The NREU in Mathematics Program: MAA SUMMA NREUP
(The Mathematical Association of America Strengthening Underrepresented Minority Mathematics Achievement National Research Experience for Undergraduates Program)
This mathematics summer research program is structured to increase undergraduate completion rates and encourage more students to pursue graduate study by exposing them to research experiences after they complete their sophomore year.
Any college student, in good standing, and meets the qualifications may apply: The student must be an undergraduate and/or underrepresented/minority student with U.S citizenship privileges; must have completed the Calculus I and II series by May 31, 2007 with a grade of B or above; have an overall G.P.A. of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; demonstrate mastery of word processing, excel, power point or similar programs; be willing to reside on the campus of Tuskegee University for the duration of the research project; and be willing to work under the directions of the assigned Mentor/Advisor.
The students chosen to participate in the program will be assigned mentors who are engaged in mathematics and/or mathematics related projects. The students chosen for the 2007 Summer NREUP will concentrate on studies involving Partial Differential Equations, Numerical Analysis, Knot Theory and other topics decided mutually by the student and the advisor.
Each student will receive a stipend of $3,000 and will be provided room and board ($1,610 per student), plus other required or incidental fees. Each participant will receive a travel stipend for travel to conferences or professional workshops that may be required during or after the research portion of the project has ended.
Sample Research Topics
Mathematics Modeling and Computation for the growth of tumors
Modeling and Simulation
Students will study a mathematical model recently developed by several mathematicians, (Byrne, Chaplain and Friedman, etc), for the growth of a tumor consisting of live cells. According to the researchers mentioned above the model is in the form of a free-boundary problem whereby the tumor grows (or shrinks) due to cell proliferation or death, according to the level a diffusing nutrient concentration. Using techniques from numerical analysis such as finite difference methods or finite element methods, students will analyze the solutions and graph the growth of the cells
Knot Theory and Its Application
The students will study the history, development, applications and a selected group of problems (solved and unsolved) that have been associated with the evolvement of Knot Theory during the last century.
Each student, with the approval of the mentor, will select a problem of interest from the field of Knot Theory. From the selected problem, the student will advance a hypothesis that will guide his/her investigation during the entire summer session.
A partial listing of the research problems include:
1. When is a knot an unknot?
2. Can there be more than three Reidemeister moves?
3. Can a Borromean ring be formed using three flat closed loops?
4. Are all knots invariant (preserved) under projection?
5. Determine the tricolorability of certain knots
6. What types of Reidemeister moves are preserved under Tricolorability?
How to apply:
Submit a current résumé, complete transcript and two letters of recommendation from members of the Mathematics or Mathematical Sciences Faculty.
Send to:
Dr. Herman Windham, Math Department Chair and P. I.
Phone: 334-727-8557/334-725-3212,
or any one of the following Math faculty members:
Mr. Tommy Johnson, 334-727-8558.
Dr. Jintae Kim, 334-727-8590
Mrs. Carolyn Sippial, 334-727-8559
Dr. MohamedSalman, 334-727-8610
Department of Mathematics
BIOE Building Room 365
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee, Al 36088
