Undergraduate Research Opportunities
The Mathematics Department at Angelo State University offers a variety of opportunities for students to enhance their educational experience, including the following:
Student Research Courses (Math 4391)
The department makes available various opportunities for students to participate in research or independent study projects. These are usually most appropriate for junior or senior level students. The simplest, and most commonly used means of undertaking such a project is by contacting a faculty member to inquire whether he or she is able to supervise a Math 4391 (Research) course in a particular semester. It is possible for several students to enroll in the same Research course. The format of such courses is flexible. The course may entail a specific research project, or may be conducted as either an independent study project or even as a traditional course, but on a topic that is not covered in the standard curriculum.
Here are some of our faculty members who may be interested in offering a 4391 course, along with some of the topics that have been offered in the past or that may be considered in the future:
- Dr. Dionne Bailey, on cryptography, graph theory, combinatorics
- Dr. Charles Diminnie, on number theory, analysis, general problem solving
- Dr. Karl Havlak, on differential equations, modeling, mathematical biology
- Dr. David Huckaby, on numerical analysis, linerar algebra, web search engines
- Dr. Andrew Siefker, on analysis, signal processing, communications, ground water flow, stockmarket analysis, modeling of biological systems
- Dr. John “Trey” Smith, on probability, Topology, logic, set theory, Godel's Incompleteness Theorem
- Dr. Paul Swets, on mathematics of financial securities, algebraic geometry, number theory
- Dr. Roger Zarnowski, on dynamical systems, resampling statistics, differential equations
These are only examples -- many other topics are possible as well, depending upon the interests of the students and the faculty supervisor.
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Robert G. and Nona K. Carr Undergraduate Student Research Scholarships
Undergraduates who have completed 72 semester credit hours are eligible to apply for a Carr Undergraduate Research Scholarship. These scholarships are offered university-wide on a competitive basis and provide a stipend of $2000 for an academic year, during which the recipient undertakes a significant research project under the supervision of a faculty member. Students who receive this scholarship are expected to make a commitment of time and effort to their project that is far greater than what would normally be expected in a regular research course. A formal presentation of results is made in the spring at the ASU Carr Student Research Scholar Symposium, and many students also present talks or papers at professional meetings.
Following are some of the mathematics research projects that have been funded under this program:
- Halley Newman received a Carr award in 2007-2008 entitled "A Probabilistic Algorithm for Computing Coastline Length". Halley developed a Monte-Carlo approach to dealing with the classic problem of measuring the length of complicated curves. Her work required concepts from several areas including fractal geometry, probability and computer science. Halley is currently a student at Angelo State University.
- During the 2005-2006 academic year, Shivam Pandey will study the “Application of Fuzzy Logic to develop a Heuristic Data Mining Algorithm”.
- Adam Johanson studied “Random Matrices and the Zeros of the Riemann Zeta Function” during the 2004-05 year. This project provided the opportunity for Adam to use his experience in both mathematics and computer programming to explore a fascinating connection between the fields of number theory, dynamical systems, and random matrix theory. Adam is currently employed as a programmer/analyst for USAA in San Antonio.
- Paul Dawkins received a Carr award in 2003-04 for a project entitled “Intuition Versus Formalism”. Paul analyzed a classic foundational problem involving the tension that exists between what seems intuitively true, and what can be proved. His exploration provided an opportunity to study Turing computability, randomness, and complexity of formal mathematical statements. He presented his results at a mathematics conference in Rhode Island. Paul is currently a mathematics graduate student at the University of Texas in Arlington.
- In 1999-2000, Abhiram Shandilya used his research scholarship to study “Braess' Paradox in Computer Networks”. He presented the results of his work at both the spring meeting of the Texas Section of the Mathematical Association of America and at the Summer Mathfest at UCLA. Following a research internship at Argonne National Laboratory, Abhi entered the graduate program in Computer Science at The University of Rochester.
- In 1995-96, Mayank Upadhyay was awarded a research scholarship for a project entitled “Using Neural Networks to Model Chaotic Dynamical Systems”. Mayank presented his results at the annual Conference on Applied Mathematics in Edmond, OK. After graduating from Angelo State, Mayank went to graduate school at Stanford University and later went to work for Sun Microsystems.
Problem Solving
The department encourages all students to participate in our informal problem-solving seminars. Problems are selected from various math journals and, if solutions are obtained, they are written up and submitted for possible publication. This is a good way for students to acquire some valuable skills and learn some mathematics of a different sort from that usually covered in classes. Students whose solutions are published have their work prominently displayed in our Rogues Gallery (a.k.a. bulletin board). Contact Dr. Charles Diminnie or Dr. Andrew Siefker for further information.
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The National Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM)
The Mathematical Contest in Modeling provides an opportunity for students to solve a “real-world” problem in a nationwide team competition. For more information about the contest contact Dr. Karl Havlak or visit the Mathematical Contest in Modeling website.
Putnam Exam
The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition is administered annually on the first Saturday of December. This competition is open to all regularly enrolled undergraduate students who have not yet received a college degree. The examination tests originality as well as technical competence and places a special emphasis on abstract reasoning. A list of the top finishers is furnished to all participating institutions and graduate schools in the United States and Canada. For full details, contact Dr. Charles Diminnie.
“Math Lab Tutoring”
For students interested in gaining some teaching experience while also making a little money, there are opportunities to help out in our “Math Lab” by tutoring students in freshman and sophomore level courses. The income can help make college life a bit more enjoyable, and the experience gained can be a valuable asset when looking for that first job or when applying for admission to a graduate program.