REU Site: Topology, Partial Differential Equations, and Applications to Network Security and Biology

Kansas State University, Manhattan KS

Investigators

Abstract

This National Science Foundation award provides support for a renewal of an REU Site at Kansas State University that offers a summer research program to undergraduates with a variety of projects in pure mathematics, applied mathematics, and biomathematics. The REU Site will host ten students per year for eight weeks in three summers. Students will conduct original research and publish results in peer reviewed mathematics journals whenever possible. In addition, the program offers several professional development activities such as workshops in mathematical typesetting and presentation tools, subject GRE preparation, and training in computational tools as needed to work on the projects. The REU program ends with a student-organized mini conference. Most of the social activities are joint with the other REUs on campus. Recruitment plan emphasizes community colleges, Historically Black Colleges, minority-serving institutions, and regional liberal arts colleges in the EPSCoR state of Kansas. Under the experienced guidance provided by the PI, Co-PI, and other senior mentors, this program has a strong record of alumni completing first tier PhD programs,and placing with top ranked employers in finance and software companies, as well as entering secondary education. The REU participants will work on problems in the areas of topology, partial differential equations (PDEs), network security, mathematical modeling, biomathematics, knot theory and topological quantum field theory. Professional development component will include workshops on mathematics presentation tools LaTeX and Beamer, and computational tools such as MATLAB and Python programming. The past programs have served large numbers of women and minorities, and have referred a number of students to become Math Alliance scholars. Detailed tracking of alumni shows them graduating from top tier PhD programs in mathematics, and securing employment with top employers in finance, insurance, and software companies. Publications resulting from research carried out at the REU have appeared in research journals in cryptography, topology, number theory, analysis, PDEs and applied mathematics.