Graduation with Latin Honors by Honors Project: The department offers the opportunity for graduation with Latin honors by honors project. The requirements are:
Students must apply for graduation with honors in the spring of their junior year. In the application, the name of the faculty advisor must be given as well as the general plan for independent study for the senior year. In the spring of the senior year, the Director of Undergraduate Studies will name a two-person committee to review the paper. All faculty members will be given the opportunity to read the paper and make comments to the committee. The student will be expected to give a presentation of his or her work in a seminar intended for both faculty and students. The committee, in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, makes the final decision on the awarding of honors. In recent years the following students have graduated with honors:
PRIZES
JULIA DALE PRIZE. The Julia Dale Prize is a cash prize awarded each year by the Mathematics Department. The winner(s) are selected on the basis of excellence in Mathematics. Julia Dale was an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Duke University who died early in her career on January 13, 1936. Through contributions, friends and relatives of Miss Dale established the Julia Dale Memorial Fund in the Spring of 1936. The income from this fund constitutes the Julia Dale Prize. The following students are recent first-prize recipients:
KARL MENGER AWARD. The Karl Menger Award, first given in 1989, is a cash prize awarded each year by the Mathematics Department. The winner(s) are selected for outstanding performance in mathematical competitions. Karl Menger was one of the most distinguished mathematicians of the twentieth century. He made major contributions to a number of areas of mathematics: dimension theory, logic, lattice theory, differential geometry and graph theory. Menger was born in 1902 and died in 1985. He held academic positions in Europe and the U.S. and was widely published. The Karl Menger Award was established by a gift to the University from George and Eva Menger-Hammond. Karl Menger was the father of Eva Menger-Hammond.
CONTESTS AND COMPETITIONS
Many industries and think-tanks hire mathematics majors as much for their ability to come up with innovative solutions to company projects as for their specific course knowledge. A half credit Problem Solving Seminar (Math 149S) is offered each fall to help develop creative strategies for attacking challenging mathematical problems. Each year students are encouraged to participate in the Virginia Tech Mathematics Contest, the William Lowell Putnam Mathematics Competition, and the Mathematical Competition in Modeling. In 1990 the Duke Putnam team placed second in the nation. The team members were Jeanne Nielsen, William Schneeberger, and Jeffrey Vanderkam. Since 1988 the Duke team has ranked among the top 25 in the nation, and in 1993 the Duke Putnam team placed first in the nation. The team members were Andrew Dittmer, Craig Gentry, and Jeffrey Vanderkam.
TALKS FOR UNDERGRADUATES
From time to time the Mathematics Department invites a mathematician to give a talk which is specifically for undergraduates. Recent speakers include the following:
COMPUTER FACILITIES
Four mathematics classrooms are equipped with computers and displays. Instructors use this equipment as an electronic blackboard to draw graphs and surfaces. The use of a computer is required in some sections of Linear Algebra, Probability, Statistics and Differential Equations.
The Department has 12 Sun computer workstations which are open 24 hours a day. These machines
provide access to word-processing programs, algebra systems and computer mail. Instructors may
assign projects to be completed on these machines. All majors are encouraged to open an e-mail
account as the Department in the future will rely more and more heavily on e-mail to disseminate news.
For more information contact Yunliang Yu, Room 121D Physics Bldg.; 660-2803; yu@math.duke.edu
DUKE MATH UNION
The Duke University Math Union (DUMU) is a club for math majors. Recently the group, headed by Paul Dreyer `95, sponsored two talks for undergraduates and hosted a successful math contest for high school students. The contest, run entirely by DUMU members, attracted high school participants from throughout the Southeast. People interested in joining DUMU should contact Paul Dreyer, e-mail: pdreyer@math.duke.edu.
AFTER GRADUATION
Information on opportunities for mathematics majors after graduation is on file in 117 Physics as follows:
Some of the options available to a college graduate with a major in mathematics are:
Graduate school in pure mathematics. If you plan to go to graduate school in pure mathematics, you should consult with the Director of Graduate Studies or some other member of the mathematics faculty. The Director of Undergraduate Studies receives material on graduate programs in mathematics from all over the country. This material is on file in 117 Physics and is arranged alphabetically by state. If you need help in locating this material, see Cynthia Wilkerson, Secretary for the Undergraduate Program.
Graduate school in applied mathematics and related scientific fields. The Mathematics Department also has information on graduate programs in applied mathematics and scientific fields which require a strong background in mathematics. This material is also on file in 117 Physics.
Graduate school in computer science, operations research, statistics. Information on programs in these three fields is available in 116 Physics.
Business, law, medical school. Business and law schools welcome and even actively recruit applications from students with a major in mathematics. Many business schools require the quantitative background which a major in mathematics provides. Law schools value the analytical reasoning which is a basic part of a mathematical education. Medical schools regard mathematics as a strong major and a number of mathematics majors at Duke have been successful in their applications to medical school. Although the Mathematics Department receives some information about these programs, the best sources of information are:
Actuarial sciences. Judging from the amount of material received, this is the field in which graduates with a major in mathematics are in greatest demand. The following booklets and announcements are available in 117 Physics:
United States Government. A number of U.S. Government agencies hire mathematics majors. Go to 117 Physics for information on
Teaching. At present there is a nationwide shortage of qualified teachers at the high school level. For information on teaching, see the section Recommended Course Sequences: Teaching in this Handbook. Duke now has a Master of Arts in Teaching Program. For information, see Rosemary Thorne, 138B Social Sciences, 684-4353.
Other Choices. The Career Development Center (Director: John Noble, Page Building, 660-1050) is an excellent source of information on career opportunities in mathematics. The following is a short list of jobs taken by recent Duke graduates with a major in mathematics:
Most companies provide specific on the job training; the important thing is to take a broad range of courses. There are numerous jobs which do not use mathematics directly but for which a major in mathematics is excellent preparation. Many employers are looking for individuals who have the following characteristics which are associated with a mathematical education: clear, logical thinking; ability to attack a problem and find the best solution; prompt attention to daily work; sureness in handling numerical data; analytical skills.