Sophomores, juniors, and seniors from colleges and universities in Alabama and nearby states will assemble for eight weeks at Auburn University, in the summers of 1999 and 2000, to conduct research in discrete mathematics and algebra in the Department of Discrete and Statistical Sciences.
During the first week of the session, participants will be given an intensive introduction to a selection of specific open problems or problem areas. During the second week, they will be given helpful observations and deeper background on the problems. Participants will be asked to decide on a ``major'' problem or problem area for their summer's work at the beginning of the third week. Although anyone may work on anything thereafter, each participant will be expected to concentrate on their problem, usually in collaboration with others, and to make short presentations of background literature and of progress made in daily seminars and problem sessions. Each problem group will be expected to prepare a written summary of their work at the end of the eight weeks and to deliver an oral presentation of the summary, with the presentation to be apportioned among the group members. If publishable results are achieved, the achievers will decide among themselves how results should be written up, but faculty mentors will help out in matters of format, protocol, and getting the paper typed. In case the mentors later achieve publishable results based on work of student participants, the students will be duly listed as co-authors of any papers resulting.
Communication will be maintained with those participants that wish it, for the purpose of conducting further research, for recruiting for subsequent programs or graduate study, and for assessing the impact of their participation in the project on their lives.
