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Archived
November 26, 2014

 

Mathematics

 

College of Science and Engineering

Dean: Sheldon Axler

 

Department of Mathematics

TH 937
Phone: 415-338-2251
E-mail: statmath@sfsu.edu
Web Site: http://math.sfsu.edu

Chair: David Bao
Mathematics Undergraduate Advisors: D. Ellis, E. Hsu, S. Li
Mathematics Graduate Coordinators: M. Beck, S. Hosten
Statistics Undergraduate Advisor: M. Kafai

 

Mathematics Faculty

Professors: Axler, Bao, Beck, Ellis, Goetz, Gubeladze, Hayashi, Hosten, Hsu, Kafai, Kysh, Langlois, Li, Ovchinnikov, Robbins, Schuster
Associate Professors: Ardila, Arsuaga, Cheung, Krause, Vazquez
Assistant Professors: Piryatinska, Richards

 

Statistics Faculty

Professors: Chattopadhyay, Eng, Kafai, Mar
Associate Professors: Cholette, Soorapanth
Assistant Professors: Piryatinska, Richards

 

Programs

B.A. in Mathematics

B.S. Applied Mathematics

B.S. in Statistics

Minor in Mathematics

M.A. in Mathematics

 

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Program Scope

The Bachelor of Arts is offered for students with a general interest in mathematics; Bachelor of Science programs in applied mathematics and statistics are also offered. Courses are offered in mathematics education for prospective elementary and secondary teachers. Copies of program requirements are available in the mathematics department office.

 

The Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics has three concentrations: Liberal Arts, Teaching, and Advanced Study.

 

The Liberal Arts concentration is for students who desire a broad liberal arts education with an emphasis in mathematics.

 

The Teaching concentration is for students whose goal is to teach mathematics in middle school or high school. These students will obtain a solid understanding of the mathematics needed for teaching and they will gain classroom experience as volunteers in local public schools. They will also have the opportunity to develop the mathematical skills, flexibility and perceptiveness in order to help future students cultivate fruitful wonderful ideas, and to help students connect their thinking to formal mathematical structures. Students who complete this concentration will have satisfied the early field experience requirement and the subject matter competency requirement for a single subject credential in mathematics.

 

The Advanced Study concentration is for students who plan to pursue a masters or doctoral degree in mathematics. Students who choose this concentration will obtain a solid foundation in the cornerstones of advanced mathematics: linear algebra, abstract algebra, vector analysis, real analysis and complex analysis.

 

The Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics responds to the needs of business and industry for applied mathematical scientists. The program also responds to the needs of those students who enjoy mathematics for its own sake but who also have interests in other fields to which mathematics is applied. Applied mathematicians and statisticians are employed in such areas as operations research, systems analysis, computing, data analysis, biological sciences (for example, doing research on DNA topology, mathematical cancer biology, or meeting the special needs of biostatistics), communications research, and in the management sciences.

 

The primary aim of applied mathematics is to elucidate scientific concepts and to describe and predict scientific phenomena through the use of mathematics. The applied mathematician is at once a mathematical specialist and a systems analyst, whose task it is to confront highly complex real-world situations with mathematical analysis. In industry the applied mathematician has an opportunity to test both background and training in solving problems of a practical nature. It is necessary to have not only a grasp of the mathematical theories involved, but also an appreciation for the specific science or technology concerned. In this way, one can arrive at usable mathematical formulations of scientific and engineering problems.

 

The applied mathematics program prepares students in several areas. First, students acquire a broad knowledge of the techniques and methods of applied mathematics. These techniques include differential equations, optimization, statistics, numerical analysis, computer programming, and operations research. Second, students learn to model scientific phenomena and complex real-world systems, (Mathematical Modeling, Applied Mathematics Project) and to use these models to understand and predict the behavior of these systems. Finally, they learn how to communicate these results to other scientists and managerial decision makers.

 

The Minor in Mathematics is available for students desiring a program of study in mathematics that is coherent but not as extensive as the B.A. program. It could provide excellent background for prospective secondary school teachers who want to be able to teach in mathematics as well as in their major area, or for students majoring in a science such as biology or economics who want to emphasize the quantitative aspects of their major.

 

The College of Business, and the College of Science and Engineering offer the Bachelor of Science in Statistics for students who are planning careers as statisticians in a wide variety of industrial and business activities, and government services.

 

The Bachelor of Science in Statistics is for students who are planning careers as statisticians in industry, business, government, or biomedical research. Statistics is basic to quantitative research in the biological, physical, and social sciences. Because its methods are based on mathematics, it requires a firm understanding of mathematical methods as well as an appreciation of scientific method, computation, and practical problems. To give the student both breadth and depth and to introduce the student to a variety of fields where statistics may be applied, three emphases are offered: science, business, and economics.

 

The Master of Arts in Mathematics is offered with the purpose of extending students' experience in mathematics. A student's goal may be to prepare for a career in government, industry, or community college teaching, to enhance competency as an elementary or secondary school teacher, or to prepare for further graduate study.

 

The described degrees, when supplemented by the appropriate courses, can also prepare students for graduate study in other fields such as accounting, mathematical biology, computer science, economics, engineering, physics, and statistics.

 

Career Outlook

The degree programs in mathematics and statistics prepare students for additional graduate work; teaching careers; and work in business, industry, and government that apply mathematical and statistical concepts. In addition, specific careers in actuarial science, investment firms, computer industry, biomedical research and the government sector (such as NASA and the NSA) are especially attractive.

 

Complementary Studies

Students who pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics with Concentrations in Liberal Arts, Teaching, or Advanced Studies must complete 12 complementary units, within a coherent group of courses with a prefix other than MATH, and not cross-listed with MATH. Complementary Studies units for the MATH major may come from courses offered by other departments in the College of Science & Engineering (CoSE), or the following courses outside of the College of Science and Engineering:

• DS 312 Data Analysis with Computer Applications
• DS 408 Computer Simulation
• ECON 101 Introduction to Microeconomic Analysis
• ECON 301 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
• ECON 302 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
• ECON 615 Mathematical Econometrics
• ECON 630 Econometric Theory
• ECON 725 Applied Data Analysis in Economics
• FIN 350 Business Finance
• ISYS 363 Information Systems for Management
• ISYS 463 Information Systems for Analysis and Design
• PHIL 205 Formal Logic
• PHIL 350 Philosophy of Science
• PHIL 351 Philosophy of Risk
• PHIL 694 Philosophical Workshop
• PHIL 695 Advanced Logic Workshop

 

Transfer students who have earned AA-T or AS-T degrees and are pursuing a similar B.A. degree at SF State are required to fulfill Complementary Studies requirements for their major only if these courses are included in the minimum units required for the major. Students should consult with a major advisor.

 

Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics

Undergraduate degree programs in mathematics presuppose a background equivalent to two years of high school algebra, one year of plane geometry, and at least one semester of trigonometry. Students in doubt as to their satisfaction of these prerequisites should consult the mathematics department. MATH 60, MATH 70, and MATH 109 may be used to remedy deficiencies. Because of the sequential nature of mathematics courses, all students must consult with a departmental advisor at regular intervals during their degree programs. MATH 500 through MATH 599 may not be counted as electives toward the mathematics major or minor. CR/NC grades are not acceptable in courses to be counted for a mathematics major or minor program.

 

The Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics can be earned by completing any one of three concentrations:

• Concentration in Mathematics for Advanced Study (48 units): this concentration prepares students for graduate study of mathematics.
• Concentration in Mathematics for Liberal Arts (42 units): this concentration is intended for students planning non-technical careers.
• Concentration in Mathematics for Teaching (45 units): this concentration matches the state-approved subject matter program for the single-subject credential in mathematics.

 

Mathematics majors who successfully complete MATH 300 GW spring 2010 or thereafter or MATH 301 GW in spring 2009 or thereafter will have satisfied the University’s Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR).

 

Mathematics (B.A.) — 42 - 48 units

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.

 

Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics

Applied Mathematics (B.S.) — 54 units

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.

 

Bachelor of Science in Statistics

The Bachelor of Science in statistics is an interdisciplinary program offered for students who intend to pursue an advanced degree, or who are planning careers as statisticians in industry, business, government, or scientific research.

 

To give the students both breath and depth and to introduce them to a variety of fields where statistics may be applied, we offer three emphases for the degree: science, business, and economics.

 

Statistics (B.S.) — 54 units

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.

 

Minor in Mathematics

At least 12 units of courses counted toward the minor, including at least 6 upper division units, must be completed at SF State.

 

Mathematics, Minor — 24 units

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.

 

Master of Arts in Mathematics

Admission to Program

In addition to the general requirements for admission, applicants to the master's program must have a 3.0 grade point average in the following three courses, or their equivalent: MATH 325, MATH 335, and MATH 370. Applicants who fail to satisfy this requirement but who are qualified in all other respects may be admitted on the condition that they bring their grades in these courses up to the 3.0 average during their first two semesters of graduate study (these three courses, however, may not be counted as electives toward the M.A. degree).

 

Written English Proficiency Requirement

All students in graduate programs at SF State must demonstrate Level One (entry) and Level Two (exit) writing proficiency in accordance with University, departmental and or programmatic guidelines.

Level One:

• Prior to admission: Minimum score of 4.0 on the Analytical Writing Analysis (AWA) on the GRE test.
• Conditional Admission: Applicants who do not satisfy Level I prior to admission must pass SCI 614 or MATH 729 with a grade of B-minus or better not later than the second semester. (Students should note that SCI 614 can be taken only through the College of Extended Learning and may not count as units toward the degree. MATH 729 is only offered in spring semesters.)

Level Two: Satisfactory completion of the Master’s Thesis (MATH 898), or take two comprehensive examinations and write an expository paper.

 

Upper division courses acceptable on the Advancement to Candidacy form will be determined by the student with approval of the graduate coordinator.

 

Mathematics (M.A.) — Minimum 30 units

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.

Culminating Experience

Candidates for the M.A. in Mathematics must complete a Culminating Experience. Two options are available.

 

Thesis Option. Students may choose to write a thesis and present an oral defense. Students considering the thesis option should contact the department chair or graduate advisor for further details. A master's thesis should contain new theorems or algorithms, a novel application, or an original approach to an established result. The resulting manuscript must be prepared according to university guidelines following a style similar to that used by the Notices of the American Mathematical Society. Each MA thesis has a principal advisor and two additional readers. The expected time to completion for this paper is one academic year. Thesis guidelines are available from the mathematics graduate coordinators.

 

Comprehensive Examinations/Expository Paper Option. Students selecting this option take two written examinations and write an expository paper. Students must take two examinations selected from algebra, analysis, and statistics. Written examinations are administered during the last two weeks of each semester. Examinations last two and a half hours, and a student takes no more than one examination per day. Departmental syllabi for the examinations are available at least four months in advance of each administration. Each examination requires students to integrate material from several undergraduate and graduate courses, to demonstrate their ability to write short proofs in correct mathematical English, and to demonstrate the falsity of propositions by counter-examples. Students who fail an examination may repeat it at least once, with additional attempts requiring the written approval of the graduate coordinators.

 

The expository paper is completed in two stages. First, students must complete a departmental proposal form, including: the title and abstract of the proposed paper, the what-why-how aspects of the research in question, a brief preliminary bibliography, and the approval of the proposal by a committee consisting of a faculty advisor and two additional readers from the Mathematics faculty. Once students have an approved proposal, they may begin work on the project under the guidance of the faculty advisor. Completion of the paper is subject to signed approval by all members of the committee.

 

Further information about these options can be obtained from the department web site: http://math.sfsu.edu.