Summer Mathematics Program for High School Students
COVID-19 Update: The Summer 2020 Mathematics Program for High School Students will run online, through video conferencing and other web-based materials, from June 15 to July 10. Further details will be emailed to program participants.
We will continue to accept applications, admitting students on a rolling basis, until May 22. Please email application materials to patrikis@math.utah.edu.
2020 Program Dates:
June 15 - July 10
Monday - Friday
10:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. (with a lunch break from 12:30 to 1:30)
There is no cost to participants for the 2020 program
The information below refers to the in-person Summer Mathematics Program and will be modified as necessary for the 2020 program.
The Summer Mathematics Program for High School Students at the University of Utah provides outstanding students an opportunity to develop their talents to the fullest. By presenting intriguing puzzles, challenging problems and powerful ideas, the program stimulates curiosity, develops the intellect, and lays a strong foundation for future work in mathematics, the sciences, or science related careers.
- Participants will receive three university credits in mathematics (graded credit/no credit).
- Participants are expected to be able to attend for the entirety of the program.
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Program costs for US citizens, nationals, and permanent residents are paid for by a National Science Foundation CAREER grant and the U of U Department of Mathematics.
- The prerequisite for the program is that students should have progressed far enough in their mathematical studies that they are prepared to enter Calculus. Calculus is not required.
- Preference will be given to students between their junior and senior years.
- This is not a residential program. Students who live far from the university will need to make their own living arrangements for the duration of the program.
Application Materials
To apply to the Summer Mathematics Program for High School Students you will need to submit:
- Application Form
- Personal Statement
- Recommendation Form
- A copy of your School Transcripts
All are required for an application to be considered complete and eligible for consideration.
We will admit students on a rolling basis until May 22
Please email all materials to patrikis@math.utah.edu.
Acceptance into the Summer Mathematics Program for High School Students is based on merit.
The Summer Mathematics Program for High School Students is an intensive four-week program in number theory for motivated high school students.
Because the integers are such a fundamental mathematical object, for thousands of
years mathematicians from all over the world have studied number-theoretic questions;
nevertheless, the subject is rich enough that it is studied today more actively than
ever. It moreover has essential contemporary applications to cryptography, the science
of sending and deciphering secret messages.
Participants will work closely throughout the day with one another and with the program staff (the director and three graduate students), exploring a series of challenging problem sets. Students will be asked to experiment with the subject, formulating conjectures about what they believe to be true, and then to justify their claims rigorously. Each student will, with the assistance of the counselors, substantially develop her or his ability to communicate mathematical ideas and arguments precisely.
Each day the students and the staff will share a lunch break in which they get to know one another better and continue more informally their mathematical
discussions. In addition to the core number theory course, once each week a member
of the Utah mathematics department will run an afternoon program devoted to other
areas of mathematics, both theoretical and applied, so that students can catch a glimpse
of the staggering range of the contemporary mathematical landscape.
For more information, contact:
Stefan Patrikis | |
Program Director, 2020 | Program Administrator |
patrikis@math.utah.edu | ugrad_services@math.utah.edu |
For information on other youth programs at the University of Utah visit:
www.smartkids.utah.edu
www.youth.utah.edu
For information on other summer math programs visit:
Summer Math Camps and Programs for Students
Support for the Summer Mathematics Program for High School Students comes from the AMS, the NSF, and the University of Utah