Mathematics

The University of Idaho Department of Mathematics has a strong national reputation in research and undergraduate teaching. With a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Mathematics, you'll have the important problem-solving tools and sharp analytic skills required for a wide range of career opportunities in such fields as science, economics, engineering, business and education.

B.S. Mathematics degree offers the following options:

• General option: This is the traditional curriculum for math majors. Use this option to obtain a strong mathematics background for graduate school (in math, engineering, science, computer science, business or even law), or for employment in any field where problem solving and quantitative reasoning are important. Completion of this degree option, along with the course work from the College of Education, is excellent preperation for a career as a math teacher.
• Applied-Statistics: In this option, your studies will focus on the design and analysis of experiments. Many students choose this option along with a second major to prepare them for a career in business or government.
• Applied-Computation: This emphasis will put you in demand in the computer industry. It is often used as a second major along with a degree in computer science, since there is considerable overlap in the course requirements for the two degrees.
• Applied-Modeling: If you’re interested in learning the mathematics used to model phenomena in the sciences, this option is ideal.
• Applied-Actuarial Science: Actuaries work for insurance companies, financial institutions, international corporations and government – anywhere that risk calculations and statistical probabilities are important. This option prepares you to begin a career as a professional actuary.
• Applied-Operations Research: In this option you’ll learn the mathematics used in the modeling and analysis of problems from business, business planning and management. It is excellent preparation if you are planning to pursue a Master of Business Administration.

Prepare for Success

If you enjoy thinking and the challenge of problem solving, then you should consider becoming a math major. Many students are surprised to find their mathematics classes are exciting when they get to college – there’s much more to math than you might have thought!

Your First Year

Depending on your background, you might begin with an algebra class or a calculus class. The three-semester calculus sequence (Math 170, Math 175, and Math 275) is the gateway to many exciting courses in subjects such as:

• Differential Equations
• Linear Programming
• Discrete Optimization
• Cryptography
• Number Theory
• Geometry
• Probability
• Analysis of Algorithms

What You Can Do

Recent graduates with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Mathematics have become a:

• Financial analyst
• Computer programmer
• Engineer
• Insurance, business and financial consultant
• Security consultant
• Professional in business technology, research and product development (develop new software, hardware, Internet applications or security and data management systems)
• Teacher
• Professor and researcher (generally requires a graduate degree)

The B.S. degree is excellent preperation for the University of Idaho Master of Science or Ph.D. in Mathematics.

Opportunities

With a math degree, you can work in the research and development of new technology and products. Or, you can build a career in finance as an analyst, where you’ll apply your understanding of high-level mathematical concepts to identify ways to maximize profits and streamline operations for businesses. If you’re interested in a career in education, it’s worth considering that mathematics teachers are in high demand. And the stronger your math preparation, the more opportunities you will find available to you.

Top companies where our graduates are currently working include:

• Washington Mutual
• John Hancock Insurance and Financial Services
• Boeing
• Hewlett Packard
• Progressive Insurance Company
• The U.S. Navy
• The National Security Agency (They’re the largest employer of mathematicians in the world!)
• Various graduate programs in top universities around the nation

Current Research

The Department of Mathematics at the University of Idaho currently has 16 professors who teach and conduct research, two post-doctoral research fellows, 10 instructors, 13 teaching assistants and six research assistants. Many of our best students participate as undergraduates in research with our faculty. Our program is well known for its research efforts in a variety of areas, including:

• Combinatorics and discrete mathematics
• Algebraic geometry
• Differential equations
• Probability and mathematical biology

Activities

Our math students are involved in a diverse array of activities campus wide. Our undergraduate Math Club hosts a variety of events throughout the school year. We also field a team in the Putnam Exam competition each year, coached by several of our faculty members. The Putnam Exam is the premier problem-solving contest for undergraduate mathematics programs, and we’re very proud of our team’s performance. In the most recent competition, University of Idaho placed 46th out of more than 500 participating schools.

Hands-On Experience

Here is an example of a groundbreaking research project happening on campus:

• Bioinformatics and Mathematical Biology: Our research in mathematical biology employs tools from stochastic processes, differential equations and statistics. Topics being actively investigated include population genetics, evolutionary biology, biofilms, ecology and epidemiology.

Facilities

The department’s bioinformatics group, along with other departments, has recently attracted more than $20 million in multi-year funding. This means there is more money for research and additional funding to enhance undergraduate course work. In addition, the high-tech Polya Math Learning Center is a one-of-a-kind environment that provides an innovative lab experience. Many of our mathematics majors find opportunities to work part time in the Polya Math Learning Center as tutors.

Faculty Involvement

Calculus classes often have about 55 students. Medium and upper level classes are usually much smaller, with about 15 to 25 students. This will give you abundant opportunities to interact directly with your professors.

Zaid Abdo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Here are the areas I am interested in, listed in order of interest: Bioinformatics, Statistical Genetics, Bayesian Statistics, Mathematical Biology, Stochastic Processes & Optimization
» zabdo@uidaho.edu

Hirotachi Abo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
» abo@uidaho.edu

Lyudmyla Barannyk, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
» barannyk@uidaho.edu

Arie Bialostocki, Ph.D.
Professor
Specialties and Interests: Combinatorics, graph theory, group theory
» arieb@uidaho.edu

Monte Boisen, Ph.D.
Department Chair & Professor
» boisen@uidaho.edu

Rob Ely, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Research interests: The relationship between historical conceptions in mathematics and student mathematical conceptions, The relationships between mathematical conceptions and conceptions in other domains (for instance, in the sciences, humanities, and in non-school domains)
» ely@uidaho.edu

Frank Gao, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Research Interests: Interface of Probability Theory, Functional Analysis and Convex Geometry, Small Deviations of Gaussian Processes, Metric entropy and Intrinsic Volumes of convex bodies
» fuchang@uidaho.edu

Jennifer Johnson-Leung, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
My research in number theory is motivated by the study of special values of L-functions, and in particular the equivariant Tamagawa number conjecture. The general conjecture is an elegant, yet powerful, statement which implies, among other things, the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture and Stark's conjecture.
» jenfns@uidaho.edu

Paul Joyce, Ph.D.
Professor
» joyce@uidaho.edu

Steve Krone, Ph.D.
Professor
Research interests: Stochastic Processes and Mathematical Biology; especially interacting particle systems, population genetics and evolutionary biology, coalescent theory, spatial models in (microbial) ecology and epidemiology, combining experimental and theoretical approaches, diffusion processes and differential equations.
» krone@uidaho.edu

Ralph Neuhaus, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
Specialties / Interests - Lie algebras, linear algebra and algebraic coding theory
» rneuhaus@uidaho.edu

Mark Nielsen, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of College of Science & Professor
Research interests: Discrete and combinatorial geometry. Problems of particular interest to me involve colorings of the plane, inscribing figures, and combinatorial questions about finite point configurations.
» markn@uidaho.edu

Cynthia Piez, M.S.
Senior Instructor
I am interested in the impact of technology on the teaching and learning of mathematics at the undergraduate level. In particular I am working with prospective secondary mathematics teachers and investigating the ways in which they interpret and link various representations. The mathematical context involves the investigation of properties and characteristics of functions in the presence of technology.
» cpiez@uidaho.edu