Undergraduate Research Opportunities in Mathematics
In the Mathematics Department
There are a variety of undergraduate research opportunities in
mathematics at Maryland.
Some recent undergraduate research projects of math majors
You can get an idea of some of the past research of math
majors by looking over a
list of some of their past
research projects, with links to reports and in some cases
published papers.
-
Research Interaction Teams
Qualified students may join a Research
Interaction Team (RIT) of mathematicians at varying levels
(professor, postdoctoral fellow, graduate student, undergraduate
student).
Please explore our
current RITs.
-
The Experimental Geometry Lab
The Experimental Geometry Lab allows undergraduates to work in a
team environment and develop object-oriented software to explore
properties of non-Euclidean geometries.
After exploring the Experimental Geometry Lab
web site, students may contact Dr. Bill Goldman
for additional information.
-
Daniel Sweet Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Starting in Fall 2007, the Norbert Wiener Center will be
offering a research fellowship in honor of Dan Sweet. Information about
this fellowship will be available on the
Norbert Wiener Center website.
-
Ride the Putnam Express
The Putnam
Examination is the premier national mathematics competition. The
Mathematics Department runs a course each fall, "The Putnam Express",
to prepare students for this competition. Success on the exam is a
great credential for graduate school admissions and financial support.
Working on the challenging preparation problems is in some ways like
mathematical research, and it is a useful preparation for actual
mathematics research.
Interested students may contact Dr. Brian Hunt
for additional information.
-
SPIRAL - Summer Program
In Research And Learning
The Math SPIRAL summer program in the Department of
Mathematics
at the University of Maryland in College Park is a multi-year program
funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National
Security Agency (NSA). Working with a group of affiliated minority
serving colleges and universities, we bring gifted college sophomores
and juniors to the College Park campus for a six-week intensive program
to prepare them for graduate study in the mathematical sciences.
-
MATH 452 Projects.
In the course
MATH
452 (Introduction to Dynamics and Chaos), independent student
projects have the flavor of research
and are usually a significant part of the course.
-
Advanced coursework.
A student whose interest in mathematical research extends to
getting a PhD. in Mathematics should consult carefully with department
advisors on appropriate preparation. There are two ways a student may
engage in advanced coursework:
-
Reading Courses
Departmental Honors students may register for MATH
498 as a reading course. Permission to register requires a contract
between the student and the instructor that specifies what the student
is to accomplish during the semester and how the student's progress is
to be assessed. Please contact Dr. Michael Boyle (mmb@math.umd.edu) for
additional information.
-
Graduate Level Courses
It can be extremely useful for qualified students to take
graduate level mathematics courses as an undergraduate. This path is
one of the Departmental Honors options. This option is arranged
through the Undergraduate
Advisor and requires the permission of the course instructor. In
addition, the College of Computers, Mathematics and Physical Sciences
has a specific policy regarding undergraduates within CMPS
taking graduate level courses.
-
Be free!
The mathematics department has put together these various
structures, hoping to facilitate the research and involvement of
capable students. Students: take these as opportunities, but not as
limits. Always, follow the math that intrigues you, and talk to your
professors. Professors like bright students who want to work. Much of
the best stuff comes idiosyncratically. Let your mind grow wherever the
light shines.
Elsewhere on campus
TREND is a very
special summer opportunity for financially supported training and
research experiences in nonlinear dynamics. Apply before the end of
March.
The Maryland Center for
Undergraduate Research is the campus resource center for
undergraduate research, with information on Undergraduate Research Day
and the Undergraduate
Research Assistant Program.
Nationally and beyond
There is a large array of undergraduate research opportunities
(a.k.a. REU's, research experiences for undergraduates) in mathematics
. Below are some sites which have assembled REU links.
Here is a very incomplete list of some additional REU's (mostly for
summer--with spring application deadlines). The red **
means that we know of some Maryland undergraduate who has participated
and had a strongly positive experience.
Undergraduate Mathematics Conferences
There are several established undergraduate math conferences:
|
