How useful are combinatorics?

[BaconPudding]

Hi. I'm a bit limited in which math courses I can take next semester. The only ones that fit into my schedule are numerical analysis, which I see as useful for the quant field or other applied math field, but I"m not so sure about applied combinatorics.

Would it be a useful course for becoming a quant or in any field in finance?

Thank you

 

[Daniel Duffy]

In general, I think it is (much) less useful than let's say numerical analysis.

Graph theory is useful to know.

 

[DanM]

Hi. I'm a bit limited in which math courses I can take next semester. The only ones that fit into my schedule are numerical analysis, which I see as useful for the quant field or other applied math field, but I"m not so sure about applied combinatorics.

Would it be a useful course for becoming a quant or in any field in finance?

Thank you

Combinatorics may not be as useful as numerical analysis, but it is an interesting area of mathematics. I'm currently taking a course in it (it is mostly proof based and theoretical) and I am liking it a lot.

As far as application: it can be applied to molecular biology, coding theory, statistical physics, and combinatorial optimization has applications in comp sci, operations research, etc.

 

[Tom Maloney]

Combinatorics useful in finance? Maybe not, but fun, absolutely. It's one of the few courses where you can think through a proof without lifting a pencil.

 

[Daniel Duffy]

Yes, it is fun to do.