1. Department of Mathematical Sciences July 12 and 13, 2005 1/14 Helmut Knaust, Chair Studying Mathematics At UTEP

2. Department of Mathematical Sciences July 12 and 13, 2005 2/14 1.Our Department and its Students 2.What is Mathematics? 3.Mathematics as a Career Overview

3. Department of Mathematical Sciences July 12 and 13, 2005 3/14 24 Tenure/tenure track faculty 16 Lecturers The department is offering about 150 courses per semester* * not including developmental mathematics Faculty and Course Offerings

4. Department of Mathematical Sciences July 12 and 13, 2005 4/14 126 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) Our Students

5. Department of Mathematical Sciences July 12 and 13, 2005 5/14 Mathematical Subject Areas

6. Department of Mathematical Sciences July 12 and 13, 2005 6/14 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. Department of Mathematical Sciences July 12 and 13, 2005 7/14 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. Compression Algorithms “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. Department of Mathematical Sciences July 12 and 13, 2005 8/14 Science and Engineering Economics and Business Philosophy (Logic), Cognitive Science and Psychology Pedagogy Mathematics is by its nature interdisciplinary…

9. Department of Mathematical Sciences July 12 and 13, 2005 9/14 Computational Science Mathematical Biology Bioinformatics Biostatistics Modeling of Environmental Systems Modeling of Geophysics Systems Mathematics Education “Hot” Areas for Mathematics Applications

10. Department of Mathematical Sciences July 12 and 13, 2005 10/14 Quiz Question: Who is our Math Department’s most famous Alumnus? Larry Durham Bachelor’s in Mathematics 1966

11. Department of Mathematical Sciences July 12 and 13, 2005 11/14 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 Mathematics as a Career “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. Department of Mathematical Sciences July 12 and 13, 2005 12/14 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 Mathematics as a Career II

13. Department of Mathematical Sciences July 12 and 13, 2005 13/14 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. Department of Mathematical Sciences July 12 and 13, 2005 14/14 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. Resources Best Jobs*: #2 Actuary #8 Statistician *CareerJournal.com (Wall Street Journal) http://www.careerjournal.com/salaryhiring/hotissues/20050614-intro1.html