<p>Theoretical computer scientists are already mathematicians.  So you don't need to do anything!</p>

<p>Your later comment suggests that you're really asking about changing from one area of mathematics (like complexity theory) to another (like functional analysis).  The only way to do it is to just <strong>do it</strong>.  You want to be an analyst?  Great!  <strong>Just start doing analysis!</strong>  Read analysis books and papers, solve analysis problems, talk to lots of analyst faculty and students, attend analysis seminars, go to analysis conferences, ask analysis questions on MathOverflow, and so on.  Act like an analyst long enough (and well enough) and you'll become one.</p>

<p>In that respect, becoming a functional analyst is not so different from becoming anything else.  Want to be a programmer?  Program!  Want to be a writer?  Write!  Want to be a painter?  Paint!  Want to be a functional analyst?  Analyze functions!  (Meanwhile, don't forget to earn enough money to eat, and do <em>not</em> blow off the stupid administrative hurdles.)</p>

<p>And yes, lots of people successfully change fields/careers.  For example, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Birman" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Joan Birman</a> started her academic career in physics, worked for several years as a systems analyst in the aircraft industry, spent several more years at home raising kids, went back to grad school in mathematics in her 40s, and became one of the most influential researchers in modern low-dimensional topology and geometric group theory.  For other examples, see <a href="https://mathoverflow.net/questions/3591/mathematicians-who-were-late-learners-list">these</a> <a href="https://mathoverflow.net/questions/7120/too-old-for-advanced-mathematics">questions</a> on MathOverflow.</p>

<p>One last suggestion: You might find the transition somewhat smoother (possibly even real-analytic) if you drop your prejudices about "pure" versus "applied" mathematics.  Forget about the labels; just do the work.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-13T13:54:05.763Z
+1 for the first line of your answer. Not that the rest is not correct, but I think that's *the* answer here :-)
Janoma
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-13T15:13:43.340Z
Yes. "Just do it" and "Just do the work". But they always don't correlate well with "don't forget to earn enough money to eat, and do not blow off the stupid administrative hurdles". Sometimes you do a certain field for satisfaction and have to go to something else to eat. So assess your talents and make sure you will be ok to do something else to eat in case what you choose to learn is not giving sufficient (it is the case in theory cs and other phds in average ranked schools as well). Have a open mind to challenges particularly in math and have a lot of patience in learning advanced math.
v s
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-13T13:46:16.443Z
2012-02-13T13:46:16.443Z
2017-04-13T12:57:54.777Z
Jeffε
<p>What is the possibility for a computer scientist to change his field into a pure mathematician ? and what's the most smooth way to do it ? any examples for people who could make it ?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-11T08:14:51.570Z
This question would be better suited on the hopefully-soon-to-be-launched Academia SE: http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/16617/academia
Anthony Labarre
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-11T11:52:54.903Z
I doubt that there is such a thing as “the most smooth way” because what is smooth and what is not is different from person to person.
Tsuyoshi Ito
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-11T16:33:22.450Z
@TsuyoshiIto: presumably the most smooth way is when the transition is in $C^\infty$.
Dave Clarke
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-11T19:42:51.077Z
infidel! cs=>math ask on mathoverflow. we will address queries here on the opposite direction :p
vzn
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-12T02:32:02.967Z
Theoretical computer scientists are already mathematicians.  So you don't need to do anything!
Jeffε
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-13T01:00:44.797Z
@JɛﬀE, may I suggest posting your comment as an answer? :)
Kaveh
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2012-02-13T01:02:09.820Z
@Akram, your question doesn't seem to be well thought. You should clarify what you mean.
Kaveh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-13T09:31:13.913Z
@Kaveh, I believe my question is well thought , i realize that a theoretical computer scientist is implicitly a mathematician but definitely not "a pure mathematician", but i am asking about the possibility of changing one's career path from a theoretical computer scientist who works for instance in computational geometry or complexity theory into a pure mathematician who works for instance in functional analysis . i hope i made it clearer now
Akram Hassan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-13T13:10:10.683Z
What's a "pure mathematician"?
Jeffε
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-13T15:02:52.073Z
@JɛﬀE: If I remember correctly, a mathematician is said to be pure if all its facets have the same dimension.
Tsuyoshi Ito
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-13T17:29:36.337Z
Akram, what are you hoping to hear in an answer? Scientifically, all you need to do, as @JɛﬀE said in his answer, is to start working in the new area you're interested in, the same way you started in your first field. If you want to know anything else, it would help to know if you're an undergraduate/PhD student/research scientist in an industry lab/professor?
Sasho Nikolov
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-13T19:19:12.910Z
@akram, if it is well-though question then you should be more specific, state what area you are working in and what areas you are interested to change to. (but I think JɛﬀE's answer would still apply).
Kaveh
<soft-question><research-practice><career>
About switching from a computer scientist to a mathematician
Akram Hassan
# About switching from a computer scientist to a mathematician

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-02-11)

What is the possibility for a computer scientist to change his field into a pure mathematician ? and what's the most smooth way to do it ? any examples for people who could make it ?

**Tags:** soft-question, research-practice, career

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This question would be better suited on the hopefully-soon-to-be-launched Academia SE: http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/16617/academia  
> **username_2**: I doubt that there is such a thing as “the most smooth way” because what is smooth and what is not is different from person to person.  
> **username_3**: @TsuyoshiIto: presumably the most smooth way is when the transition is in $C^\infty$.  
> **username_4**: infidel! cs=>math ask on mathoverflow. we will address queries here on the opposite direction :p  
> **username_5**: Theoretical computer scientists are already mathematicians.  So you don't need to do anything!  
> **username_6**: @JɛﬀE, may I suggest posting your comment as an answer? :)  
> **username_6**: @Akram, your question doesn't seem to be well thought. You should clarify what you mean.  
> **username_0**: @username_6, I believe my question is well thought , i realize that a theoretical computer scientist is implicitly a mathematician but definitely not "a pure mathematician", but i am asking about the possibility of changing one's career path from a theoretical computer scientist who works for instance in computational geometry or complexity theory into a pure mathematician who works for instance in functional analysis . i hope i made it clearer now  
> **username_5**: What's a "pure mathematician"?  
> **username_2**: @JɛﬀE: If I remember correctly, a mathematician is said to be pure if all its facets have the same dimension.  
> **username_7**: Akram, what are you hoping to hear in an answer? Scientifically, all you need to do, as @JɛﬀE said in his answer, is to start working in the new area you're interested in, the same way you started in your first field. If you want to know anything else, it would help to know if you're an undergraduate/PhD student/research scientist in an industry lab/professor?  
> **username_6**: @akram, if it is well-though question then you should be more specific, state what area you are working in and what areas you are interested to change to. (but I think JɛﬀE's answer would still apply).  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2012-02-13. Score: 21 | Accepted answer

Theoretical computer scientists are already mathematicians. So you don't need to do anything!

Your later comment suggests that you're really asking about changing from one area of mathematics (like complexity theory) to another (like functional analysis). The only way to do it is to just **do it**. You want to be an analyst? Great! **Just start doing analysis!** Read analysis books and papers, solve analysis problems, talk to lots of analyst faculty and students, attend analysis seminars, go to analysis conferences, ask analysis questions on MathOverflow, and so on. Act like an analyst long enough (and well enough) and you'll become one.

In that respect, becoming a functional analyst is not so different from becoming anything else. Want to be a programmer? Program! Want to be a writer? Write! Want to be a painter? Paint! Want to be a functional analyst? Analyze functions! (Meanwhile, don't forget to earn enough money to eat, and do *not* blow off the stupid administrative hurdles.)

And yes, lots of people successfully change fields/careers. For example, [Joan Birman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Birman) started her academic career in physics, worked for several years as a systems analyst in the aircraft industry, spent several more years at home raising kids, went back to grad school in mathematics in her 40s, and became one of the most influential researchers in modern low-dimensional topology and geometric group theory. For other examples, see [these](https://mathoverflow.net/questions/3591/mathematicians-who-were-late-learners-list) [questions](https://mathoverflow.net/questions/7120/too-old-for-advanced-mathematics) on MathOverflow.

One last suggestion: You might find the transition somewhat smoother (possibly even real-analytic) if you drop your prejudices about "pure" versus "applied" mathematics. Forget about the labels; just do the work.

> **Comments:**
> **username_8**: +1 for the first line of your answer. Not that the rest is not correct, but I think that's *the* answer here :-)  
> **username_9**: Yes. "Just do it" and "Just do the work". But they always don't correlate well with "don't forget to earn enough money to eat, and do not blow off the stupid administrative hurdles". Sometimes you do a certain field for satisfaction and have to go to something else to eat. So assess your talents and make sure you will be ok to do something else to eat in case what you choose to learn is not giving sufficient (it is the case in theory cs and other phds in average ranked schools as well). Have a open mind to challenges particularly in math and have a lot of patience in learning advanced math.  

---

