Perhaps, now the word is out that Napster creator Shawn Fanning is mathematically inclined- he has to be to write code- more students will be interested in the subject. Before the computer age, literacy seemed the only thing that workers needed. Now mathematics knowledge is prized far more. This is because it's central to so many disciplines - physics, astronomy, computer technology, statistics, intelligence, the military, financial services and so on. If you are proficient in it, you are likely to earn big bucks.
Recently, Job search site CareerCast.com evaluated 200 professions and named mathematicians as their top pick, estimating that they earn annual salaries of $94,160.00 writes Tracey Coenen on Walletpop.
Facebook is One Big Graph
Software developer, Samuel Jack explains the importance of having a mathematics degree in his blog Functional Fun, "Learning mathematics trained me to think precise, logical, step-by-step thoughts: the only kind that a computer understands". Besides, he continues, it uses a lot of Boolean Algebra, Genetic Algorithms, Tabu Search (a mathematical optimization method), Simulated Annealing and Graph Theory. He points out that Facebook is one big graph.