Section information
- Class time and location: Mondays & Wednesdays, 4:00PM to 5:20PM, Seigle Hall, 301
- Office hours: Tuesdays 3:00PM to 5:00PM, Wednesdays 2:00PM to 4:00PM.
Course description
This is an undergraduate seminar style course whose main purpose is to get students started in mathematical research. Activities will involve exploring the literature on topics of contemporary research interest, developing the skills for communicating math ideas, acquiring a sense of the broad landscape of the discipline and what part of it individual students feel motivated to focus on. This course is a requirement for students selected into the Math Department’s Freiwald Scholars Program, but it is open to others as well. For more details about the Freiwald Scholars Program, see the web page Undergraduate Research.
Topic
We plan to explore a wide range of math subjects of potential research interest but will also focus on a few more specific topics in greater depth. These will be chosen in the course of seminar discussions having in mind the broad interests of the group.
Who is this seminar course meant to serve?
Math majors interested in undergraduate research. Students who already have ongoing research project under the guidance of a math faculty as well as those who want to get started on research are welcome to attend. Students participating in the Freiwald Scholars summer 26 activities are expected to attend.
Grades
Grades are based on in-class participation, which will typically involve outside preparation. There are no exams/quizzes or homework assignments. Typical activities are: group discussion of math papers and individual beamer/chalkboard style presentations. The final ‘product’ I expect you to deliver by the end of the semester is a 30 minute presentation of a research plan and a paper (typed in latex) elaborating on that plan. (I anticipate it will be a document between 10 to 20 pages long, but it can be longer.) More details will be explained throughout the semester.
Please include Math 4001 in the subject line of any email message that pertains to this course. You will find my email address on my home page.