REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Discrete and Applied Mathematics

该项目支持密歇根州立大学为期三年的本科生研究体验网站。每年将有八名学生参加为期八周的暑期项目。该计划强调本科生的参与，他们处于数学学习的早期阶段，并渴望在数学科学方面的研究生涯。两个主要目标支撑了该计划的结构。首先，该计划寻求增加获得研究机会的机会，特别是那些尚未致力于攻读研究生课程或无法在本科院校获得研究机会的学生。其次，该计划通过对可获得的研究问题的工作，促进正在进行的数学科学研究，这些问题的实验和理论部分适合学生在学习的早期阶段。这两个目标都有助于国家努力招收和留住对数学和物理科学有浓厚兴趣的有前途和有才华的学生。这个REU网站支持处于数学学习早期阶段的学生。来自代表性不足群体的学生，他们只完成了一到两年的数学学习，或者没有机会进入大型研究部门，被选为参与者。学生学习阅读研究文章；提出猜想和构建例子；编程模拟；集中注意力、听和提出问题；概括和简化证明；以及传播他们的发现。学生们沉浸在这样一个环境中，其中的数学思想是新的，没有被完全理解。学生们在小型研究团队中工作，并定期向所有REU参与者展示他们的进展。该计划通过研究容易理解的开放问题来激发人们对数学的兴趣。这些学生掌握了数学知识，并在数学科学领域取得了进步。这些发现有助于活跃研究的几个领域，包括纽结理论、博弈论、最优运输、随机分形学和拓扑数据分析。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的学术价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project supports a three year Research Experiences for Undergraduates site at Michigan State University. Eight students per year will participate in an eight-week summer program. The program emphasizes the participation of undergraduate students who are at an early stage of their study of mathematics and who aspire to a career in research in the mathematical sciences. Two primary goals underpin the program’s structure. First, the program seeks to increase access to research opportunities, especially for students who are not already committed to pursuing graduate studies or who do not have access to research opportunities at their undergraduate institution. Second, the program contributes to ongoing research in the mathematical sciences through work on accessible research problems with experimental and theoretical components suitable for students at an early stage of their studies. Both of these goals contribute to the national effort to recruit and retain promising and talented students with a strong interest in the mathematical and physical sciences. This REU site supports students who are at an early stage of their study of mathematics. Students from underrepresented groups, who have only completed one or two years of study of mathematics, or who are without access to large research departments are selected as participants. Students learn to read research articles; formulate conjectures and construct examples; program simulations; concentrate, listen, and ask questions; generalize and simplify proofs; and disseminate their discoveries. Students are immersed in an environment where the mathematical ideas are new and not fully understood. Students work in small research teams and present their progress on a regular basis to all REU participants. The program stimulates interest in mathematics via research on accessible open problems. The students acquire mathematical sophistication and progress towards a career in the mathematical sciences. Discoveries contribute to several areas of active research including knot theory, game theory, optimal transport, random fractals, and topological data analysis. Results are shared in conference presentations and in research publications.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.