Mathematics Departmental Brochure

Because of its beauty, precision, and usefulness, mathematics has always attracted not only many of the most profound and theoretical minds, but also the pragmatic thinkers who are eager to apply its insights to problems of the world around us. Never has the significance of mathematical knowledge been so widely recognized as in our own age when most disciplines require quantitative and analytical skills, and the customs of everyday life are being changed around the world by the development of increasingly powerful and accessible computers. At Fairfield University, the department of mathematics and computer science offers you an entry into mathematics, with solid grounding in traditional and modern foundations, sound preparation for graduate study in higher mathematics, and courses in applications that are the basis of so much change around us. The study of mathematics is offered in the context of a strong liberal arts education, enabling you to prepare for a career that can move in many different directions.

Real-World Education

As a mathematics major, you will have sophisticated theoretical knowledge and analytical skills that are valuable to many enterprises. But your math education is developed in a liberal arts context and you are encouraged by faculty to gain expertise in some other field related to mathematics. This will give you a versatility that has been evident in the wide variety of math-related jobs our graduates now hold. Even as undergraduates, math majors have distinguished themselves not only with fine academic records but by assuming leadership in the service organizations that involve students in aid to the needy and underprivileged in nearby communities.

Resources

In addition to many computer labs on campus, the mathematics and computer science department has two computer labs of its own. The introductory and advanced mathematics and computer science labs have a total of 35 Sunrays connected to a Sun 450 Enterprise server running the Solaris 8 Unix operating system. They also include several Ultra-10 Unix workstations and advanced Macintosh and Windows-based personal computers. All of these run Mathematica, the powerful mathematics software package; compilers and interpreters for numerous computer languages; and many scientific, technical, and standard applications. All student residences are linked by fiber-optic cabling, providing access to the department server, the Internet, and other University computers.

Course of Study

As a mathematics major at Fairfield University, you can choose electives to shape your program, emphasizing theoretical or applied work. But first you must develop a grasp of the field that will enable you to move in either direction. Five courses in analysis begin with the concepts and applications of calculus and conclude with the modern foundations of the subject. Discrete mathematics presents fundamentals of logic, set theory, and proof techniques. Courses in linear and abstract algebra generalize and build on high school algebra. The normal schedule for students following this program is as follows:

• Freshman year
  • Differential Calculus
  • Integral Calculus
• Sophomore year
  • Discrete Mathematics  
  • Linear Algebra
  • Multivariable Calculus (two semesters)
• Junior year
  • Abstract Algebra
  • Real Analysis   
  • Two mathematics electives
• Senior year
  • Four mathematics electives (two each semester)

In addition, you also must complete a course in computer programming.

In the elective phase, you may give weight to the applied side of mathematics by choosing courses in probability and statistics, ordinary and partial differential equations, linear programming and operations research, and numerical analysis; or you may opt for the theoretical with point set topology, modern geometry, number theory or a topics in algebra course. Some courses, such as Complex Analysis and Theory of Computation, have strong theoretical and applied components.

If you are interested in computer science, you may choose that as a major (see separate brochure) or you may even double major in mathematics and computer science. If you plan to become a secondary school teacher, you may waive an elective in the senior year if one of your electives is Modern Geometry, and you enroll in student teaching.

The Faculty

The department of mathematics and computer science includes 14 full-time men and women who have excellent credentials and are active in many areas of research. They are:

Christopher Bernhardt
Ph.D., University of Warwick, U.K.
Dynamical systems

Vera Cherepinsky
Ph.D., New York University
Applied mathematics

Matthew Coleman
Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University
Structural dynamics, control theory

Joseph Dennin
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Algebraic number theory

Benjamin Fine
Ph.D., New York University
Group theory, statistical analysis

Adam King
Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
Artificial intelligence

Laura McSweeney
Ph.D., University of New Hampshire
Applied mathematics

Irene Mulvey
Ph.D., Wesleyan University
Dynamical systems

Edward O'Neill
Ph.D., Yale University
Topology, computer science education

Stephen Sawin
Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
Quantum field theories

Peter Spoerri
Ph.D., Oregon State University
Digital simulators

Joan Weiss
D.A., Idaho State University
Numerical analysis, computer graphics

Internships and Research

As a senior mathematics major you may have an opportunity to serve an internship in a public or private agency where you will get career-related experience under supervision. You can earn credit for these experiences during the academic year or during the summer, provided that you complete an academic component specified by your academic advisor. Insurance companies are particularly interested in summer interns. Between the junior and senior year, some students obtain National Science Foundation support which places them in research institutions throughout the country. Senior majors may undertake independent study projects under faculty direction and some majors are invited to participate in the Honors Seminar where special topics are studied and students present original work.

Life after Fairfield

The skills of mathematicians are crucial to many business, nonprofit, and government operations so that graduates who have majored in mathematics are employed in a wide range of professional fields. Many have made their careers in the insurance industry, beginning as actuaries. Teaching is a popular option, with a number of students seeking secondary school opportunities. Mathematicians are, of course, much in demand for computer-related work where their analytic skills are highly prized. Survey information indicates that the majority of Fairfield graduates take their interest in mathematics to a higher level. Graduates of recent years have earned advanced degrees from such institutions as Cornell, the State University of New York at Stony Brook, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and New York University.

For further information, please contact:
Dr. Matthew Coleman, department chair
Bannow Science Center GR-1
Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT 06824-5195
Tel: (203) 254-4000, ext. 2512
E-mail: mcoleman@mail.fairfield.edu