An investment firm is hiring mathematicians. After the first round of interviews, three hopeful recent graduates – a pure mathematician, an applied mathematician, and a graduate in mathematical finance – are asked what starting salary they are expecting.
The pure mathematician: “Would $30, 000 be too much?”
The applied mathematician: “I think $60, 000 would be OK.”
The math finance person: “What about $300, 000?”
The personnel officer is flabberghasted: “Do you know that we have a graduate in pure mathematics who is willing to do the same work for a tenth of what you are demanding!?”
“Well, I thought of $135, 000 for me, $135, 000 for you – and $30, 000 for the pure mathematician who will do the work.”