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Helmut Knaust, Chair

Studying Mathematics At UTEP. Helmut Knaust, Chair. Overview. Our Department and its Students What is Mathematics? Mathematics as a Career. Faculty and Course Offerings. 24 Tenure/tenure track faculty 16 Lecturers The department is offering about 150 courses per semester*

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Helmut Knaust, Chair

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  1. Studying Mathematics At UTEP Helmut Knaust, Chair

  2. Overview • Our Department and its Students • What is Mathematics? • Mathematics as a Career

  3. Faculty and Course Offerings 24 Tenure/tenure track faculty 16 Lecturers The department is offering about 150 courses per semester* * not including developmental mathematics

  4. Our Students 126 Undergraduate Majors BS in Mathematics BS in Applied Mathematics BA in Mathematics (College of Liberal Arts) 63 Graduate Students MS in Mathematics MS in Statistics MAT in Mathematics MS in Bioinformatics (interdisciplinary) Planned: Ph.D. in Computational Science (interdisciplinary)

  5. Mathematical Subject Areas

  6. How to Pack Oranges as Tightly as Possible…. • Kepler Conjecture • Johannes Kepler conjectured in 1611 that the “hexagonal packing” (see picture) is the best possible • This packing fills slightly more than 74% of space • Finally Proved by Thomas Hales in 2002 • Making extensive use of computer calculations • Applications of sphere packing to “packing” telephone calls on glass fiber cables “The packing will be the tightest possible, so that in no other arrangement could more pellets be stuffed into the same container.” Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)

  7. Compression Algorithms • In 1807, Fourier invented Fourier series to solve the Steady-State Heat Equation, one of the most important equations in Physics. • Starting in 1965, Cooley, Tuckey and others used a Fast Fourier Transform – based on Fourier’s results – to solve partial differential equations numerically. • Today the Fast Fourier Transform is the major ingredient for the compression algorithms used in JPEG (images), MP3 (sound) and MPEG (video) files. “Heat, like gravity, penetrates every substance of the universe, its rays occupy all parts of space. The object of our work is to set forth the mathematical laws which this element obeys. The theory of heat will hereafter form one of the most important branches of general physics.” Joseph Fourier (1769-1830)

  8. Mathematics is by its nature interdisciplinary… • Science and Engineering • Economics and Business • Philosophy (Logic), Cognitive Science and Psychology • Pedagogy

  9. “Hot” Areas for Mathematics Applications • Computational Science • Mathematical Biology • Bioinformatics • Biostatistics • Modeling of Environmental Systems • Modeling of Geophysics Systems • Mathematics Education

  10. Quiz Question: Who is our Math Department’s most famous Alumnus? Larry Durham Bachelor’s in Mathematics 1966

  11. Mathematics as a Career • Broad range of positions in • Business, • Industry, • Government, • and Education • Employers include • Federal, state and local government, • Companies in the computer and communications industries, • Oil and energy companies, • Banks and insurance companies, • Consulting firms “Most working mathematicians use mathematics on a daily basis, but many others are hired because of the general problem-solving skills acquired in their mathematics courses.”

  12. Mathematics as a Career II • Federal Agencies hiring Mathematicians include: • National Security Agency • Dept. of Health and Human Services • Dept. of Energy • Dept. of Defense • Dept. of Labor • A Mathematics major is also an excellent preparation for graduate studies in: • Economics • Law School

  13. Becoming a Mathematics Teachers • Middle School (Grades 4-8) • BSIS in the College of Education • Math specialist • Math/Science specialist • High School (Grades 8-12) • BS in the College of Science • Mathematics concentration • Mathematics/Physics concentration • College and University • Minimal requirement is a Master’s degree • in the Mathematical Sciences

  14. Resources Best Jobs*: #2 Actuary #8 Statistician • Careers in Mathematics • American Mathematical Society • www.ams.org/careers-du/undergrad.html • Mathematical Association of America • www.maa.org/careers/index.html • American Statistical Society • www.amstat.org/careers/index.html • Society of Actuaries and Casual Actuarial Society • www.BeAnActuary.org • “101 Careers in Mathematics”, Andrew Sterrett (ed.), 2nd ed. 2003, Mathematical Association of America. *CareerJournal.com (Wall Street Journal) http://www.careerjournal.com/salaryhiring/hotissues/20050614-intro1.html

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