Each summer, 12 undergraduate students will participate in an 8 week research program in the Cornell University Mathematics Department directed by 3 faculty members (the Principle Investigator, R. Strichartz, and 2 other chosen from among current and former department members) and assisted by graduate students and postdocs. The students will work on research projects that are within their grasp, and which present real opportunities for new discoveries that will be of value to the mathematical community. It is expected that some, but not all, of the research will lead to published papers. Two types of projects will be emphasized: 1) computer related research with students writing programs, or using existing software; 2) problems in other areas that do not require a great deal of background knowledge. In addition, the students will gain experience in communicating mathematics by presenting talks to each other and to the public. Additional information can be found at the project's website: www.math.cornell.edu/Undergraduate/REU/REU.htm
This project gives students the opportunity to contribute to research projects of interest to the mathematical community. It is expected that the research will continue to have a significant impact in the area of analysis on fractals. The faculty mentors are leaders in their fields. Student participants will get a true feeling for what mathematical research is like at a major research university, as they will be part of collaborative research groups including senior faculty, postdocs, and graduate students. This will help recruit talented students to enter graduate school in the mathematical sciences.
