The Simpson Mathematics Department offers students the opportunity to participate in undergraduate research in many ways. Much of the focus of our students' research is interdisciplinary in nature. Our students have worked on research in game theory, graph theory, the mathematics of origami, dynamical systems, number theory, topology, regression analysis, algebra, functions and applications to biology. In 2005-2006, there were 14 students actively working on research in a variety of areas and 3 of our students attended summer REUs at other institutions.
Many of our students who participate in Undergraduate research wish to present their results in a public forum. The mathematics department supports these students in many ways. Most of these student choose to present their results at the Midwest Undergraduate Mathematics Symposium that is hosted by our department each spring. Our department also provided financial support for students that wish to present at regional conferences. The combination of participating in undergraduate research projects and presenting the results at conferences has proven to give our students a competitive edge when looking for jobs or applying to graduate school.
Independent Research: A student interested in working on an independent mathematics project can approach any of the members of the mathematics faculty. For students in their first, second or third year, such a project would probably result in 1 hour of independent study credit. The faculty member will help you find a topic, will work with you on a regular basis, and provide assistance for communicating your results to a larger audience.
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs): There are a wide variety of REUs available in the Mathematical Sciences. These programs are typically 6-8 week summer experiences at another school, where sophomores and juniors spend time working in small groups on mathematics research topics. The experience can help a student gain valuable experience in mathematics beyond the standard undergraduate curriculum and can be life changing. Often, the program provide room and board and pay a stipend, so it costs nothing to participate. More information can be found on the NSF site, but there are other REU-type programs other than the ones offered through the NSF.
Senior Seminar: All mathematics students are required to complete 3 hours of research in Math 385: Senior Seminar. The purpose of this course is to help the student develop analytical problem solving skills, learn to write for a mathematical audience and to present to a general audience. The topics are chosen by the faculty. The 2005-2006 senior research students published abstracts of their work.
Math 398 Research in Mathematics: Those students that want to continue the experience in Math 385 can do so in Math 398: Research in Mathematics. This 3-hour course is an opportunity for those students who want to go beyond the required work. Students who pursue Honors in Mathematics must complete Math 385.