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经验网站。每年八名学生将参加为期八周的暑期课程。该计划强调处于数学学习早期阶段并渴望从事数学科学研究的本科生的参与。该计划的结构有两个主要目标。首先，该计划旨在增加获得研究机会的机会，特别是对于尚未致力于攻读研究生或在本科院校无法获得研究机会的学生。其次，该项目通过适合学生早期学习阶段的实验和理论部分，致力于解决可理解的研究问题，为数学科学研究的持续发展做出贡献。 这两个目标都有助于国家努力招募和留住对数学和物理科学有浓厚兴趣的有前途和才华横溢的学生。 该 REU 网站为处于数学学习早期阶段的学生提供支持。 来自代表性不足群体、仅完成一两年数学学习或无法进入大型研究部门的学生被选为参与者。 学生学习阅读研究文章；提出猜想并构造例子；程序模拟；集中注意力、倾听并提出问题；概括并简化证明；并传播他们的发现。 学生沉浸在数学思想新且尚未完全理解的环境中。 学生们以小型研究团队的形式工作，并定期向所有 REU 参与者展示他们的进展。该计划通过对可理解的开放问题的研究激发了对数学的兴趣。 学生们获得数学的复杂性并在数学科学的职业生涯中取得进步。 这些发现为多个活跃研究领域做出了贡献，包括结理论、博弈论、最优传输、随机分形和拓扑数据分析。 结果在会议演讲和研究出版物中分享。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力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.