REU Site: Computational and Applied Mathematics Program

Cal Poly Pomona Foundation, Inc., Pomona CA

Investigators

Abstract

This project establishes a 3-year summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program in computational and applied mathematics at Cal Poly Pomona. While mathematics has long served as a fundamental skill, constant improvements in technology now better facilitate its application to a wide range of problems in other sciences and engineering. In particular, such advancements support areas of research focused on developing mathematical models for complex systems to which the ever-increasing available computational power can be applied to find analytically intractable solutions. In undertaking faculty-mentored research projects, students participating in the REU program will gain first-hand experience in research practices, delving into topics to a depth beyond typical mathematics curricula, and providing insight into a key developing role of mathematics in society. The associated use of computation during their endeavors will provide significant coding opportunities, allowing for the development of programming and problem solving skills to support not only current projects, but also the students' future academic and industrial careers. Moreover, a focus of the REU program will be to expand the pool of mathematically- and technologically-focused individuals capable of reinforcing the U.S. as a leader in the global economy. In each of 3 subsequent summers, the 10 students participating in the REU program will be divided into groups; each group will be paired with a faculty member well-versed in the use of computation in areas such as optimization, graph theory, Gaussian processes, and spectral analysis. Each mentor will guide their group from an initial study of foundational material, through a literature review, to the implementation, development, and presentation of computational solution approaches. Alongside their research activities, the students will also engage in a series of workshops beginning with a coding bootcamp and subsequently covering topics such as the responsible conduct of research, resume/CV writing, LaTeX, conference presentation, paper writing, and graduate school preparation. Daily meetings between each mentor and their group, as well as weekly whole-cohort meetings, will build the students' collaboration, communication, and interpersonal skills. Upon completion of the program, the students will have gained extensive experience in computational and applied mathematics, and will be equipped to foster the development and incorporation of mathematics in our increasingly digital and online world. Additional information on this REU program can be found at https://www.cpp.edu/camp-reu/index.shtml. 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.