REU Site: Extremal Graph Theory and Dynamical Systems

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The NSF-REU Site in Extremal Graph Theory and Dynamical Systems at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) will actively engage ten students in each of the summers 2020, 2021, and 2022 in research experiences in mathematics. Research projects will be in the areas of graph theory and dynamical systems, some of which are linked to mathematical biology. All students will work directly with RIT faculty for the entirety of the program and will receive mentoring in mathematical research practices, as well as in written and oral communication. Students will give presentations on their research findings at the end of each week. The program will have a heavy emphasis on networking with other mathematicians and will include "Researchers in Residence," where experts from outside of our university visit the program and collaborate with students and faculty. Results from research projects will be disseminated through publications in refereed journals, presentations at national and regional mathematical meetings, and at the students' home institutions. Students will be encouraged to pursue graduate studies and employment in the mathematical sciences. During the program students will also participate in an Ethics in Science Workshop. The recruitment efforts will target students from universities, liberal arts colleges, and community colleges. Inclusion of women and minorities will be an important element of the program. We plan to have 50 percent of the students be female and aim to have 25 percent of the students be from underrepresented minority groups. We will also aim to have 80 percent of the participants from outside of the host institution, with an emphasis on recruiting students from colleges without Ph.D. programs or have limited research opportunities.Research projects will impact the areas of discrete and applied mathematics. Applied projects will include modeling of cardiac arrhythmia, and analysis of biological and social networks. Projects with a theoretical focus will include problems from extremal and structural graph theory, graph labeling, and delay differential equations. We will utilize mathematical software packages including Mathematica, Matlab, Sage, and Nauty to help with computations and simulations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.