Program Overview
General Information
The Department of Mathematics at Pomona College will offer an 8-week residential program to conduct research in pure mathematics. The program, entitled PRiME (Pomona Research in Mathematics Experience), will run from June 9 through August 4, 2019. The program is being sponsored by the National Science Foundation (DMS-1560394). This program was previously held at Purdue University.
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The program is directed by Edray Goins (Pomona College) and Alex Barrios (Carleton College). During the eight week program, students will work together on research projects in arithmetic geometry. More details on these two projects can be found by clicking on the following links.
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Goals and Expectations
During the summer, each of the undergraduate participants will:
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Complete a research project done in collaboration with other PRiME students.
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Give a presentation at MAA's MathFest and write a technical report.
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Attend a series of colloquium talks given by leading researches in their fields.
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Attend workshops aimed at developing skills and techniques needed for research careers in the mathematical sciences.
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In order to successfully complete this project, participants will:
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Meet at least 10 hours every week for a minimum of 8 weeks.
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Be introduced to advanced topics relevant for their research such as: Abstract Algebra, Complex Analysis, Differential Geometry, Graph Theory, and Number Theory.
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Learn how to use a computational mathematical packages such as Sage, Mathematica, or MATLAB.
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Learn how to use LaTeX, a mathematical typesetting language.
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Write a technical paper explaining the details of the project.
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Design a poster giving an overview of the project.
Stipend & Travel
Participants in the PRiME program will receive:
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A stipend of $4,000 for the 8-week program,
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On-campus housing, and
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Up to $1,500 for travel (to and from Pomona College and also to attend conferences after the completion of the PRiME program).
Prerequisites
Students must be undergraduates in good standing, although preference will be given to applicants who will begin either their junior or senior year in the Fall of 2019. Applicants must have taken a proof-based course in Abstract Algebra, Discrete Mathematics, or Number Theory. National Science Foundation (NSF) funding also requires that participants must be either US Citizens or Permanent Residents.
Application Instructions
Applications for the PRiME program should be submitted through MathPrograms.org by going to https://www.mathprograms.org/db/programs/793. For a complete application, you will need to submit:
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Three letters of recommendation.
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An unofficial transcript or list of math courses and grades. An official transcript may be required upon admission to the program.
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A cover letter addressing your interest in the PRiME program. Please address what you hope to get out of participating in PRiME and also which of the two research topics (either Project #1 or Project #2 as above) you would prefer.
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For full consideration, applications should be received no later than Friday, March 1, 2019. Decisions will be announced by Monday, March 4, 2019. In accordance with the new REU consortium rule, applicants will not be required to accept or decline an offer before March 8, 2019.
Program Staff
Dr. Goins is Professor of Mathematics at Pomona College. He received his BS in Mathematics and Physics from the California Institute of Technology, and his PhD in Mathematics from Stanford University. His research concerns branched covers of curves.
Dr. Barrios is Scholar-in-Residence Fellow of Mathematics at Carleton College. He received his ScB in Mathematics from Brown University, and his PhD in Mathematics from Purdue University. His research concerns the use of modular curves to construct minimal models of elliptic curves.
