About mathematical research. Mathematical research differs from other sciences in several ways, notably in the timing of publishing results, which can take years. This is primarily because mathematics especially pure mathematics relies on abstract logical deductions rather than physical experiments. (This could lead to claims that math is not a science per Popper’s demarcation criterion.)…
Tag: Mathematics
CURF: My Path to Math Research
My path to math research began during an Honors Ordinary Differential Equations class taught by Dr. Thomas Hales. During office hours, I sought advice from Dr. Hales on how to get exposed to math research. Serendipitously, he was working on the Reinhardt conjecture, reformulated as an optimal control problem heavily reliant on ODEs. He shared…
CURF Introduction: The Mysterious Truncated Octahedron
Hello, neighbor! My name is Lark Song and I am a Chancellor’s Undergraduate Research Fellow. As I start my senior year this spring, I am working towards my undergraduate thesis under the supervision of Dr. Thomas Hales in the Mathematics Department. In my spare time, I enjoy the serenity that comes from reading and writing…
An Eventful Semester: Takeaways on Balancing School & Research
Conducting research is extremely challenging and requires lots of balance and forethought. I would say that my understanding of the process definitely changed during the semester. I was able to get better at probing further if my results did not make sense. I also learned how to organize my investigation in a manner that makes…
First Steps Into Research
I first became interested in research as a high school student. A couple of my friends had worked with professors from local universities and the work that they were doing was really interesting to me. I reached out to a couple of people nearby while in high school and spent a summer learning about what…
Math In The World & Why It Matters
Hi everyone! My name is Aashrit Cunchala. I am a double major in applied mathematics and data science looking to also minor in computer science and applied statistics expected to graduate in the spring of 2025. I’m in the Frederick Honors College and am currently considering an honors thesis in applied mathematics, specifically mathematical modeling….
One Thing Leads to Another
Tasked with connecting with previous Brackenridge Fellows, I reached out to Adrienne Newcomer Judson, who is currently an Economics PhD at Georgetown University. She earned a Math-Econ degree at Pitt in undergrad, which is why I was originally interested in her profile. I’ve been considering an Economics PhD as a potential path for myself, as…
Lost in Translation: How a Metaphor Can Be a Map
Oftentimes when I tell people I’m a math major, that’s all they want to know about it. Many people, unfortunately, have a tense relationship with Calculus, which means that I’m fraternizing with the enemy. But I believe that math gets a bad rap, and part of that comes from a lack of understanding. My research…