Studying at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Studying mathematics in the university may surprise a student after high school mathematics. Of course, classical mathematics taught in the high school is also essential at the university, but the viewpoint is different. One does not focus solely on the application of mathematical formulas at the university, but also learns why those formulas work and how one can prove the functionality of the formulas. On the other hand, studying university mathematics opens the eyes to the richness of the range of mathematical applications. When the investigated problem is complicated it is not possible to find a ready made formula for solving it, instead the mathematician needs to base his/her knowledge on new solving methods and thus mathematics becomes a field of creativity.

Statistics has traditionally been, above all, a tool for medical research and social decision-making. However, the development of computational methods and computers has made it possible to analyse more and more complex data, which has further expanded the scope of the statistical field so that almost all current research and development sectors require statistical know-how. Although the work of statisticians is primarily done with the aid of computers and various statistical programs, mathematical competence plays a key role in understanding the statistical methods and in interpreting the results.