REU Site: California State University, Fresno Research Experiences in Mathematics

California State University-Fresno Foundation, Fresno CA

Investigators

Abstract

The Department of Mathematics at the California State University, Fresno (CSU Fresno) will host an eight week long REU for eight students during the summers of 2012 and 2013. During both years, two faculty mentors will be working with 4 students each. The research topics for each summer will be selected from the following: the location of zeros of analytic functions, stability preserving operators, and multiplier sequences; knot and link labelings; embeddings of graphs in finite planes; and survival analysis and modeling survival data. To equip the students with the necessary tools, they will be given a series of introductory lectures related to their research topic. Students will then work on the assigned research problems individually, as well as in groups. Participants will be required to write a summary research report suitable for publication, and will give weekly oral presentations while maintaining increasingly strict professional standards. Research activities will be complemented by guest lectures, excursions and informal gatherings. Students will be working on open research problems in mathematics. The mentoring faculty is actively involved in research in the proposed areas and has extensive experience in mentoring undergraduate research projects. Many of the past projects have led to conference presentations and publications in research journals. The REU aims to have at least half of the participants be underrepresented minority students, as two of the faculty are also mentors for the National Alliance for Doctoral Studies in the Mathematical Sciences, which promotes minority participation in doctoral programs in mathematics. By providing all participants with a research environment cognizant of different cultural backgrounds, students will have a meaningful and encouraging experience to supplement their undergraduate education. In addition, the REU will provide all students with computer and research skills, which are widely applicable in the scientific workplace.