Program Description
|
|
The Summer Mathematics Program for High School Students consists of four parts: (1) a three-week long class, "Explorations in Number Theory," (2) lunch, where participants get to know each other and the program staff, and where they have the opportunity to discuss mathematics in an informal setting, (3) an afternoon colloquium series with talks on a variety of topics, (4) a computer lab, where students will explore number-theoretic questions using the flexible and powerful Python language (no background in Python needed).
The morning class is a rapid three-week introduction to number theory, one of the important applications of which is cryptography, the science of sending secret messages. Cryptography and the number theory it depends on is an active area of research which is vital to our national security. Students will learn to encode and decode messages which they send to each other. We will also cover various other topics.
Problem sessions are integrated into the morning class. Participants work both individually and in groups and are assisted by program staff, including faculty and graduate students. These sessions give all participants direct experience in problem solving and in communicating the results of their work.
The afternoon talks cover topics such as mathematical biology, probability and statistics, history of mathematics, and fractals. They give students an idea of the great range of ideas, problems, and applications in mathematics.
The lunch break provides students with an opportunity to get to know each other and the program staff outside the classroom.