REU Site: The Williams College SMALL REU program

Williams College, Williamstown MA

Investigators

Abstract

The Williams College SMALL REU program brings 25 to 40 undergraduates to campus for 9 weeks each summer to work on research projects under the direction of faculty members in mathematics or statistics. The summer culminates with student research presentations at Williams and students are encouraged to follow up with presentations at regional or national conferences. Most research groups will write up their results for submissions to research journals. The program includes weekly talks by faculty and students, both in mathematics and in related fields. Students are part of a vibrant scientific community with over 100 students doing original research in mathematics and the sciences at Williams each summer, and there are a variety of academic and social activities bringing all summer students and faculty together. The goal of this REU is to introduce undergraduates to the excitement and challenge of doing original research in mathematics. Topics are drawn from algebraic geometry, combinatorics, commutative algebra, computational geometry, discrete geometry, dynamics and ergodic theory, graph theory, hyperbolic manifolds, knot theory, mathematical biology, mathematical physics, measure theory, number theory, probability, random matrix theory, representation theory, statistics and tropical geometry. In the process, students naturally learn significant background material and are encouraged to present as well as publish their work, all invaluable for graduate school. The variety of mathematical activities is intended to provide a rich intellectual environment. Students, faculty and the broader mathematics community will benefit from the presentation and publication of original research. Students will develop a lifetime network of peers and mentors, and many of them will pursue graduate studies, partially because of their REU experience. Almost all students will publish papers in research journals and many present their results at national and international research conferences. 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.