VIGRE Research Experience for
Undergraduates in Mathematics
University
of Georgia, Summer 2004
Summary
The VIGRE
Research Experience for Undergraduates in Mathematics at UGA will
run for five weeks, May 17 - June 18, 2004. Students will work in
teams guided by faculty mentors. Research teams will meet approximately
30 hours a week. The research experience is open to all majors,
and it is not
restricted to University of Georgia students.
Twelve stipends (either $1500 plus dorm and meals,
or $2250) will be awarded to United States citizens and permanent
residents. Participants may register to receive course credit. Students
are responsible for the cost of tuition and fees. We encourage students
to stay in residence halls and to subscribe to the student meal
plan. Travel expense money is available for non-UGA students.
A final research report is required of all students.
This program is supported by a VIGRE grant from
the National Science Foundation and by the Franklin College of Arts
and Sciences of the University of Georgia.
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Research topics
Braids, Graphs, and Robots: Combinatorial Configuration Spaces
Aaron
Abrams
How do you navigate with a shopping cart in a crowded
store with narrow aisles? How do cars avoid crashing into each other?
How do data packets travel across the internet without colliding
and getting jumbled? How could you program an army of orks to attack
a castle, and make sure they don't just crash into each other all
the time?
All of these questions can be addressed using the
mathematical idea of a configuration space. Configuration spaces,
generally speaking, are used to clarify problems involving several
objects which move at the same time.These spaces have applications
in physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering, as well as mathematics.
In this REU we will study a specific kind of configuration
space, namely the space of points moving around on a graph. (Each
of the problems above can be modeled using one of these spaces.)
We will find a host of open problems, in topics from geometry and
topology to group theory to combinatorics and graph theory to algorithms.
These problems should be accessible to students with a variety of
backgrounds.
Depending on the interests of the participants,
we can also explore other related ideas. Possible topics include
braids, metamorphic robots, polytopes, random walks, and others.
Mathematical Visualization
Jason
Cantarella
This program will pair art students with math students to think
about the linkages between mathematics and the visual arts. Themes
of the program include geometry, symmetry, computer simulations,
and understanding space and time.
While the program includes study in both mathematics and the arts,
the primary focus of the program will be the completion of collaborative
artwork involving or illustrating modern mathematics.
The program is open to students in all art majors, and well as
mathematics, physics, and computer science majors. Within the arts,
it is particularly recommended to sculpture, scientific illustration,
and digital media majors.
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Program details
Schedule and requirements
The program will run during UGA's May
session. Research teams will meet approximately 30 hours a week.
Participants may not enroll for other classes or hold other employment
during the period of the program. Every student must submit a final
report.
Financial support
Twelve stipends will be awarded to students who
are United States citizens or permanent residents. Stipend recipients
will have a choice of two types of support:
(a) $2250
(b) $1500 plus residence hall and meal plan
Travel expense money is available for non-UGA students. Every qualified
applicant will automatically be considered for a stipend award as
well as for housing and travel reimbursements.
Other sources of financial support are available
through the UGA CURO
program and from mathematics faculty research grants.
Housing and meals
Students can arrange to stay in a double occupancy
room in a campus residence hall. A Monday through Friday meal plan
is available in the summer. If you choose support option (b) we
will pay for your residence hall and meal plan. Please contact Jennifer
Peterson for assistance in arranging these details.
Course credit
Program participants have the option of receiving
3 semester hours of college credit for the VIGRE Research Experience
by registering for MATH 4950, Research in Mathematics (May
Session, Summer Semester 2004). Students who register for course
credit are responsible for the cost of tuition and fees (UGA
Bulletin).
If you are not already a student at UGA, you must
apply for transient admission (UGA
Undergraduate Admissions) to receive college credit. Transient
students for the summer semester should apply for admission by April
1.
Application
Deadline March 1, 2004
Required documents
* Application
form (for admission to the program and for financial support)
* Unofficial transcripts
* Personal statement of academic goals (Explain why you want to
participate in the program.)
* Two letters of recommendation from faculty
Mailing address
VIGRE Summer Program
Department of Mathematics
University of Georgia
Athens GA 30602-7403
Contact information
Jennifer Peterson
Educational Program Specialist
jennifer@math.uga.edu
(706) 542-2577
Dr. Aaron Abrams
abrams@math.uga.edu
Dr. Jason Cantarella
cantarel@math.uga.edu
This page was last modified on December 10, 2003.
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