TITLE: Does a Person Need a Mathematics Degree in order to Publish in a Mathematics jounal?
QUESTION [36 upvotes]: I am a neophyte amateur mathematician. I have been reading a lot about journals and the topic of peer-review in mathematics journals. Does one have to have professional credentials or have a Doctorate in order to publish in peer-reviewed mathematics journals or just the desire to compently solve mathematical problems?

REPLY [2 votes]: In the math department at MIT, there's an annual award for best published paper by an undergraduate majoring in math.  Most undergraduates lack credentials other than a high-school diploma, and one must suspect that most undergraduates majoring in math, if they have professional credentials, are credentialed in other fields.