Mathematics, BS

Contact:

Uday Banerjee, 215 Carnegie Building, banerjee@syr.edu, 315-443-1472

Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies: Lonid Kovalev, 311C Carnegie Building, lvkovale@syr.edu, 315-443-1487

Major Advisors:

S.P. Diaz, L. Kovalev, A. Vogel, S. Wehrli

Faculty

Uday Banerjee, Pinyuen Chen, Dan Coman, J. Theodore Cox, Steven Diaz, Nicole M.L. Fonger, Jack E. Graver, Duane Graysay, Philip S. Griffin,Tadeusz Iwaniec, Lee Kennard, Hyune-Ju Kim, Mark Kleiner, Leonid Kovalev, Loredana Lanzani, Graham J. Leuschke, Wei Li, Jianxuan Liu, Adam Lutoborski, Joanna O. Masingila, Terry R. McConnell, Claudia Miller, Jani Onninen, Evgeny Poletsky, Declan Quinn, Minghao Rostami, Lixin Shen, Gregory Verchota, Andrew Vogel, Stephan Wehrli, William Wylie, Yuan Yuan, Dan Zacharia

All students who plan to take any courses in mathematics should take the Mathematics Placement Examination.

Students who complete any calculus course numbered 284 or higher with a grade of C or better are exempt from the quantitative skills requirement. Otherwise, students may satisfy the quantitative skills requirement by passing two courses in an approved sequence, as described in the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum Handbook. Students who have been awarded credits in calculus on the basis of the CEEB Advanced Placement Examination may use those credits to satisfy this requirement.

There are two calculus sequences, MAT 285 , MAT 286 and MAT 295 , MAT 296 , MAT 397 . Advisors are available in the Department of Mathematics to assist students in the choice of the appropriate calculus sequence, which is very important since switching sequences is difficult. Furthermore, only one of MAT 284 or MAT 285 may be taken for credit. Students cannot receive credit for MAT 284 or MAT 285 after successful completion of MAT 295 . Also, students cannot receive credit for MAT 295 after successful completion of MAT 286 .

As a preliminary requirement for the mathematics major, students complete 18 credits in the following classes with no grade below a C: MAT 295 , MAT 296 , MAT 331 , MAT 397 , and MAT 375 . These courses are prerequisites for most upper-division courses. The following sequence is recommended: MAT 295 in the first semester; MAT 296 in the second semester; MAT 331 , MAT 397 in the third semester; and MAT 375 when appropriate. However, students with knowledge of trigonometry and a year of high school calculus may be able to enter the sequence at MAT 296 or even MAT 397 ; students with less preparation may be advised to complete MAT 194 before beginning the calculus sequence. Students considering becoming mathematics majors are strongly encouraged to talk to a mathematics major advisor as soon as possible. Computer science students (only) who have credit for CIS 375 , and are pursuing a dual major in mathematics, need not take MAT 375 .

Students who plan to pursue graduate study in mathematics should obtain the B.S. degree and consider taking at least one first-year graduate (600-level) course.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate facility with the techniques of single and multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra

2. Effectively communicate mathematical ideas

3. Make accurate calculations by hand and with technological assistance

4. Reproduce essential assumptions, definitions, examples, and statements of important theorems

5. Describe the logical structure of the standard proof formats, reproduce the underlying ideas of the proofs of basic theorems, and create simple original proofs

6. Solve problems using advanced undergraduate methods from each of the core areas of pure mathematics: Algebra, Analysis, and Probability

B.S. Degree Requirements

Students interested in pursuing the B.S. degree in mathematics obtain, in advance, the approval of a mathematics major advisor and the department chair of a petition to the effect that the upper-division courses to be taken satisfy the requirement for a B.S. degree.

In Addition to the Preliminary Requirement

In addition to the preliminary requirement described above, the student is required to complete the following coursework with an average of at least 2.0 and no grade below a D:

MAT 412 - Introduction to Real Analysis I (analysis sequence)
MAT 512 - Introduction to Real Analysis II (analysis sequence)
MAT 531 - Second Course in Linear Algebra (algebra sequence)
MAT 534 - Introduction to Abstract Algebra (algebra sequence)
MAT 521 - Introduction to Probability (probability and statistics)

And at least one of these:

MAT 414 - Introduction to Ordinary Differential Equations (differential equations) or
MAT 551 - Fundamental Concepts of Geometry (geometry)

12 Additional Credits in Mathematics

And 12 additional credits in mathematics (MAT) courses numbered 490 or higher, except MAT 503. With prior approval of the mathematics major advisor, a student may substitute another MAT course numbered 490 or higher for the MAT 412 requirement. Up to 6 credits in advanced courses in other departments that have been approved in advance by the student’s major advisor may be included in the 12 credits.

Distinction in Mathematics

Distinction in Mathematics is awarded by the Mathematics Department upon completion of a B.S. in mathematics with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.4,a minimum GPA of 3.6 in mathematics (MAT) courses at the 300+ level, and either an A or A- in the Senior Seminar or a high-quality Honors Thesis. See the Mathematics Department undergraduate advisor for additional requirements.