REU Site: Research Training for Undergraduates in Mathematical Analysis with Applications in Allied Fields

University Of Tennessee Chattanooga, Chattanooga TN

Investigators

Abstract

The REU program "Research Training for Undergraduates in Mathematical Analysis with Applications in Allied Fields," run by faculty members of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, provides an eight-week summer research experience for ten undergraduate students during each year of its operation. This program employs research methods training, hands-on research projects, and group activities that will lead participants to effective independent research. The program aims to increase participation in the mathematical sciences by recruiting and encouraging women, minorities from underrepresented groups, first-generation college students, and students from institutions with limited research opportunities. To contribute to the excitement and development of undergraduate research in mathematics, we incorporate elements of pure and applied mathematics as well as computational modeling, with a special focus on number theory, probability theory, and dynamical systems. This program is designed to introduce students to the power and applicability of mathematics and to encourage them to pursue careers in the mathematical sciences. Its success will provide a national model for undergraduate research in mathematics at a regional metropolitan university. The program will include a poster session and presentations by students, a colloquium series, interdisciplinary use of mathematics led by world-class researchers, and workshops on mathematical writing, applying to graduate school, and career opportunities in academia and industry. The students will be divided into groups supervised individually by the faculty mentors. Each student will belong to two different teams, so that he or she will delve deeply into two research problems. The projects are of current interest in their respective areas and inherently multidisciplinary. The mentors will introduce the topics and provide background and initial exercises as necessary. The goal will be to shift the focus to the students, who will pose and investigate questions according to their levels of interest and abilities. The mentors will serve as catalysts and advisors in the process and ensure the quality and progress of the research activities. Successful completion of these projects will advance the current state of mathematical knowledge and undergraduate research in mathematics. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.