Math Life
Groups and Activities
The life of the department is animated by a range of groups, teams,
and activities. Get involved!
Math Society
The Math Society is a student organization that involves students in
mathematics beyond the classroom. Through faculty-student discussions
and reviewing of articles and videos, we seek to present mathematics in
a new and interesting light. The organization is a resource for forming
study groups and researching career options. Recent events include a
math Youtube party, a tour for prospective students, a career panel, a
movie night, and a barbecue. You don't need to be a math major to
participate!
The Tufts Mathematics Society names a Professor of the Year each year.
Recent winners:
|
2017: Kye Taylor
2016: Kim Ruane
2015: Todd Quinto
2014: Fulton Gonzalez
2013: Moon Duchin
|
2012: Scott MacLachlan
2011: Todd Quinto
2010: Bruce Boghosian
2009: Mary Glaser
2008: Adam Piggott
|
2007: Loring Tu
2005: Kim
2004: Jonathan Bihari
2003: ouml;rgers
2001: Todd Quinto
1999: Fulton Gonzalez
|
View website > |
Modeling Team
The
Mathematical Contest in Modeling is an annual international
competition, where undergraduate students work in teams of 3 to
apply mathematical modeling and computer simulation skills to
real-world problems. Past problems have included modeling the
effects of global warming on sea levels and the subsequent impact on
coastal communities, predicting the behavior of a serial criminal,
and examining the energy consequences of the rising use of cell
phones over landlines. Over the span of a four-day weekend in
February, MCM teams create and develop mathematical models and
summarize their findings in a report, which is judged for
correctness, originality, and the insight provided into the
real-world questions at hand.
Tufts has entered teams in the competition every year since 2009 and
always has a strong showing. In 2014, one of the Tufts teams was
awarded
Outstanding Winner, the highest rank in the competition—
just 13 teams out of 6755 achieved this status, and Tufts was the
only U.S. university to do it!
Students interested in participating in the contest should consider
taking Math 87: Mathematical Modeling and Computation to learn some
of the related mathematical and computational tools.
Contact Professor Kilmer >
Putnam Team
The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition,
a nationwide mathematics contest involving 3600 undergraduates,
takes place on the first Saturday in December every year. The
six-hour competition features twelve challenging mathematical
problems. The following is a problem from the a recent competition:
Given that A, B, and C are noncollinear points in the plane with integer
coordinates such that the distances AB, AC, and BC are integers, what is
the smallest possible value of AB?
In the past, Tufts teams have performed well, including the 2005
team, which placed 14th in the nation. Tufts alum Jingjin Zhang
received an honorable mention by placing in the top 70 in 2004 and
26th in 2005.
Every year, about fifteen Tufts students participate in the
competition. In preparation, students conduct evening practice
sessions with a faculty coach once a week during the Fall term. The
practice sessions are open to all students, including those who just
wish to hone their problem-solving skills. Each session usually
involves one topic, such as number theory, calculus, plane geometry,
or combinatorics, and the problems are solved in a cooperative
atmosphere. Some students have even found the problem solving
sessions more enjoyable than the Putnam competition itself!
Contact Professor Tu >
Organization of Graduate Students in Mathematics
The Tufts Organization of Graduate Students in Mathematics (OGSM) is a
Graduate Student Organization at Tufts University, founded in 2009 with
the purpose of providing a representative body for graduate students in
the Mathematics Department. The OGSM has bi-weekly meetings which
frequently include faculty speakers giving short talks on their work.
View website >
SIAM Student Chapter
The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) student
chapter exists to promote basic research in applied mathematics to the
graduate and undergraduate community, to provide opportunities of
research and learning, and to create a pleasant environment in which
students can share scientific interests. There are bi-weekly luncheon
seminars with talks from faculty and students, as well as occasional
special luncheons and field trips.
View website >
AWM Student Chapter
The Tufts Student Chapter of the
Association for Women in Mathematics was founded in 2014 to
create and foster a supportive community, thereby encouraging the
participation of women in the mathematical sciences. The
organization's goals extend beyond the bounds of the university --
in Fall 2014, AWM members began regular visits to local area high
schools, bringing smiling faces and fun math activities to their
classrooms. The Tufts AWM student chapter meets bi-weekly. Topics
include outreach activities, discussion with invited female
mathematicians, career-building and other resources for women (or
anyone) in math. Members of any gender are welcome!
View website >
Lecture Series
Each year, the department hosts two speakers for our named lecture
series, the Guterman Lecture and the Wiener Lectures. The focus of the
Guterman is on mathematical communication, and the lecturer should be a
particularly effective speaker on any mathematical topic. The Wiener
Lectures take place in three installments, with the first accessible to
a general mathematical audience, and the second and third more
specialized. Nominations for Guterman and Wiener lectures from anyone
are very welcome! Please email the department chair to make a
nomination.
View Guterman Lectures >
View Wiener Lectures >
Softball
The department is currently a proud member of the
Tufts
University Softball League. We play every summer from late May to mid-August. The team,
the Vector Bases, includes faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, as well as significant
others. No experience is necessary and anyone that has some remote connection to the Math
department is invited to join!
Contact Professor Adler >
|