A. Yes!! We will have 9-15 students in the program total. We will have four groups. One will be graph theory with Professor Tamon, one will be topological graph theory with Professor Foisy, one will be algerbra (Lie Algebras) with Professor Habermas, and one will be Algebra (Growth of Algebras) with Professor Ellingsen. The program will run June 1- July 24.
Q. What is a typical day like for a student participant?
A. This varies from group to group, but generally, you should expect to meet with your group for about 2 hours per day on the SUNY Potsdam campus. You will spend the rest of the day learning/discovering/writing up new math on your own, or informally with your co-workers. Once a week we generally have an outside speaker give a 50 minute presentation, followed by lunch. The groups will also have opportunities to present their work to the other students in the program.
Q. Who were the outside speakers last year?
A. Michael Gage, University of Rochester,``Applications of geometric probability to differential geometry: How much curvature is needed to close a curve?"
Lew Ludwig, Denison University,``Links and stick knots"
Jeffrey Weeks, Independent Mathematician,``What is a hyperbolic knot?"
Natalia Toporikova, McGill University,``Spiking, Firing, Bursting: neurons on the move."
Kimberly Kinateder, Wright State University,``Brownian Motion"
Dr. James Lynch, Clarkson University,``What is Systems Biology?"
Dr. Michael Puls, John Jay College of the City University of New York, ``Connections between groups, geometry, and graph theory"
Martinez Avendano Ruben Alejandro, Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Hidalgo, ``Arrow's Theorem, or why democracy is bad but everything else is worse."
Jo Ellis-Monaghan, St. Michael's College, ``Graph Theory Designs for DNA Nanostructures"
Q. Will there be any organized activities?
A. We plan to have an organized day-trip to Ottawa (bring your passport), as well as an Adirondack hike, followed by a picnic dinner. The students also tend to organize a lot of informal activities.
Q. Will there be snow?
A. Though Potsdam is located just about a half-hour from Canada, the weather is quite nice in the summer.
Q. Where is the closest airport?
A. If you fly, we suggest that you fly into the Syracuse, NY airport, and then take a bus to Potsdam. We'll help you get from the bus station in Potsdam to your accomodations. The bus ticket will cost you about $25 one-way.
Q. Will I be encouraged to present my work?
A. Yes. In addition to presenting talks within our program, we also encourage our participants to present a talk or a poster at their home instititions, as well as at professional meetings.
Q. How long has there been an REU program in Potsdam?
A. Our 2009 program will be be our twelfth program. We have had just about 125 student participants. Many of them are currently in graduate school in mathematics, and others have completed their Ph.D.'s.
Q. I am a vegetarian. Will there be vegetarian food available?
A. There is a small but wonderful food co-op in town, which is within walking distance of campus. If you are willing to prepare your own meals, eating vegetarian would be very easy. The on-campus eateries also have vegetarian options.
Q. What is the situation with internet access? Would I be able to connect in my room if I brought a laptop?
A. If you have an ethernet cable, you will be able to connect to high speed internet in your room. Wireless internet will also be available at many campus locations.
Q. Will my cell phone service work in Potsdam?
A. You should be forewarned that only Verizon and ATT cell phone services currently work in the Potsdam area.
Q. I am not a permanent resident of the US. Should I bother applying?
A. Unfortunately, our grant money does not allow us to fund non-permanent residents of the US. This year, we might have space to offer non-funded positions to non-permanent residents, but it's not guaranteed. If you are already in the US, at a US College, you might consider applying if you can provide your own funding.
Q. What should I address in my letter of intent?
A. In general, why do you want to participate in an REU in mathematics? In particular, why are you interested in our program?