Travel Support for the Math in Moscow Program

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With this grant, the American Mathematical Society will provide ten scholarships per academic year for three years to mathematically talented U.S. undergraduates for a semester of study at the Math in Moscow program of the Independent University of Moscow. The Math in Moscow program provides an intense and enriching academic experience, focusing on the tradition of discovering mathematics on one's own guided by an experienced teacher, and significant connections with contemporary research topics. It allows mathematically talented students to meet and work with other students from around the world who share a strong interest in mathematics, as well as the chance to work with some of the world's leading mathematicians. In addition to the unique academic experience provided by the Math in Moscow program, it is a way to build vital scholarly connections between the Russian and U.S. mathematics communities.The Independent University of Moscow is a small, elite institution of higher learning that focuses primarily on mathematics. It was founded in 1991 at the initiative of a group of well-known Russian research mathematicians, who now comprise the Academic Council of the University. Math in Moscow, a fifteen-week-long program established in 1999, provides an experience in mathematics that students would not find in the U.S. This is because participants explore mathematics in the Russian tradition, the main feature of which has always been the development of a creative approach to mathematics, with the emphasis being on problem solving rather than memorizing theorems. At the Independent University of Moscow, discovering mathematics under the guidance of an experienced teacher is the central principle of its program, and the Math in Moscow program emphasizes in-depth understanding of carefully selected material rather than broad surveys of large quantities of material. The scholarship provided through this grant will cover a substantial part of the typical cost for a semester of study in the Math in Moscow program for each recipient. The remaining funds from the grant will cover the costs of administrative support for the program, which includes a plan to perform a longitudinal survey of scholarship recipients that will follow each student for eight years to measure outcomes of the program with regard to students going on to obtain M.A. and PhD degrees. This project is jointly funded by the Division of Mathematical Sciences and the Office of Integrative and International Activities.