REU Site: San Diego State University Mathematics Research Experience for Undergraduates

San Diego State University Foundation, San Diego CA

Investigators

Abstract

This summer program brings talented undergraduate students together, from all over the country, to engage in mathematics research for eight weeks. Their work frequently leads to scientific progress in the form of published scholarly papers. It also leads to students jump-starting successful careers in the mathematical sciences. Additionally, by including a diverse group of students, this program increases the participation of historically underrepresented groups in mathematics. This REU site conducts a nationwide recruitment effort to target primarily talented undergraduates with limited opportunity for research at their home institutions. They are brought for 8 summer weeks to SDSU's campus, where they are immersed in an mathematically intensive environment with graduate students and faculty. In this setting, they are trained in the entire experience of being a research mathematician. They read background papers, write code to formulate conjectures, prove theorems, write papers in LATEX, collaborate with peers, and present their results in seminars and at conferences. Research projects will come from various areas of the mathematical sciences, including monoid theory, mathematical biology, and modeling of water waves. Students will also learn about graduate school and mathematical careers as a whole.