Program Overview

General Information

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics offers programs leading to the Master of Science in Mathematics (with a separate Option in Statistics), the Master of Science in Applied Mathematics, and the Ph.D. in Mathematics (also with a separate Statistics option).

Admission and Financial Aid
Applications for admission are screened by a departmental committee, which bases its recommendations for admissions and financial aid on the applicant’s undergraduate record, letters of recommendation, and other data. Admission is very selective, and there is no minimal set of courses or grades that will guarantee admission. Applicants are encouraged to submit additional data on their mathematical training, such as texts used and topics covered in courses, details of any honors projects or individual reading, etc.  The GRE subject exam is required for admission to the Ph.D. in mathematics (except for the statistics option).  The general GRE exam is recommended, but not required for all M.S. and Ph.D. applicants.

Most Ph.D. students are supported by Teaching Assistantships providing a waiver of tuition and a stipend. The duties usually involve teaching one section of an elementary course each semester or equivalent work assisting the instructor of a large lecture course. A limited number of Research Assistantships are also available. Teaching Assistantships are also available for M.S. students, although usually with a smaller stipend.

Faculty Research Interests
The research interests of the faculty may be summarized briefly under a number of headings:

Algebra, Lie Theory, and Number Theory
Algebraic combinatorics, commutative algebra, representation theory, geometric Langlands program, analytic and algebraic number theory.

Geometry and Topology
Algebraic geometry, complex manifolds and Hodge theory, integrable systems, differential geometry, geometric analysis and variational problems, symplectic manifolds, geometric topology, applications to physics.

Analysis, Probability, Applied Mathematics, and Numerics
Non-linear PDEs, dynamical systems, harmonic analysis, large deviations, stochastic processes, mathematical physics, statistical mechanics and stochastic models, fluid dynamics, mathematical biology, symbolic computation.

Statistics
Bayesian statistics, bioinformatics and biostatistics, linear models, measurement error models, mixed models, smoothing, reliability, and survival analysis.

Seminars and Colloquia
The department has an active colloquium, usually held on Thursdays at 4 p.m. The location makes it possible to invite a wide variety of well-known mathematicians and statisticians to visit and speak.

Each semester a number of seminars are organized by faculty or graduate students, meeting once or twice a week. The Graduate Student Seminar usually meets late Wednesday afternoon following a special departmental tea. Students often have an opportunity to talk in other seminars. Some of these (e.g., Applied Analysis and Computation, Geometry/Topology, Probability and Statistics, Representation Theory) have developed a continuous existence, while others are organized around current research topics. The Valley Geometry Seminar and Five College Number Theory Seminar are ongoing Five College activities.

Centers and Special Facilities

Center for Applied Mathematics
The center involves faculty members and graduate students who are interested in research and instruction in applied mathematics and scientific computation. The center organizes the research seminar on Applied Analysis and Computation and manages the Master’s Degree Program in Applied Mathematics, a two-year professional degree intended for students who seek industrial employment.

Research Computing Facility (RCF)
The RCF provides computing facilities for the department. These facilities may be used by faculty and students as a tool for research and academic purposes. The facility is mainly UNIX- and Linux-based. All of the systems are networked, and support connections to the campus network and the Internet. A full-time staff and several graduate students provide support and consulting services to the community.