Mathematics

Programs

Courses

MATH 120: Fundamentals of Statistics

Credits 3

Topics include exploratory data analysis; measures of central tendency, dispersion and correlation; nonparametric methods; confidence intervals; hypothesis tests; and the design of statistical studies.

MATH 130: Symbolic Logic

Credits 3
The study of formal, deductive logic emphasizing the methods for demonstrating the validity of arguments. Includes truth functional propositional logic and quantification theory through the logic of relations.

MATH 141: Diversity of the World's Mathematics

Credits 3

This course explores mathematical history across diverse cultures, including African, Middle Eastern, Indian, Chinese,
and Greek contributions. In particular, students will explore fractals, tessellations, the abacus, compass and
straightedge, along with their historical contexts.

MATH 160: Precalculus

Credits 3

This course covers a wide variety of tools that are essential for further study in mathematics and the sciences. Topics include algebra, trigonometry, exponentials and logarithms, functions, and graphing.

MATH 190: Mathematical Discovery

Credits 3
An introduction to the principal topics in mathematics needed by a Computer Science major, and intended for students of computer science. Topics include writing numbers in various bases, set theory, proof by induction, relations and functions, logic, matrices, complex numbers, recursion and recurrences, and rates of growth of various functions.

MATH 230: Cryptography

Credits 3

This course provides students with a historical perspective and a foundation in a wide variety of modern cryptographic techniques, including symmetric vs asymmetric key encryption, private and public key cryptosystems, digital signatures, message integrity and authentication, among others. Students will learn a variety of approaches to encryption and decryption.

MATH 251: Number Theory

Credits 3
Number theory is the study of numbers and their properties. In this course, you'll explore topics such as prime numbers, modular arithmetic, Diophantine equations, and cryptography. Along the way, you'll develop problem-solving skills, get introduced to mathematical proof, and develop some computational proficiency with Sage Math. This course is ideal for students interested in abstract reasoning and its applications in computer science, cryptography, and other fields.

MATH 280: Calculus B

Credits 4
A continuation of MATH 180, including techniques of integration, applications of the definite integral, infinite sequences and series and elementary differential equations.

MATH 288: Introduction to Proof

Credits 4
A transition into the upper-level study of mathematics. Strong emphasis on how to read mathematics at a variety of levels, and on how to write proofs and present mathematics clearly and correctly. Specific topics vary; set theory is a regular part of the seminar.

MATH 300: Mathematical Statistics

Credits 3

Topics include exploratory data analysis; measures of central tendency, dispersion and correlation; nonparametric methods; confidence intervals; inference testing; probability distributions; and the design of statistical studies. 

MATH 330: The Art and Science of Math Modeling

Credits 3
The Art & Science of Mathematical Modeling (3 credits)This course will introduce students to fundamental concepts and methods of mathematical modeling, with emphasis on interdisciplinary problem-solving. Math models are used to describe and analyze a wide variety of real-world phenomena, ranging from common everyday events (synchronizing traffic-light timings), to highly complex systems (ocean-atmosphere-landmass interactions for climate modeling), to hypothetical scenarios (tumor growth & treatment strategies). A key goal of the course is to help students integrate and extend familiar mathematical tools and techniques in new and creative ways, resulting in a powerful framework for design and analysis applicable to a wide range of disciplines. topics include discrete and continuous dynamical systems; proportionality and geometric similarity models; fitting models to data; simulations; probabilistic modeling; discrete optimization and linear programming.

MATH 350: Multivariate Calculus

Credits 4
An extension of the methods of calculus to functions of more than one variable, or functions returning vectors. Issues addressed include the theory and application of partial derivatives and multiple integrals, as well as the theorems of Green, Gauss and Stokes which represent multivariate analogues of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.

MATH 360: Mathematical Methods and Physics

Credits 3
Applies mathematical techniques to the study of physical systems. Examines topics such as vector analysis, complex variables, Fourier series and boundary value problems. These topics are studied in the context of modeling and understanding physical systems. Students will see how individual techniques, once developed, can be applied to very broad classes of problems. This course develops skills in communicating scientific results in written form as well as in an oral presentation.

MATH 425: Abstract Algebra B

Credits 3
A continuation of MATH 420 and treatment of a more advanced algebraic topic. Typical themes include ring theory, finite fields, Galois theory and group representations.

MATH 430: Analysis A

Credits 3
A careful and theoretical study of the real numbers and their functions including all the details you might have asked for in Calculus A, but probably did not. Topics include the construction and topology of the real numbers, sequences of reals, limits of sequences and of functions, and (uniform) convergence and continuity.

MATH 435: Analysis B

Credits 3
A continuation of MATH 430 and treatment of a more advanced analytic topic. Commonly this has been a careful treatment of differentiation and Riemann integration, including results like the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, the termwise integrability and differentiability of power series, and perhaps the theorem that a function on a closed, bounded interval is Riemann integrable if and only if it is bounded and almost everywhere continuous.

MATH 486: Comprehensive Independent Study

Credits 1
A student-led seminar in which students prepare to take their comprehensive examination. Meets several times with the supervising faculty member, but students are responsible for directing the preparation's focus. The grade for the course is the grade on the comprehensive exam. Offered Spring Semester.

MATH 488: Seminar

Credits 3
Individual and collective investigations into topics of common mathematical interest not covered in the department's regular course offerings. A significant part of this course is students' reading new mathematics and presenting it to one another. Offered Fall Semester.