Undergraduate Math Activities

Clubs/Societies/Organizations:

1. MAA Boston University Student Chapter.

The MAA (Mathematical Association of America) is the world's largest organization devoted to the interests of collegiate mathematics. There are currently 330 Student Chapters with approximately 3500 members. Ongoing activities include: producing a Newsletter every semester, which features interviews, articles and mathematical pictures (all past issues are available in the math office); organizing evening talks where you can see a mathematician in action and learn about his/her research; organizing career/internships workshops, with special focus on NSF funded "Research Experiences for Undergraduates" programs (summer of junior year); getting together for problem-solving sessions, and competing in the prestigious national Putnam Examination. Each spring we have an event or exhibit to mark "Math Awareness Week" (MAW), and our activities were praised and disseminated by the MAA! We are putting materials in the World Wide Web (http://math.bu.edu); also, more information on MAW is available from the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics. The BU Chapter is also registered with SAO (Student Activities Office), which sponsors some of the events. In the past, SAO sponsored the production of a student-designed math button. Faculty advisor: Emma Previato

2. UMA (Undergraduate Math Association).

This is the oldest undergraduate math club, and is also registered with SAO. It fosters students' interaction among themselves and with the faculty in informal settings. In the past, activities have included bike-a-thons, ski trips at Sargent Camp, barbecues at the Chairman's, bagel breakfasts in the Chairman's office; but also study-oriented ones such as "course description night", career panels, field trips to the Computer/Science Museums. Faculty advisor: Diane Meuser

MAA and UMA are twin societies and all the activities are jointly sponsored, especially the "Math Dept. Open House" early in the academic year, to which all math students and their friends are invited, and the Senior Dinner at the end, for graduating students with a major or minor in math.

3. Pi Mu Epsilon.

Admission to this national society is by election only, based on academic strength. Faculty advisor: Glen Hall

4. William Lowell Putnam Mathematics Competition

Each year several Boston University students participate in the Putnam Competition. The Putnam is a prestigious mathematics competition, administered by a national committee. All registered college students (US and Canada) are eligible participants, for a maximum of four times. At each participating institution the exam is given on the first Saturday in December: there are six morning and six afternoon problems; the students may work for a maximum of three hours in each session. While the exam is extremely competitive, it also involves relatively little knowledge of advanced mathematics, and students with a knack for problem-solving can often do quite well; A list of the top 500 is mailed the following March to each department supervisor (Emma Previato at BU), and may serve as a recommendation in a student's academic or technical career. Three students (chosen by the supervisor), besides competing as individuals, compose the BU Team, and their cumulative scores serve to place BU among all participating institutions. The only requirement for participation is that you give your name to the supervisor by early October. Consider signing up for the sake of the experience alone, as the problems are challenging, surprising, and often bring together separate areas of mathematics. Throughout the fall, informal coaching sessions are conducted by Prof. Previato and other faculty, usually on Sunday afternoons. For scheduling information, please consult the math societies' bulletin board outside room MCS 144, or write ep@math.bu.edu. A description of the competition and a sample exam are available for the asking in the Math Office, MCS 142. In addition, you will find in Reserve in the Science/Engineering Library the 2 Putnam books with problems and solutions: "The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition problems and solutions," QA43.W54 (1938--1964) and QA43.W542 (1965--1984); these are the best way to obtain a sampling of exam problems, and to prepare for the exam. Another recommended browsing place for problems, highlights of recent discoveries, history and teaching anecdotes (accessible to undergraduates but requiring a little more mathematical sophistication) is the Journal "American Mathematical Monthly"; the more recent Putnam problems and solutions appear in the October issue each year.