics, but rather using it; however, mathematical biologists have posed problems that have
stimulated the growth of pure mathematics. Mathematicians such as Poincaré and Arnold deny the
existence of "applied mathematics" and claim that there are only "applications of mathematics."
Similarly, non-mathematicians blend applied mathematics and applications of mathematics. The
use and development of mathematics to solve industrial problems is also called "industrial
mathematics".[2]

The success of modern numerical mathematical methods and software has led to the emergence
of computational mathematics, computational science, and computational engineering, which use
high-performance computing for the simulation of phenomena and the solution of problems in the
sciences and engineering. These are often considered interdisciplinary.

Applicable mathematics

Sometimes, the term applicable mathematics is used to distinguish between the traditional applied
mathematics that developed alongside physics and the many areas of mathematics that are
applicable to real-world problems today, although there is no consensus as to a precise definition.[3]

Mathematicians often distinguish between "applied mathematics" on the one hand, and the
"applications of mathematics" or "applicable mathematics" both within and outside of science and
engineering, on the other.[3] Some mathematicians emphasize the term applicable mathematics to
separate or delineate the traditional applied areas from new applications arising from fields that
were previously seen as pure mathematics.[4] For example, from this viewpoint, an ecologist or
geographer using population models and applying known mathematics would not be doing applied,
but rather applicable, mathematics. Even fields such as number theory that are part of pure
mathematics are now important in applications (such as cryptography), though they are not
generally considered to be part of the field of applied mathematics per se. Such descriptions can
lead to applicable mathematics being seen as a collection of mathematical methods such as real
analysis, linear algebra, mathematical modelling, optimisation, combinatorics, probability and
statistics, which are useful in areas outside traditional mathematics and not specific to
mathematical physics.

Other authors prefer describing applicable mathematics as a union of "new" mathematical

applications with the traditional fields of applied mathematics.[4][5][6] With this outlook, the terms
applied mathematics and applicable mathematics are thus interchangeable.

Utility

Mathematical finance is concerned

with the modelling of financial
markets.

Historically, mathematics was most important in the natural sciences and engineering. However,
since World War II, fields outside the physical sciences have spawned the creation of new areas of
mathematics, such as game theory and social choice theory, which grew out of economic
considerations. Further, the utilization and development of mathematical methods expanded into
other areas leading to the creation of new fields such as mathematical finance and data science.

The advent of the computer has enabled new applications: studying and using the new computer
technology itself (computer science) to study problems arising in other areas of science
(computational science) as well as the mathematics of computation (for example, theoretical
computer science, computer algebra,[7][8][9][10] numerical analysis[11][12][13][14]). Statistics is probably
the most widespread mathematical science used in the social sciences.

Status in academic departments

Academic institutions are not consistent in the way they group and label courses, programs, and
degrees in applied mathematics. At some schools, there is a single mathematics department,
whereas others have separate departments for Applied Mathematics and (Pure) Mathematics. It is
very common for Statistics departments to be separated at schools with graduate programs, but
many undergraduate-only institutions include statistics under the mathematics department.
Many applied mathematics programs (as opposed to departments) consist primarily of cross-listed
courses and jointly appointed faculty in departments representing applications. Some Ph.D.
programs in applied mathematics require little or no coursework outside mathematics, while others
require substantial coursework in a specific area of application. In some respects this difference
reflects the distinction between "application of mathematics" and "applied mathematics".

Some universities in the U.K. host departments of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical
Physics,[15][16][17] but it is now much less common to have separate departments of pure and applied
mathematics. A notable exception to this is the Department of Applied Mathematics and
Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge, housing the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics
whose past holders include Isaac Newton, Charles Babbage, James Lighthill, Paul Dirac, and
Stephen Hawking.

The Brown University Division of

Applied Mathematics is the oldest
applied math program in the
U.S.[18][19]

Schools with separate applied mathematics departments range from Brown University, which has a
large Division of Applied Mathematics that offers degrees through the doctorate, to Santa Clara
University, which offers only the M.S. in applied mathematics.[20] Research universities dividing their
mathematics department into pure and applied sections include MIT. Students in this program also
learn another skill (computer science, engineering, physics, pure math, etc.) to supplement their
applied math skills.
Associated mathematical sciences

Applied mathematics has substantial

overlap with statistics.

Applied mathematics is associated with the following mathematical sciences:

Engineering and technological engineering

With applications of applied geometry together with applied chemistry.

Scientific computing

Scientific computing includes applied mathematics (especially numerical analysis[11][12][13][14][21]),

computing science (especially high-performance computing[22][23]), and mathematical modelling in
a scientific discipline.

Computer science

Computer science relies on logic, algebra, discrete mathematics such as graph theory,[24][25] and
combinatorics.

Operations research and management science

Operations research[26] and management science are often taught in faculties of engineering,
business, and public policy.
Statistics

Applied mathematics has substantial overlap with the discipline of statistics. Statistical theorists
study and improve statistical procedures with mathematics, and statistical research often raises
mathematical questions. Statistical theory relies on probability and decision theory, and makes
extensive use of scientific computing, analysis, and optimization; for the design of experiments,
statisticians use algebra and combinatorial design. Applied mathematicians and statisticians often
work in a department of mathematical sciences (particularly at colleges and small universities).

Actuarial science

Actuarial science applies probability, statistics, and economic theory to assess risk in insurance,
finance and other industries and professions.[27]

Mathematical economics

Mathematical economics is the application of mathematical methods to represent theories and

analyze problems in economics.[28][29][30] The applied methods usually refer to nontrivial
mathematical techniques or approaches. Mathematical economics is based on statistics,
probability, mathematical programming (as well as other computational methods), operations
research, game theory, and some methods from mathematical analysis. In this regard, it resembles
(but is distinct from) financial mathematics, another part of applied mathematics.[31]

According to the Mathematics Subject Classification (MSC), mathematical economics falls into the
Applied mathematics/other classification of category 91:

Game theory, economics, social and behavioral sciences

with MSC2010 (http://msc2010.org/mscwiki/index.php?title=MSC2010) classifications for 'Game

theory' at codes 91Axx (http://msc2010.org/mscwiki/index.php?title=91Axx) Archived (https://we
b.archive.org/web/20150402092147/http://msc2010.org/mscwiki/index.php?title=91Axx) 2015-
04-02 at the Wayback Machine and for 'Mathematical economics' at codes 91Bxx (http://msc2010.o
rg/mscwiki/index.php?title=91Bxx) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20150402155902/htt
p://msc2010.org/mscwiki/index.php?title=91Bxx) 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine.
Other disciplines

The line between applied mathematics and specific areas of application is often blurred. Many
universities teach mathematical and statistical courses outside the respective departments, in
departments and areas including business, engineering, physics, chemistry, psychology, biology,
computer science, scientific computation, information theory, and mathematical physics.

See also

Analytics
Mathematics portal
Applied science

Engineering mathematics

Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics

References

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925/http://www.scu.edu/academics/bulletins/undergraduate/Department-of-Applied-Mathem
atics.cfm) , archived from the original (http://www.scu.edu/academics/bulletins/undergradua
te/Department-of-Applied-Mathematics.cfm) on 2011-05-04, retrieved 2011-03-05

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Further reading

Applicable mathematics
The Morehead Journal of Applicable Mathematics (https://web.archive.org/web/2014040710303
3/http://www2.moreheadstate.edu/mejam/index.aspx?id=5096) hosted by Morehead State
University

Series on Concrete and Applicable Mathematics (http://www.worldscientific.com/series/scam)

by World Scientific
 Handbook of Applicable Mathematics Series (https://web.archive.org/web/20140513162457/htt
p://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?series_id=194353) by Walter Ledermann

External links

Media related to Applied mathematics at Wikimedia Commons

The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (http://www.siam.org/) (SIAM) is a

professional society dedicated to promoting the interaction between mathematics and other
scientific and technical communities. Aside from organizing and sponsoring numerous
conferences, SIAM is a major publisher of research journals and books in applied mathematics.

The Applicable Mathematics Research Group (https://web.archive.org/web/20130329132423/htt

p://math.nd.edu/research/research-groups-in-mathematics/applicable-mathematics/) at Notre
Dame University (archived 29 March 2013)

Centre for Applicable Mathematics (https://web.archive.org/web/20180401213544/http://www.h

ope.ac.uk/research/researchcentres/researchcentredetails/centreforapplicablemathematics/)
at Liverpool Hope University (archived 1 April 2018)

Applicable Mathematics research group (https://web.archive.org/web/20160304194828/http://w

ww.gcu.ac.uk/ebe/aboutus/subjectgroups/applicablemathematics/) at Glasgow Caledonian
University (archived 4 March 2016)