Courses

Mathematics professors are especially interested in helping students understand and appreciate the importance and usefulness of mathematics in the modern world. Assignments and projects emphasize the real-life applications of math in other fields of study.

Math professors recognize that not all students will decide to study mathematics at the graduate level. In response, the department prepares students for a variety of career paths including education, industrial and governmental research and careers in actuarial science and economics. For students who do want to go on to graduate school, professors try to expose them to pure and applied mathematics in balanced doses so that they can make decisions about the kind of math they want to pursue in graduate school. Professors recognize that the best preparation students can have for graduate school is to participate in undergraduate research projects. Research leads to close student and faculty collaboration, which seniors cite in their annual exit interviews as the single greatest strength of the department. Faculty members are consistently willing and excited to work one-on-one with students as they wrestle with complex material.

Mathematics and Statistics

Expand All
  • MATH 102 Problem Solving Using Finite Mathematics

    Units: 1

    Fulfills General Education Requirement (Symbolic Reasoning (FSSR))

    Description
    Topics to demonstrate power of mathematical reasoning. Course has two components: (1) introduction to the fundamentals of mathematical proof, and (2) the application of these fundamentals to at least one particular area of mathematics. The area is dependent on the instructor.
  • MATH 195 Special Topics

    Units: 0.25-1

    Description
    Special topics satisfying neither major nor minor requirements.
  • MATH 211 Calculus I

    Units: 1

    Fulfills General Education Requirement (Symbolic Reasoning (FSSR))

    Description
    Limits, continuity, derivatives, and integrals. Derivatives of trigonometric, exponential, logarithmic, and inverse trigonometric functions; the derivative as a rate-of-change; linear approximations; Fundamental Theorem of Calculus; applications to the sciences, social sciences, and economics.
  • MATH 212 Calculus II

    Units: 1

    Fulfills General Education Requirement (Symbolic Reasoning (FSSR))

    Description
    Techniques of integration; applications of integration; improper integrals; Taylor's Theorem and applications; infinite series; differential equations; applications to the sciences, social sciences, and economics.
  • MATH 235 Multivariate Calculus

    Units: 1

    Fulfills General Education Requirement (Symbolic Reasoning (FSSR))

    Description
    N-dimensional Euclidean space, functions of several variables, partial derivatives, multiple integrals, line and surface integrals, classical integral theorems, applications.
  • MATH 245 Linear Algebra

    Units: 1

    Description
    Vector spaces, matrices, systems of linear equations, linear transformations, applications.

     

    Prerequisites

    MATH 212 or MATH 235 or CMSC 222

  • MATH 288 Mathematics Apprenticeship

    Units: 0.25-0.5

    Description
    Participation in practical application of mathematics skills, such as statistics, data science, or mathematical modeling, with supervision of mathematics or statistics faculty. Does not count for mathematics major or minor or for mathematical economics major. No more than a total of 1.5 units of MATH 288 may count toward the total number of units required for a degree.
  • MATH 300 Fundamentals of Abstract Mathematics

    Units: 1

    Description
    Logic, quantifiers, negations of statements with quantifiers, set theory, induction, counting principles, relations and functions, cardinality. Includes introductory topics from real analysis and abstract algebra. Emphasis on methods of proof and proper mathematical expression.

     

    Prerequisites

    MATH 212 or MATH 235

  • MATH 304 Mathematical Models in Biology and Medicine

    Units: 1

    Description
    Mathematical models in modern biological and medical applications. Primary focus on practical understanding of the modeling process, and development of requisite modeling skills. Topics include discrete and continuous dynamical systems, including parameter estimation.

     

    Prerequisites

    MATH 235, MATH 245, or MATH 300

  • MATH 306 Abstract Algebra I

    Units: 1

    Description
    An introduction to the theory of groups. Topics include subgroups, cyclic groups, permutation groups, homomorphisms, isomorphisms, cosets, Lagrange's Theorem, normal subgroups, and the Fundamental Theorem of Finite Abelian Groups.

     

    Prerequisites

    MATH 245 and MATH 300, both with a minimum grade of C-

  • MATH 307 Abstract Algebra II

    Units: 1

    Description
    An introduction to the theory of rings and fields. Topics include rings, integral domains, ideals, factor rings, polynomial rings, ring homomorphisms, fields, and extension fields.

     

    Prerequisites

    Prerequisite

    MATH 306

  • MATH 309 Financial Mathematics: The Theory of Interest and Investment

    Units: 1

    Description
    Develops a practical understanding of financial mathematics and interest theory in both discrete and continuous time. This theory includes the fundamentals of how annuity functions are applied to the concepts of present and accumulated value for various cash flow streams and how this is used for future planning in valuation, pricing, duration, immunization, and investment. Topics include: rates of interest and discount, the force of interest, level and varying annuities, evaluation of financial instruments (e.g. bonds, stocks, leveraged strategies), measures of interest rate sensitivity, and the term structure of interest rates.

     

    Prerequisites

    MATH 235, MATH 245, or MATH 300

  • MATH 310 Advanced Calculus

    Units: 1

    Description
    Differentiation of vector-valued functions, Jacobians, integration theorems in several variables. Fourier series, partial differential equations.

     

    Prerequisites

    MATH235

  • MATH 312 Differential Equations

    Units: 1

    Description
    Introduction to ordinary differential equations and their use as models of physical systems. Linear and nonlinear equations and systems of equations, including existence and uniqueness theorems, analytical solution techniques, numerical methods, and qualitative analysis. Includes studies of global behavior and local stability analysis of solutions of nonlinear autonomous systems; bifurcation analysis. Application and modeling of real phenomena included throughout.

     

    Prerequisites

    MATH 212 or MATH 235 and MATH 245

  • MATH 315 Modern Geometry

    Units: 1

    Description
    Geometry of surfaces in 3-dimensional space. Arc length, Frenet frame, parallel translation and geodesics. Gaussian curvature, constant curvature surfaces, Gauss-Bonnet theorem. Topological classification of compact surfaces.

     

    Prerequisites

    MATH 235 or MATH 245

  • MATH 319 Game Theory

    Units: 1

    Description
    Mathematical introduction to game theory. Foundational material on rationality and the expected utility theorem; problems for single decision-makers who maximize utility in uncertain circumstances; classical two-person matrix games and Nash equilibria; dynamic games, behavioral strategies, and repeated games; population games and evolutionarily stable strategies in biology; evolutionary dynamics.

     

    Prerequisites

    MATH245

  • MATH 320 Real Analysis I

    Units: 1

    Description
    Topological properties of the real line and Euclidean space. Convergence, continuity, differentiation, integration properties of real-valued functions of real variables.

     

    Prerequisites

    MATH 235 and MATH 300, both with a grade of C-

  • MATH 321 Real Analysis II

    Units: 1

    Description
    This is a follow-up course to Real Analysis I and is a selection of topics from Lebesgue integration, Lebesgue spaces (completeness, duality), metric spaces, real analysis on Euclidean spaces.

     

    Prerequisites

    Prerequisite

    MATH 320

  • MATH 328 Numerical Analysis

    Units: 1

    Description
    Analysis and implementation of algorithms used in applied mathematics, including root finding, interpolation, approximation of functions, integration, solutions to systems of linear equations. Computer error. (Same as Computer Science 328.)

     

    Prerequisites

    MATH 245 and CMSC 150

  • MATH 331 Complex Analysis

    Units: 1

    Description
    Introduction to the calculus of functions of a single complex variable, including series, calculus of residues, and conformal mapping.

     

    Prerequisites

    MATH 235 or PHYS 301

  • MATH 340 Directed Independent Study

    Units: 0.25-1

    Description
    For well-qualified students who wish to work independently in areas not included in curriculum. Proposal must be approved by departmental committee.
  • MATH 345 Advanced Linear Algebra

    Units: 1

    Description
    Abstract vector spaces, inner product spaces, spectral theorem, matrix factorization theorems, Schur’s theorems, applications of linear algebra to related fields in mathematics and engineering.

     

    Prerequisites

    MATH 245

  • MATH 358 Combinatorics

    Units: 1

    Description
    Introduction to the mathematics of discrete structures and counting techniques. Topics to include inclusion/exclusion; graph theory; linear algebra techniques; finite geometries.

     

    Prerequisites

    Prerequisite

    MATH 245

  • MATH 388 Individual Internship

    Units: 0.25-1

    Description
    Supervised work experience at approved artist's studio, museum, or gallery. No more than 1.5 units of internship in any one department and 3.5 units of internship overall may be counted toward required degree units.
  • MATH 395 Special Topics

    Units: 1

    Description
    Selected topics in mathematics.

     

    Prerequisites

    Varies with topic.


  • MATH 406 Summer Undergraduate Research

    Units: 0

    Description
    Documentation of the work of students who receive summer fellowships to conduct research [or produce a creative arts project] in the summer. The work must take place over a minimum of 6 weeks, the student must engage in the project full-time (at least 40 hours per week) during this period, and the student must be the recipient of a fellowship through the university. Graded S/U.

     

    Prerequisites

    Approval by a faculty mentor.