A Project-Based Guide to Undergraduate Research in Mathematics: Starting and Sustaining Accessible Undergraduate Research

by Pamela E. Harris, Erik Insko, Aaron Wootton

Overview

This volume provides accessible and self-contained research problems designed for undergraduate student projects, and simultaneously promotes the development of sustainable undergraduate research programs. The chapters in this work span a variety of topical areas of pure and applied mathematics and mathematics education. Each chapter gives a self-contained introduction on a research topic with an emphasis on the specific tools and knowledge needed to create and maintain fruitful research programs for undergraduates. Some of the topics discussed include:
• Disease modeling
• Tropical curves and surfaces
• Numerical semigroups
• Mathematics Education
This volume will primarily appeal to undergraduate students interested in pursuing research projects and faculty members seeking to mentor them. It may also aid students and faculty participating in independent studies and capstone projects.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783030378523
Publisher:	Springer International Publishing
Publication date:	04/18/2020
Series:	Foundations for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics
Edition description:	1st ed. 2020
Pages:	324
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Pamela E. Harris is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

Erik Insko is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Florida.

Aaron Wootton is a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Portland in Portland, Oregon.

Table of Contents

Folding Words Around Trees: Models Inspired by RNA.- Phylogenic Networks.- Tropical Geometry.- Chip Firing Games and Critical Groups.- Counting Tilings by Taking Walks in a Graph.- Beyond Coins, Stamps, and Chicken McNuggets: an Invitation to Numerical Semigroups.- Lateral Movement in Undergraduate Research: Case Studies in Number Theory.- Projects in (t,r) Broadcast Domination.- Squigonometry: Trigonomtry in the p-norm.- Researching in Undergraduate Mathematics Education.- Possible Directions for Both Undergraduate Students and Faculty.- Undergraduate Research in Mathematical Epidemiology.

Editorial Reviews

The book at hand provides readers with workable, tangible, and sustainable examples of topics and areas for undergraduate mathematics students in the areas of combinatorics, number theory, graph theory, analysis, mathematics education, and applied mathematics (mathematical biology). … This reviewer highly recommends high-impact practices: mentored undergraduate research, capstone projects, and collaborative work. In this volume, mathematics instructors and undergraduates will find deep possibilities for summer projects, senior theses, and capstone seminars.” (Jennifer R. Bowen, The UMAP Journal, Vol. 44 (1), 2023)

From the Publisher