MATH 401 - Directed Individual Study

Credits: 1

Prerequisite: Instructor consent unless otherwise noted. Individual conferences. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.

Winter 2019, MATH 401-01: Art + Mathematics (1). No prerequisite. We explore how artists have been inspired by mathematical concepts. The connection between the worlds of mathematics and art can be direct, as between geometry and perspective or between symmetry and geometric patterns. But often the connections are not as direct, as when Cantor’s theories about infinity alongside the discovery of non-Euclidean geometries precipitated a crisis in the foundations of mathematics, which influenced M.C. Escher. This crisis was further exacerbated by Gödel’s computational proofs, inspiring Alan Turing to invent the electronic computer, paving the way to digital art. McRae.

Winter 2019, MATH 401-02: Directed Individual Study - Actuary Exam IFM Preparation (1). Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Individual conferences. A study of problem-solving techniques in preparation for the Society of Actuaries Exam IFM, which covers derivatives markets. McRae.

Winter 2019, MATH 401-03: Directed Individual Study - Steinhaus Graphs (1). Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Dymacek.

Winter 2019, MATH 401-04: Directed Individual Study - Group Representation Theory(1). Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Individual conferences. Bush.

Winter 2019, MATH 401-05: Directed Individual Study - Concepts in Math (1). Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Individual conferences. Hardy.

Winter 2019, MATH 401-06: Directed Individual Study - Topics in Algebra (1). Prerequisite: Instructor consent. A study of the finite subgroups of the two-dimensional projective matrix group with rational coefficients, and their relationship to continued fractions. Individual conferences. Dresden.

Fall 2018, MATH 401-01: Directed Individual Study - Putnam Prep (1). Prerequisite: Instructor consent. This problem-solving course prepares students to take the Putnam exam. Students must take the exam to pass the course. Bush.

Fall 2018, MATH 401-02: Directed Individual Study - Topics in Number Theory (1). Prerequisite: Instructor consent. A study of number theory, Galois groups, and continued fractions, with an emphasis on understanding the relationship between polynomials and groups. Dresden.