Undergraduate Research Projects for 4994 Credit
These are one semester projects directed by professors in their own areas of mathematical expertise. An individual student or group of students will assemble with a professor to define the project, set research goals, devise rules and do the work. To start a project, an individual or group must submit a completed 4994 request form (available in the department office) along with a brief outline of the project to the Undergraduate Research Facilitator, Dr. Serkan Gugercin, as early as possible in the semester. The purpose of the outline is to provide consistency among projects.
The research will culminate in a written report, a grade in Math 4994 and three hours credit. Up to eight hours of 4994 may be counted towards degree requirements. We also require that the report be given verbally within a seminar or meeting format and that the written report should be in a form consistent with a paper that might appear in a journal on undergraduate research.
It goes without saying that students will be expected to make significant contributions to the projects. Therefore topics must be chosen carefully to insure that whatever knowledge and skills the student has can be brought to bear on the problem at hand. On the average, seniors should expect to be in the best position to contribute to projects, but exceptional juniors are also encouraged to participate. The same goes for very exceptional sophomores, etc.
Students and professors may approach each other on the basis of a relationship in a present or past (or future) course, contacts through advising, other research or independent study projects or through other means.