Department of Mathematics

Kansas State University

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Overview of our Graduate Program in Mathematics

Programs of Study:

The department of mathematics offers the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Our 31 faculty members have diverse mathematical interests and a common dedication to teaching and research. Our program has granted 65 master's degrees and 29 doctoral degrees over the past 10 years. Based on the current rankings by the National Research Council, our graduate program is ranked higher than most other regional programs in mathematics.

Research:

The department's faculty and students are actively engaged in research, and all graduate students have close contact with the senior faculty. Our research strengths include: classical, complex and harmonic analysis; partial differential equations, operator theory and functional analysis; low-dimensional geometry and topology; algebra, representation theory and group theory; and mathematics education.

Some researchers are pursuing these areas: complex dynamics; symplectic geometry; Calabi-Yau manifolds; mirror symmetry; hyperbolic PDE's; free boundary problems; non-linear elasticity; deformation theory; global analysis; quantum field theory; representation theory of Lie algebras; quantum groups and quivers; analytic number theory.

Weekly seminars are held in algebra, analysis, function theory, geometry, and number theory; other seminars are held on various topics of interest to a group of students or faculty. Graduate students take turns presenting papers on topics of their own interest during a weekly graduate student seminar. A substantial endowment for colloquia allows the department to invite mathematicians of international stature to our department. In addition, an interdiciplinary lecture series features speakers from various departments on campus and local industries. Advanced graduate students have the opportunity to participate in summer workshops at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Berkeley, California.

The Prairie Analysis Seminar, a conference held each fall, alternately on our campus and the campus of the University of Kansas, gives students and faculty the opportunity to learn from and meet with the leading experts in the area of analysis.

Assistantships and Scholarships:

Almost all graduate students are supported by teaching assistantships. Students making good progress may expect to be supported throughout their degree program. For academic year 2007-2008, the annual stipend for our graduate teaching assistants ranges from $12,895 to $14,686 for nine months; A student's stipend increases as a result of academic progress through the degree program. All teaching assistants enjoy a full tuition waiver; the remaining miscellaneous fees total approximately $239 per semester and are paid by the student. Low-cost health insurance is available, and insurance plans can be purchased to cover a student's spouse and children. There is also a substantial endowment for scholarships and fellowships. U.S. citizens and resident foreign students with excellent records are eligible to be nominated for a stipend supplement awarded by the dean of the Graduate School. It is important that students interested in these awards complete their applications by early spring. Each graduate teaching assistant has office space consisting of a cubicle with lockable desk, bookshelves, and convenient access to a computer. Each computer has a variety of programs, including TeX/LaTeX capabilities, as well as full access to the internet.