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Mathematics and Statistics Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

The Effect of Fixed Time Delays on the Synchronization Phase Transition , Shaizat Bakhytzhan

On the Subelliptic and Subparabolic Infinity Laplacian in Grushin-Type Spaces , Zachary Forrest

Utilizing Machine Learning Techniques for Accurate Diagnosis of Breast Cancer and Comprehensive Statistical Analysis of Clinical Data , Myat Ei Ei Phyo

Quandle Rings, Idempotents and Cocycle Invariants of Knots , Dipali Swain

Comparative Analysis of Time Series Models on U.S. Stock and Exchange Rates: Bayesian Estimation of Time Series Error Term Model Versus Machine Learning Approaches , Young Keun Yang

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Statistical Analysis of Ribonucleotide Incorporation in Human Cells , Tejasvi Channagiri

Matrix Models of 2D Critical Phenomena , Nathan Hayford

Data-Driven Learning Algorithm Via Densely-Defined Multiplication Operators and Occupation Kernels. , John Kyei

Classification of Finite Topological Quandles and Shelves via Posets , Hitakshi Lahrani

Applied Analysis for Learning Architectures , Himanshu Singh

Rational Functions of Degree Five That Permute the Projective Line Over a Finite Field , Christopher Sze

Recovering generators of principal ideals using subfield structure and applications to cryptography , William Youmans

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Application of the Riemann-Hilbert method to soliton solutions of a nonlocal reverse-spacetime Sasa-Satsuma equation and a higher-order reverse-time NLS-type equation , Ahmed Ahmed

New Developments in Statistical Optimal Designs for Physical and Computer Experiments , Damola M. Akinlana

Advances and Applications of Optimal Polynomial Approximants , Raymond Centner

Data-Driven Analytical Predictive Modeling for Pancreatic Cancer, Financial & Social Systems , Aditya Chakraborty

On Simultaneous Similarity of d-tuples of Commuting Square Matrices , Corey Connelly

Methods in Discrete Mathematics to Study DNA Rearrangement Processes , Lina Fajardo Gómez

Symbolic Computation of Lump Solutions to a Combined (2+1)-dimensional Nonlinear Evolution Equation , Jingwei He

Adversarial and Data Poisoning Attacks against Deep Learning , Jing Lin

Exploring the Vulnerability of A Neural Tangent Generalization Attack (NTGA) - Generated Unlearnable CIFAR-10 Dataset , Gitte Ost

Statistical Methods for Reliability Test planning and Data Analysis , Oluwaseun Elizabeth Otunuga

Boundary behavior of analytic functions and Approximation Theory , Spyros Pasias

Effective Statistical and Machine Learning Methods to Analyze Children's Vocabulary Learning , Houston T. Sanders

Stability Analysis of Delay-Driven Coupled Cantilevers Using the Lambert W-Function , Daniel Siebel-Cortopassi

A Functional Optimization Approach to Stochastic Process Sampling , Ryan Matthew Thurman

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Riemann-Hilbert Problems for Nonlocal Reverse-Time Nonlinear Second-order and Fourth-order AKNS Systems of Multiple Components and Exact Soliton Solutions , Alle Adjiri

Zeros of Harmonic Polynomials and Related Applications , Azizah Alrajhi

Combination of Time Series Analysis and Sentiment Analysis for Stock Market Forecasting , Hsiao-Chuan Chou

Uncertainty Quantification in Deep and Statistical Learning with applications in Bio-Medical Image Analysis , K. Ruwani M. Fernando

Data-Driven Analytical Modeling of Multiple Myeloma Cancer, U.S. Crop Production and Monitoring Process , Lohuwa Mamudu

Long-time Asymptotics for mKdV Type Reduced Equations of the AKNS Hierarchy in Weighted L 2 Sobolev Spaces , Fudong Wang

Online and Adjusted Human Activities Recognition with Statistical Learning , Yanjia Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Bayesian Reliability Analysis of The Power Law Process and Statistical Modeling of Computer and Network Vulnerabilities with Cybersecurity Application , Freeh N. Alenezi

Discrete Models and Algorithms for Analyzing DNA Rearrangements , Jasper Braun

Bayesian Reliability Analysis for Optical Media Using Accelerated Degradation Test Data , Kun Bu

On the p(x)-Laplace equation in Carnot groups , Robert D. Freeman

Clustering methods for gene expression data of Oxytricha trifallax , Kyle Houfek

Gradient Boosting for Survival Analysis with Applications in Oncology , Nam Phuong Nguyen

Global and Stochastic Dynamics of Diffusive Hindmarsh-Rose Equations in Neurodynamics , Chi Phan

Restricted Isometric Projections for Differentiable Manifolds and Applications , Vasile Pop

On Some Problems on Polynomial Interpolation in Several Variables , Brian Jon Tuesink

Numerical Study of Gap Distributions in Determinantal Point Process on Low Dimensional Spheres: L -Ensemble of O ( n ) Model Type for n = 2 and n = 3 , Xiankui Yang

Non-Associative Algebraic Structures in Knot Theory , Emanuele Zappala

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Field Quantization for Radiative Decay of Plasmons in Finite and Infinite Geometries , Maryam Bagherian

Probabilistic Modeling of Democracy, Corruption, Hemophilia A and Prediabetes Data , A. K. M. Raquibul Bashar

Generalized Derivations of Ternary Lie Algebras and n-BiHom-Lie Algebras , Amine Ben Abdeljelil

Fractional Random Weighted Bootstrapping for Classification on Imbalanced Data with Ensemble Decision Tree Methods , Sean Charles Carter

Hierarchical Self-Assembly and Substitution Rules , Daniel Alejandro Cruz

Statistical Learning of Biomedical Non-Stationary Signals and Quality of Life Modeling , Mahdi Goudarzi

Probabilistic and Statistical Prediction Models for Alzheimer’s Disease and Statistical Analysis of Global Warming , Maryam Ibrahim Habadi

Essays on Time Series and Machine Learning Techniques for Risk Management , Michael Kotarinos

The Systems of Post and Post Algebras: A Demonstration of an Obvious Fact , Daviel Leyva

Reconstruction of Radar Images by Using Spherical Mean and Regular Radon Transforms , Ozan Pirbudak

Analyses of Unorthodox Overlapping Gene Segments in Oxytricha Trifallax , Shannon Stich

An Optimal Medium-Strength Regularity Algorithm for 3-uniform Hypergraphs , John Theado

Power Graphs of Quasigroups , DayVon L. Walker

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Groups Generated by Automata Arising from Transformations of the Boundaries of Rooted Trees , Elsayed Ahmed

Non-equilibrium Phase Transitions in Interacting Diffusions , Wael Al-Sawai

A Hybrid Dynamic Modeling of Time-to-event Processes and Applications , Emmanuel A. Appiah

Lump Solutions and Riemann-Hilbert Approach to Soliton Equations , Sumayah A. Batwa

Developing a Model to Predict Prevalence of Compulsive Behavior in Individuals with OCD , Lindsay D. Fields

Generalizations of Quandles and their cohomologies , Matthew J. Green

Hamiltonian structures and Riemann-Hilbert problems of integrable systems , Xiang Gu

Optimal Latin Hypercube Designs for Computer Experiments Based on Multiple Objectives , Ruizhe Hou

Human Activity Recognition Based on Transfer Learning , Jinyong Pang

Signal Detection of Adverse Drug Reaction using the Adverse Event Reporting System: Literature Review and Novel Methods , Minh H. Pham

Statistical Analysis and Modeling of Cyber Security and Health Sciences , Nawa Raj Pokhrel

Machine Learning Methods for Network Intrusion Detection and Intrusion Prevention Systems , Zheni Svetoslavova Stefanova

Orthogonal Polynomials With Respect to the Measure Supported Over the Whole Complex Plane , Meng Yang

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Modeling in Finance and Insurance With Levy-It'o Driven Dynamic Processes under Semi Markov-type Switching Regimes and Time Domains , Patrick Armand Assonken Tonfack

Prevalence of Typical Images in High School Geometry Textbooks , Megan N. Cannon

On Extending Hansel's Theorem to Hypergraphs , Gregory Sutton Churchill

Contributions to Quandle Theory: A Study of f-Quandles, Extensions, and Cohomology , Indu Rasika U. Churchill

Linear Extremal Problems in the Hardy Space H p for 0 p , Robert Christopher Connelly

Statistical Analysis and Modeling of Ovarian and Breast Cancer , Muditha V. Devamitta Perera

Statistical Analysis and Modeling of Stomach Cancer Data , Chao Gao

Structural Analysis of Poloidal and Toroidal Plasmons and Fields of Multilayer Nanorings , Kumar Vijay Garapati

Dynamics of Multicultural Social Networks , Kristina B. Hilton

Cybersecurity: Stochastic Analysis and Modelling of Vulnerabilities to Determine the Network Security and Attackers Behavior , Pubudu Kalpani Kaluarachchi

Generalized D-Kaup-Newell integrable systems and their integrable couplings and Darboux transformations , Morgan Ashley McAnally

Patterns in Words Related to DNA Rearrangements , Lukas Nabergall

Time Series Online Empirical Bayesian Kernel Density Segmentation: Applications in Real Time Activity Recognition Using Smartphone Accelerometer , Shuang Na

Schreier Graphs of Thompson's Group T , Allen Pennington

Cybersecurity: Probabilistic Behavior of Vulnerability and Life Cycle , Sasith Maduranga Rajasooriya

Bayesian Artificial Neural Networks in Health and Cybersecurity , Hansapani Sarasepa Rodrigo

Real-time Classification of Biomedical Signals, Parkinson’s Analytical Model , Abolfazl Saghafi

Lump, complexiton and algebro-geometric solutions to soliton equations , Yuan Zhou

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

A Statistical Analysis of Hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin and Sinkholes in Florida , Joy Marie D'andrea

Statistical Analysis of a Risk Factor in Finance and Environmental Models for Belize , Sherlene Enriquez-Savery

Putnam's Inequality and Analytic Content in the Bergman Space , Matthew Fleeman

On the Number of Colors in Quandle Knot Colorings , Jeremy William Kerr

Statistical Modeling of Carbon Dioxide and Cluster Analysis of Time Dependent Information: Lag Target Time Series Clustering, Multi-Factor Time Series Clustering, and Multi-Level Time Series Clustering , Doo Young Kim

Some Results Concerning Permutation Polynomials over Finite Fields , Stephen Lappano

Hamiltonian Formulations and Symmetry Constraints of Soliton Hierarchies of (1+1)-Dimensional Nonlinear Evolution Equations , Solomon Manukure

Modeling and Survival Analysis of Breast Cancer: A Statistical, Artificial Neural Network, and Decision Tree Approach , Venkateswara Rao Mudunuru

Generalized Phase Retrieval: Isometries in Vector Spaces , Josiah Park

Leonard Systems and their Friends , Jonathan Spiewak

Resonant Solutions to (3+1)-dimensional Bilinear Differential Equations , Yue Sun

Statistical Analysis and Modeling Health Data: A Longitudinal Study , Bhikhari Prasad Tharu

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Department of Mathematics

Senior theses.

An undergraduate thesis is a singly-authored mathematics document, usually between 10 and 80 pages, on some topic in mathematics. The thesis is typically a mixture of exposition of known mathematics and an account of your own research.  

To write an undergraduate thesis, you need to find a faculty advisor who will sponsor your project. The advisor will almost surely be a faculty member of the pure math department, though on occasion we have accepted theses written by people with applied math advisors. In these rare cases, the theses have been essentially pure math theses.

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Home > USC Columbia > Arts and Sciences > Mathematics > Mathematics Theses and Dissertations

Mathematics Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

Erlang-Distributed SEIR Epidemic Models with Cross-Diffusion , Victoria Chebotaeva

Global Well-Posedness of Nonlocal Differential Equations Arising from Traffic Flow , Thomas Joseph Hamori

Representation Dimensions of Algebraic Tori and Symmetric Ranks of G-Lattices , Jason Bailey Heath

Modeling, Analysis, Approximation, and Application of Viscoelastic Structures and Anomalous Transport , Yiqun Li

Macro–Micro-Coupled Simulations of Bead–Spring Breaking-Reforming Networks , Andrei Medved

Generalizations of the Graham-Pollak Tree Theorem , Gabrielle Anne Tauscheck

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Extreme Covering Systems, Primes Plus Squarefrees, and Lattice Points Close to a Helix , Jack Robert Dalton

On the Algebraic and Geometric Multiplicity of Zero as a Hypergraph Eigenvalue , Grant Ian Fickes

Deep Learning for Studying Materials Stability and Solving Thermodynamically Consistent PDES With Dynamic Boundary Conditions in Arbitrary Domains , Chunyan Li

Widely Digitally Delicate Brier Primes and Irreducibility Results for Some Classes of Polynomials , Thomas David Luckner

Deep Learning Methods for Some Problems in Scientific Computing , Yuankai Teng

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Covering Systems and the Minimum Modulus Problem , Maria Claire Cummings

The Existence and Quantum Approximation of Optimal Pure State Ensembles , Ryan Thomas McGaha

Structure Preserving Reduced-Order Models of Hamiltonian Systems , Megan Alice McKay

Tangled up in Tanglegrams , Drew Joseph Scalzo

Results on Select Combinatorial Problems With an Extremal Nature , Stephen Smith

Poset Ramsey Numbers for Boolean Lattices , Joshua Cain Thompson

Some Properties and Applications of Spaces of Modular Forms With ETA-Multiplier , Cuyler Daniel Warnock

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Simulation of Pituitary Organogenesis in Two Dimensions , Chace E. Covington

Polynomials, Primes and the PTE Problem , Joseph C. Foster

Widely Digitally Stable Numbers and Irreducibility Criteria For Polynomials With Prime Values , Jacob Juillerat

A Numerical Investigation of Fractional Models for Viscoelastic Materials With Applications on Concrete Subjected to Extreme Temperatures , Murray Macnamara

Trimming Complexes , Keller VandeBogert

Multiple Frailty Model for Spatially Correlated Interval-Censored , Wanfang Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

An Equivariant Count of Nodal Orbits in an Invariant Pencil of Conics , Candace Bethea

Finite Axiomatisability in Nilpotent Varieties , Joshua Thomas Grice

Rationality Questions and the Derived Category , Alicia Lamarche

Counting Number Fields by Discriminant , Harsh Mehta

Distance Related Graph Invariants in Triangulations and Quadrangulations of the Sphere , Trevor Vincent Olsen

Diameter of 3-Colorable Graphs and Some Remarks on the Midrange Crossing Constant , Inne Singgih

Two Inquiries Related to the Digits of Prime Numbers , Jeremiah T. Southwick

Windows and Generalized Drinfeld Kernels , Robert R. Vandermolen

Connections Between Extremal Combinatorics, Probabilistic Methods, Ricci Curvature of Graphs, and Linear Algebra , Zhiyu Wang

An Ensemble-Based Projection Method and Its Numerical Investigation , Shuai Yuan

Variable-Order Fractional Partial Differential Equations: Analysis, Approximation and Inverse Problem , Xiangcheng Zheng

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Classification of Non-Singular Cubic Surfaces up to e-invariants , Mohammed Alabbood

On the Characteristic Polynomial of a Hypergraph , Gregory J. Clark

A Development of Transfer Entropy in Continuous-Time , Christopher David Edgar

Moving Off Collections and Their Applications, in Particular to Function Spaces , Aaron Fowlkes

Finding Resolutions of Mononomial Ideals , Hannah Melissa Kimbrell

Regression for Pooled Testing Data with Biomedical Applications , Juexin Lin

Numerical Methods for a Class of Reaction-Diffusion Equations With Free Boundaries , Shuang Liu

An Implementation of the Kapustin-Li Formula , Jessica Otis

A Nonlinear Parallel Model for Reversible Polymer Solutions in Steady and Oscillating Shear Flow , Erik Tracey Palmer

A Few Problems on the Steiner Distance and Crossing Number of Graphs , Josiah Reiswig

Successful Pressing Sequences in Simple Pseudo-Graphs , Hays Wimsatt Whitlatch

On The Generators of Quantum Dynamical Semigroups , Alexander Wiedemann

An Examination of Kinetic Monte Carlo Methods with Application to a Model of Epitaxial Growth , Dylana Ashton Wilhelm

Dynamical Entropy of Quantum Random Walks , Duncan Wright

Unconditionally Energy Stable Linear Schemes for a Two-Phase Diffuse Interface Model with Peng-Robinson Equation of State , Chenfei Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Theory, Computation, and Modeling of Cancerous Systems , Sameed Ahmed

Turán Problems and Spectral Theory on Hypergraphs and Tensors , Shuliang Bai

Quick Trips: On the Oriented Diameter of Graphs , Garner Paul Cochran

Geometry of Derived Categories on Noncommutative Projective Schemes , Blake Alexander Farman

A Quest for Positive Definite Matrices over Finite Fields , Erin Patricia Hanna

Comparison of the Performance of Simple Linear Regression and Quantile Regression with Non-Normal Data: A Simulation Study , Marjorie Howard

Special Fiber Rings of Certain Height Four Gorenstein Ideals , Jaree Hudson

Graph Homomorphisms and Vector Colorings , Michael Robert Levet

Local Rings and Golod Homomorphisms , Thomas Schnibben

States and the Numerical Range in the Regular Algebra , James Patrick Sweeney

Thermodynamically Consistent Hydrodynamic Phase Field Models and Numerical Approximation for Multi-Component Compressible Viscous Fluid Mixtures , Xueping Zhao

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

On the Existence of Non-Free Totally Reflexive Modules , J. Cameron Atkins

Subdivision of Measures of Squares , Dylan Bates

Unconditionally Energy Stable Numerical Schemes for Hydrodynamics Coupled Fluids Systems , Alexander Yuryevich Brylev

Convergence and Rate of Convergence of Approximate Greedy-Type Algorithms , Anton Dereventsov

Covering Subsets of the Integers and a Result on Digits of Fibonacci Numbers , Wilson Andrew Harvey

Nonequispaced Fast Fourier Transform , David Hughey

Deep Learning: An Exposition , Ryan Kingery

A Family of Simple Codimension Two Singularities with Infinite Cohen-Macaulay Representation Type , Tyler Lewis

Polynomials Of Small Mahler Measure With no Newman Multiples , Spencer Victoria Saunders

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

On Crown-free Set Families, Diffusion State Difference, and Non-uniform Hypergraphs , Edward Lawrence Boehnlein

Structure of the Stable Marriage and Stable Roommate Problems and Applications , Joe Hidakatsu

Binary Quartic Forms over Fp , Daniel Thomas Kamenetsky

On a Constant Associated with the Prouhet-Tarry-Escott Problem , Maria E. Markovich

Some Extremal And Structural Problems In Graph Theory , Taylor Mitchell Short

Chebyshev Inversion of the Radon Transform , Jared Cameron Szi

Modeling of Structural Relaxation By A Variable-Order Fractional Differential Equation , Su Yang

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Modeling, Simulation, and Applications of Fractional Partial Differential Equations , Wilson Cheung

The Packing Chromatic Number of Random d-regular Graphs , Ann Wells Clifton

Commutator Studies in Pursuit of Finite Basis Results , Nathan E. Faulkner

Avoiding Doubled Words in Strings of Symbols , Michael Lane

A Survey of the Kinetic Monte Carlo Algorithm as Applied to a Multicellular System , Michael Richard Laughlin

Toward the Combinatorial Limit Theory of free Words , Danny Rorabaugh

Trees, Partitions, and Other Combinatorial Structures , Heather Christina Smith

Fast Methods for Variable-Coefficient Peridynamic and Non-Local Diffusion Models , Che Wang

Modeling and Computations of Cellular Dynamics Using Complex-fluid Models , Jia Zhao

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

The Non-Existence of a Covering System with all Moduli Distinct, Large and Square-Free , Melissa Kate Bechard

Explorations in Elementary and Analytic Number Theory , Scott Michael Dunn

Independence Polynomials , Gregory Matthew Ferrin

Turán Problems on Non-uniform Hypergraphs , Jeremy Travis Johnston

On the Group of Transvections of ADE-Diagrams , Marvin Jones

Fake Real Quadratic Orders , Richard Michael Oh

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Shimura Images of A Family of Half-Integral Weight Modular Forms , Kenneth Allan Brown

Sharp Bounds Associated With An Irreducibility Theorem For Polynomials Having Non-Negative Coefficients , Morgan Cole

Deducing Vertex Weights From Empirical Occupation Times , David Collins

Analysis and Processing of Irregularly Distributed Point Clouds , Kamala Hunt Diefenthaler

Generalizations of Sperner's Theorem: Packing Posets, Families Forbidding Posets, and Supersaturation , Andrew Philip Dove

Spectral Analysis of Randomly Generated Networks With Prescribed Degree Sequences , Clifford Davis Gaddy

Selected Research In Covering Systems of the Integers and the Factorization of Polynomials , Joshua Harrington

The Weierstrass Approximation Theorem , LaRita Barnwell Hipp

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Undergraduate Honors & Senior Thesis

Students excelling in their major coursework and interested in pure math should consider Departmental Honors. Departmental Honors means you will graduate “With Distinction” as opposed to College Honors which is “With Honors”.  The most important component of graduating with Departmental Honors is researching and writing a Senior Thesis.

Requirements for Departmental Honors:

• Must complete a B.S. Mathematics Degree.
• Must satisfactorily complete at least one three-quarter sequence 402-3-4, 424-5-6, or 441-2-3; or two two-quarter sequences from this list. Exceptions must be approved by the chair of the Departmental Honors Committee.
• Must earn a GPA of 3.5 or better in Math coursework completed at the UW.
• Must write a senior thesis (earn a numerical grade for MATH 496).
• Must have a 3.3 minimum cumulative GPA at UW.

Please note: If you are not interested in the College Honors or Departmental Honors in Mathematics, you may still write a Senior Thesis. The process is the same as above, but it does not need to be approved by the Honors Committee.

Research credit (Math 498) may be available with faculty permission.

Beginning of your final year at the UW : think about a thesis topic and seek out a faculty supervisor.  Read below for more details about selecting a topic.

First week of classes the quarter before you expect to graduate: submit a thesis proposal form to the Dept. Honors Committee.  The form is online here: Math Dept. Honors Thesis Proposal Form

Last day of your final quarter: Once your advisor approves the thesis, email it to [email protected] and cc your faculty advisor.  You may also wish to upload it to the University Libraries archive .

Nature of the thesis

The senior thesis shall be an expository account of a topic in pure or applied mathematics related to the student’s area of interest. (Original results or proofs are welcome but are definitely not expected.) The thesis must contain some nontrivial mathematical arguments. (E.g., a non-technical essay on “fractals in nature” would not be acceptable.) The thesis should normally be about 20 to 30 pages in length (double spaced, Times New Roman 12pt font, 1” margins). These figures are guidelines, not rigid requirements. The topic should be something that cannot simply be read out of a standard textbook. Writing the thesis should involve:

• obtaining material from the periodical literature, or
• consulting several books and synthesizing material from them, or
• reading an account of a topic in a book that is substantially more advanced than the student’s regular coursework, digesting it, and putting it into readable form.

Choosing a topic

Finding a topic is the students’ responsibility, although consultation with faculty members is encouraged. The topic must be approved by a faculty member of the Mathematics Department who will supervise the work (the “supervisor”) and by the chair of the Departmental Honors Committee. A Senior Thesis Topic Proposal form can be found at the link above, and should be filled out by the student with the supervisor's support (the Dept. will check in with your supervisor). The topic proposal must be submitted to the chair of the Departmental Honors Committee no later than the end of the first week of classes the quarter preceding the quarter in which the student expects to graduate. Exceptions to this deadline may be granted only by the chair of the Departmental Honors Committee. Students contemplating writing a thesis are strongly encouraged to start thinking about a topic in the autumn quarter of their senior year.

Writing the thesis

The student must register for Math 496 (Honors Senior Thesis) during the last quarter of thesis work. The student may receive three credit hours of W-course credit for writing the thesis. Normally, the students will register for a reading course (Math 498) with the supervisor during the preceding quarter (s). The student will receive three hours of credit for each of these courses, but in exceptional cases, with the approval of the supervisor, the number or credit hours may be increased. The supervisor may allow the student to replace Math 498 with a suitable topics course; however, it is still expected that the student will meet periodically with the supervisor.

There is no specific required thesis template for an undergraduate thesis.  Some students may choose to use a modified version of the graduate thesis templates, but this is not required.

Approval of thesis

The student shall submit a draft of the thesis to the supervisor for comments and criticisms, and then shall submit a final version with appropriate revisions. The supervisor shall read the thesis and certify its acceptability with respect to both content and exposition. In order to ensure sufficient time for these things, the student must submit the first draft no later than three weeks before the last day classes of the quarter in which the student expects to graduate, and the final draft no later than the last day of classes. Exceptions to these deadlines may be granted only by the chair of the Departmental Honors Committee.

Once the thesis has been approved by your faculty supervisor, you will need to email the document to [email protected] (required) as well as submit it to the ResearchWorks archive , part of the University Libraries (optional but strongly recommended).  Submission to the archive will allow your thesis to be included in the dissemination and preservation of scholarly work.  Your thesis will be made publicly available.

Interdisciplinary theses

Theses which are concerned with the application of some part of mathematics to some others field are acceptable, as long as they contain some substantial mathematics. In exceptional cases the student may wish to work most closely with a faculty member in another department in preparing the thesis. However, in such cases the thesis topic and the thesis itself must still be approved by a member of the Mathematics Department.

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• Senior Thesis

A thesis is a more ambitious undertaking than a project. Most thesis writers within Applied Mathematics spend two semesters on their thesis work, beginning in the fall of senior year.  Students typically enroll in Applied Mathematics 91r or 99r (or Economics 985, if appropriate) during each semester of their senior year.  AM 99r is graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.  Some concentrators will have completed their programs of study before beginning a thesis; in situations where this is necessary, students may take AM 91r for letter-graded credit, for inclusion in Breadth section (v) of the plan of study.  In the spring semester, the thesis itself may serve as the substantial paper on which the letter grade is based.  Econ 985 is also letter-graded, and may be included in the Breadth section of the plan of study in place of AM 91r.

Another, somewhat uncommon option, is that a project that meets the honors modeling requirement (either through Applied Mathematics 115 or 91r) can be extended to a thesis with about one semester of work.  Obviously the more time that is spent on the thesis, the more substantial the outcome, but students are encouraged to write a thesis in whatever time they have. It is an invaluable academic experience.

The thesis should make substantive use of mathematical, statistical or computational modeling,  though the level of sophistication will vary as appropriate to the particular problem context.  It is expected that conscientious attention will be paid to the explanatory power of mathematical modeling of the phenomena under study, going beyond data analysis to work to elucidate questions of mechanism and causation rather than mere correlation. Models should be designed to yield both understanding and testable predictions. A thesis with a suitable modeling component will automatically satisfy the English honors modeling requirement; however a thesis won't satisfy modeling Breadth section (v) unless the student also takes AM 91r or Econ 985.

Economics 985 thesis seminars are reserved for students who are writing on an economics topic. These seminars are full courses for letter-graded credit which involve additional activities beyond preparation of a thesis. They are open to Applied Mathematics concentrators with suitable background and interests.

Students wishing to enroll in AM 99r or 91r should follow the application instructions on my.harvard.

Thesis Timeline

The timeline below is for students graduating in May. The thesis deadline for May 2025 graduates is Friday, March 28, 2025 at 2:00PM. For off-cycle students, a similar timeline applies, offset by one semester. The thesis due date for March 2025 graduates is Friday, November 22, 2024 at 2:00PM. Late theses are not accepted.

Mid to late August:

Students often find a thesis supervisor by this time, and work with their supervisor to identify a thesis problem. Students may enroll in Econ 985 (strongly recommended when relevant), AM 91r, or AM 99r to block out space in their schedule for the thesis.

Early December:

All fourth year concentrators are contacted by the Office of Academic Programs. Those planning to submit a senior thesis are requested to supply certain information. This is the first formal interaction with the concentration about the thesis.

Mid-January:

A tentative thesis title approved by the thesis supervisor is required by the concentration.

Early February:

The student should provide the name and contact information for a recommended second reader, together with assurance that this individual has agreed to serve. Thesis readers are expected to be teaching faculty members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences or SEAS. Exceptions to this requirement must be first approved by the Directors, Associate Director, or Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies. For AM/Economics students writing a thesis on a mathematical economics topic for the March thesis deadline, the second reader will be chosen by the Economics Department. For AM/Economics students writing for the November deadline, the student should recommend the second reader.

On the thesis due date:

Thesis due at 2pm. Late theses are not accepted. Electronic copies in PDF format should be delivered by the student to the two readers and to [email protected] (which will forward to the Directors of Undergraduate Studies, Associate and Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies) on or before that date and time. An electronic copy should also be submitted via the SEAS  online submission tool  on or before that date. SEAS will keep this electronic copy as a non-circulating backup and will use it to print a physical copy of the thesis to be deposited in the Harvard University Archives. During this online submission process, the student will also have the option to make the electronic copy publicly available via DASH, Harvard’s open-access repository for scholarly work.

Contemporaneously, the two readers will receive a rating sheet to be returned to the Office of Academic Programs before the beginning of the Reading Period, together with their copy of the thesis and any remarks to be transmitted to the student.

The Office of Academic Programs will send readers' comments to the student in late May, after the degree meeting to decide honors recommendations.

Thesis Readers

The thesis is evaluated by two readers, whose roles are further delineated below.  The first reader is the thesis adviser.  The second and reader is recommended by the student and adviser, who should secure the agreement of the individual concerned to serve in this capacity.  The reader must be approved by the Directors, Associate Director, or Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies.  The second reader is normally are teaching members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, but other faculty members or comparable professionals will usually be approved, after being apprised of the responsibilities they are assuming.   For theses in mathematical economics, the choice of the second reader is made in cooperation with the Economics department.  The student and thesis adviser will be notified of the designated second reader by mid-March.

The roles of the thesis adviser and of the outside reader are somewhat different.  Ideally, the adviser is a collaborator and the outside reader is an informed critics.  It is customary for the adviser's report to comment not only on the document itself but also on the background and context of the entire effort, elucidating the overall accomplishments of the student.  The supervisor may choose to comment on a draft of the thesis before the final document is submitted, time permitting.  The outside reader is being asked to evaluate the thesis actually produced, as a prospective scientific contribution — both as to content and presentation.  The reader may choose to discuss their evaluation with the student, after the fact, should that prove to be mutually convenient.

The thesis should contain an informative abstract separate from the body of the thesis.  At the degree meeting, the Committee on Undergraduate Studies in Applied Mathematics will review the thesis, the reports from the two readers and the student’s academic record. The readers (and student) are told to assume that the Committee consists of technical professionals who are not necessarily conversant with the subject matter of the thesis so their reports should reflect this audience.

The length of the thesis should be as long as it needs to be to make the arguments made, but no longer!

Thesis Examples

The most recent thesis examples across all of SEAS can be found on the Harvard DASH (Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard) repository . Search the FAS Theses and Dissertations collection for "applied mathematics" to find dozens of examples.

Note: Additional samples of old theses can be found in McKay Library. Theses awarded Hoopes' Prizes can be found in Lamont Library.

Recent thesis titles

Theses submitted in 2024.

Theses submitted in 2023

Senior Thesis Submission Information for A.B. Programs

Senior A.B. theses are submitted to SEAS and made accessible via the Harvard University Archives and optionally via  DASH  (Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard), Harvard's open-access repository for scholarly work.

In addition to submitting to the department and thesis advisors & readers, each SEAS senior thesis writer will use an online submission system to submit an electronic copy of their senior thesis to SEAS; this electronic copy will be kept at SEAS as a non-circulating backup. Please note that the thesis won't be published until close to or after the degree date. During this submission process, the student will also have the option to make the electronic copy publicly available via DASH.  Basic document information (e.g., author name, thesis title, degree date, abstract) will also be collected via the submission system; this document information will be available in  HOLLIS , the Harvard Library catalog, and DASH (though the thesis itself will be available in DASH only if the student opts to allow this). Students can also make code or data for senior thesis work available. They can do this by posting the data to the Harvard  Dataverse  or including the code as a supplementary file in the DASH repository when submitting their thesis in the SEAS online submission system.

Whether or not a student opts to make the thesis available through DASH, SEAS will provide an electronic record copy of the thesis to the Harvard University Archives. The Archives may make this record copy of the thesis accessible to researchers in the Archives reading room via a secure workstation or by providing a paper copy for use only in the reading room.  Per University policy , for a period of five years after the acceptance of a thesis, the Archives will require an author’s written permission before permitting researchers to create or request a copy of any thesis in whole or in part. Students who wish to place additional restrictions on the record copy in the Archives must contact the Archives  directly, independent of the online submission system. 

Students interested in commercializing ideas in their theses may wish to consult Dr. Fawwaz Habbal , Senior Lecturer on Applied Physics, about patent protection. See Harvard's policy for information about ownership of software written as part of academic work.

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• Senior Thesis Guidelines

A senior thesis can form a valuable part of a student's experience in the  Mathematics Major . It is intended to allow students to cover significant areas of mathematics not covered in course work, or not covered there in sufficient depth. The work should be independent and creative. It can involve the solution of a serious mathematics problem, or it can be an expository work, or variants of these. Both the process of doing independent research and mathematics exposition, as well as the finished written product and optional oral presentation, can have a lasting positive impact on a student's educational and professional future.

Supervision

Supervision by a qualified member of the field of mathematics at Cornell is the normal requirement for a senior thesis. Other arrangements are possible, however, provided they are made with the assistance of the student's major advisor, and with the approval of the Mathematics Major Committee.

Finding a supervisor/Encouraging students.  

It should be emphasized that both the writing and the supervising of a senior thesis are optional activities, both for students and faculty. Students interested in doing this will need to find a suitable supervisor — perhaps with the aid of their major advisor or another faculty member whom they know. Advisors and other faculty who encounter students whom they think would benefit from this activity are invited to mention this option to them and assist them in finding a supervisor.

Standard venues for senior theses . 

One obvious way in which a senior thesis can be produced is through an independent research course (MATH 4900); another way is through an REU experience, either at Cornell or elsewhere. (If the REU work was accomplished or initiated elsewhere, a "local expert" will still be needed to supervise or "vouch for" the work as a senior thesis.) In yet a third way, a student may present a faculty member with a solution or partial solution to an interesting problem. In such cases, this could form the core of a senior thesis. Faculty are invited to encourage such work from their students.

Public Lecture

A public lecture in which the results of the senior thesis are presented is welcome but optional. This should be arranged by the thesis supervisor in conjunction with the undergraduate coordinator and adequately advertised. Department faculty and graduate students are encouraged to attend these presentations.

Submission Deadlines

The supervisor must approve the student's thesis. The student will submit a completed first draft of the thesis to the thesis supervisor. If the supervisor asks the student to make changes, the student will have two weeks to do so and submit a PDF copy of the thesis in final form. The thesis will be posted on the department's web site.

For students graduating in December 2024 , the deadline for the first draft is Friday, November 22 and the final submission is due to the thesis supervisor and the undergraduate coordinator on Friday, December 6.

For students graduating in May 2025 , the deadline for the first draft is Friday, April 18 and the final submission is due to the thesis supervisor and the undergraduate coordinator on Friday, May 2.

Format of the Thesis

Ideally, the final document should be TeXed or prepared in some equivalent technical document preparation system. The document must have large left margins (one and one-half inches or slightly larger). The title page should contain:

The student's name and graduating class.

The title of the senior thesis.

The name of the faculty supervisor. (If there is more than one supervisor, list both. If one of the supervisors is not in the Mathematics Department, list the department and institution.)

The date of completion of the thesis.

This information will be used to produce a standard frontispiece page, which will be added to the document in its library copies.

Judgment as to the merit of a senior thesis will be based largely on the recommendation of the faculty member supervising the thesis. The Mathematics Major Committee will use this recommendation both in its determination of honors and in its decision on whether to place the thesis in our permanent library collection.

The senior thesis will automatically be considered by the Mathematics Major Committee as one of the ingredients for deciding on an  honors  designation for the student. Students may receive honors without a thesis and are not guaranteed honors with one. However, an excellent senior thesis combined with an otherwise excellent record can elevate the level of honors awarded.

Library Collection

Meritorious senior theses will be catalogued, bound, and stored in the Mathematics Library.

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Secondary Menu

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• Senior Theses

2024 Senior Theses - Graduated with Distinction

Angikar ghosal.

Representation Theoretic Formulation of Quantum Error Correcting Codes Advisor: Robert Calderbank

Benjamin Goldstein

Soap-Film-Like Surfaces of Revolution Advisor: Demetre Kazaras

Noah Harris

Black Hole Thermodynamics, Large N Gauge Theories, and Deriving the AdS/CFT Correspondence Advisor: Paul Aspinwall

Long-Time Behavior of Some ODEs with Partial Damping Advisor: Kyle Liss

Aram Lindroth

Towards a Functional Equation for the $\mathbb{A}^1$-Logarithmic Zeta Function Advisor: Kirsten Wickelgren

Emmanuel Mokel

Monitoring Nonstationary Variance to Assess Convergence of Markov Chain Monte Carlo Advisor: Jonathan Mattingly

Nathan Nguyen

Towards Solving Variational Graphon Problem for Random Hypergraphs Advisor: Nicholas Cook

Nathanael Ong

On the Betti Numbers of Rank 2 Compact Locally Symmetric Spaces Advisor: Mark Stern

Jean-Luc Rabideau

Random Restrictions in the p-Biased Measure Advisor: Henry Pfister

Riki Shimizu

Unveil Sleep Spindles with Concentration of Frequency and Time (ConceFT) Advisor: Hau-Tieng Wu

December 2023

Quantum State Tomography via Tensor Ring Representation Advisor: Jianfeng Lu

Jesse Zhang

Answer Filtration with Filtration: Toward a Theory of Lifetime Filtration for Multiparameter Persistence Modules Advisor: Ezra Miller

Alex Burgin

The Schrodinger Maximal Function and Generalizations Advisor: Lillian Pierce

Nick Chakraborty

Improve Accuracy and Speed of Manifold Reconstruction and De-Noising from Scattered Data in R 2 Advisor: Hongkai Zhao

Jeffrey Cheng

Mixing in Measure Preserving Dynamical Systems Advisor: Tarek Elgindi

Carson Dudley

A Mathematical Model of a Peritoneal Staphylococcus Aureus infection Advisor: Anna Nelson

Riley Fisher

Pattern Formation in Evolving Domains Advisor: Tom Witelski

Multitaper Wave-Shape F-Test For Detecting Non-Sinusoidal Oscillations Advisor: Hau-Tieng Wu

Diffusing on multiple fibers Advisor: Ingrid Daubechies and Shira Faigenbaum

December 2022

Symmetric Formulas for Products of Permutations Advisor: Benjamin Rossman

A homotopic variant of policy gradients for the linear quadratic regulator problem Advisor: Andrea Agazzi

Nathan Geist

Homological algebra of modules over real polyhedral groups Advisor: Ezra Miller

Braden Hoagland

Percolation Processes on Dynamically Grown Graphs Advisor: Rick Durrett

Daniel Hwang

Analyzing the bistability of the minimally bistable ERK network using the discriminant locus Advisor: Maggie Regan

Wallace Peaslee

Dolbeault Cohomology of Non-Compact Metric Graphs Advisor: Joseph Rabinoff

Mathematical Modeling of TIE1 and Endothelial Metabolism Advisor: Michael Reed

December 2021

Some Mathematical Problems in Quantum Computing and Quantum Information Advisor: Robert Calderbank

Anuk Dayaprema

Solitons for the closed G2 Laplacian flow in the cohomogeneity-one setting Advisor: Mark Haskins

Ziyang Ding

At the Intersection of Deep Sequential and State-space Model Framework Advisor: Sayan Mukherjee

Lucas Fagan

Schur Polynomials and Crystal Graphs Advisor: Spencer Leslie

Resolving Simpson’s Paradox in NC Public School Grading System Advisor: Greg Herschlag

Phoebe Klett

Implementing non-canonical Sylvan Resolutions Advisor: Ezra Miller

Jianyou Wang

Deep Reinforcement Adaptive Computational Processor Advisor: Vahid Tarokh

Alex Damian

Theoretical Guarantees for Signal Recovery Advisor: Hau-tieng Wu

Blythe Davis

The Spherical Manifold Realization Problem Advisor: Faramarz Vafaee

Onkar Gujral

Khovanov Homology and Knot Concordance dvisor: Adam Levine

Xiayimei Han

Hodge Representations of Calabi-Yau 3 Folds Advisor:  Colleen Robles

Remy Kassem

Symmetry Detection of Unknown Volumes from Projected Variations Advisor: Xiuyuan Cheng

Joey Li

Algebraic Data Structures for Decomposing Multipersistence  Modules Advisor: Ezra Miller 

Evaluating Bayesian Convolutional Neural Networks in the Clinic Advisor: Paul Bendich

Jonathan Michala

Uniqueness of Ranked Pairs Advisor: Hubert Bray 

Benjamin Nativi

An Analogue of Gauss Composition for Binary Cubic Forms Advisor: Aaron Pollack

Computing Values of Symmetric Square L-Functions using Ichino's Pullback Formula Advisor: Aaron Pollack

Junmo Ryang

Embedding Lagrangian Surfaces Advisor: Robert Bryant

Irina Cristali

Poisson Percolation on the Square Lattice Advisors: Rick Durrett, Matthew Junge

Creating Musical Rubato Using Deep Learning Advisor: Ezra Miller

Zhenhua Liu

Stationary One-Sided Area Minimizing Hypersurfaces with Isolated Singularities Advisors: William Allard, Hubert Bray, Robert Bryant

Xueying Wang

Unfolding High-Dimensional Convex Polyhedra Advisor: Ezra Miller

Claire Wiebe

Analyzing the Effects of Partisan Correlation on Election Outcomes using Order Statistics Advisor: Jonathan Mattingly

Gaitling Zhou

Elliptic Curves over Dedekind Domains Advisor: William Pardon

(you can search for archived versions of these theses here )

• Surabhi Beriwal  Statistical analysis of fruit fly wing vein topology  (2018) [with E. Miller]
• Trung Can  The Heisenberg-Weyl Group, Finite Symplectic Geometry, and their applications   (2018) [with R. Calderbank]
• Feng Gui  On Calibrations for Area Minimizing Cones  (2018) with [H. Bray]
• Neel Kurupassery   Cryptographic Primitives in Artin Groups of Type I k (m)    (2018)  [with M. Abel]
• Eric Peshkin  T he quantification of markers of economic development from time-series satellite imagery using deep learning   (2018) with [with P. Bendich and D. Thomas]
• Weiyao Wang   Understanding Operator Reed-Muller Codes Through the Weyl Transform   (2018) [with R. Calderbank]
• Alexander Pieloch  The Topology of Moduli Spaces of Real Algebraic Curves  (2017) [with R. Hain]
• Samadwara Reddy  The Vietoris–Rips Complexes of Finite Subsets of an Ellipse of Small Eccentricity  (2017) [with H. Adams]
• Lindsey Brown  An Application of Abstract Algebra to the Neural Code for Sound Localization in Barn Owls  (2016) [with M. Reed]
• David Builes  The Large Cardinal Hierarchy  (2016) [with R. Hodel]
• Kyle Casey  Siegel Modular Forms  (2016) [with L. Saper]
• Bryan Runjing Liu  Modeling the Effects of Positive and Negative Feedback in Kidney Blood Flow Control  (2016) [with A. Layton]
• Francois Thelot A Maximum Entropy Based Approach for the Description of the Conformational Ensemble of Calmodulin from Paramagnetic NMR (2016) [with M. Maggioni and B. Donald]
• Will Victor  Efficient algorithms for Traffic Data Analysis  (2016)[computer science with P. Agarwal]
• Paul Ziquan Yang  Morphisms with Only Mild Singular Fibers and Bertini Theorems over Finite Fields  (2016) [with C. Schoen]
• Rex Zhitao Ying  Approximation Algorithms of Dynamic Time Warping and Edit Distance  (2016) [computer science with P. Agarwal]
• Roger Zou  Deformable Graph Model for Trackng Epithelial Cell Sheets in Florescence Microscopy  (2016)[computer science with C. Tomasi]
• Anne Talkington  Modeling the Dynamics of Cancerous Cells in vivo  (2015) [with R. Durrett]
• Rowena Gan  Geometry of Impressionist Music  (2015) [with E. Miller]
• David Hemminger  Augmentation Rank of Satellites with Braid Pattern  (2015) [with L. Ng and C. Cornwell]
• Mandy Jiang  Dynamic random network model for human papilloma virus transmission  (2015) [with M. Ryser]
• Hunter Nisonoff  Efficient Partition Function Estimatation in Computational Protein Design  (2015) [with M. Maggioni]
• Eugene Rabinovich  The Conformal Manifold in N=(2,2) SCFTs    (2015)  [physics  with R. Plesser]
• Marshall Ratliff  Introducing the Cover tree to Music Information Retrieval  (2015) [with P. Bendich]
• Brett Schnobrich  Heisenberg-Weyl Group, Subspace Packings, and Image Processing  (2015) [with R. Calderbank]
• Christy Vaughn  Stochastic Study of Gerrymandering  (2015) [with J. Mattingly]
• Aashiq Dheeraj  A Stochastic Spatial Model for Tumor Growth  (2014) [with R. Durrett]
• Joshua Izzard  Rank p 2  Representations of Semisimple Lie Algebras  (2014) [with J. Getz]
• Kathleen Lan  Coalescing random walks on n-block Markov chains  (2014) [with K. McGoff]
• Leslie Lei Lei  Infinite Swapping Simulated Tempering  (2014) [with J. Lu]
• Julia Ni  A convex approach to tree-based wavelet compression  (2014) [with A. Thompson]
• Jiarou Ivy Shen  Merge times and hitting times of time-inhomogeneous Markov chains  (2014) [with D. Sivakoff]
• Daniel Stern  Low-Order Lagrangians Depending on a Metric and a Matter Field of Arbitrary Rank  (2014) [with H. Bray]
• Daniel Vitek  Knot Contact Homology and the Augmentation Polynomial  (2014) [with C. Cornwell]
• Alexander Wertheim  Complex Multiplication on Elliptic Curves  (2014) [with L. Saper]
• Luxi Wei  Modeling Credit Risk using Rating and Environmental Factors  (2014) [with R. Durrett]
• Timothy Chang  On the existence of a simple winning strategy in the T(4.3) knot game  (2013) [with D. Herzog]
• Conrad de Peuter  Modeling basketball games as alternating renewal-reward processes and predicting match outcomes  (2013) [with R. Durrett]
• Bryan Jacobson  A practical approximation of persistent local homology  (2013) [with P. Bendich]
• Kara Karpman  Simulating mucociliary transport using the method of regularized Stokelets  (2013) [with A. Layton]
• Carmen Lopez  Modeling the folate pathway in Escherichia coli  (2013) [with A. Layton]
• James Mallernee  Strategy and honesty based comparison of preferential ballot voting methods  (2013) [with H. Bray]
• William Zhang  Evolutionary dynamics in host pathogen model  (2013) [with R. Durrett]
• Ben Bellis  Investigation of a Local Computation of the Signature from the Triangulation of a Manifold  (2012) [with M. Stern]
• Adrian Chan  Pricing financial derivatives with multi-task machine learning and mixed effects method  (2012) [with J. Bouvrie]
• Kyu Won Choi  Relative contributions of common jumps in realized correlations  (2012) [with A. Petters]
• Veronica Ciocanel  Analysis of the nonlinear dynamics of the forced planar string pendulum  (2012) [with T. Witelski]
• Kaveh Danesh  A branching process model of ovarian cancer  (2012) [with R. Durrett]
• Theo Frehlinghuysen  Carbon sequestration via forest management techniques  (2012) [with D. Kraines]
• Yingyi Shen  A study of edge toric ideals using associated graphs  (2012) [with S. Mapes]
• Daniel Thielman  Complex-balanced steady state of chemical reaction networks that contain an Eulerian cycle  (2012) [with C. Berkesch]
• Kaitlin Daniels  Noise driven Transitions between stable equilibria in stochastic dynamical systems  (2011) [with A. Athreya]
• Alan Guo  Lattice point methods for combinatorial games  (2011) [with E. Miller]
• Nils Hultgren  Centrality and network analysis: A perturbative approach to dynamical importance  (2011) [with I. Matic]
• Hans Kist  Estimating carbon sequestration potential in the boreal forests  (2011) [with D. Kraines]
• Misha Lavrov  Invariants in Legendrian links in the solid torus  (2011) [with D. Rutherford]
• Philip Pham  Tubuloglomerular feedback signal transduction in the loops of Henle  (2011) [with A. Layton]
• Thames Sae Sue  A simple cardiac model exhibiting stationary discordant alternans  (2011) [with D. Schaeffer]
• Max Tabachnik  An analysis of preferential ballot voting methods  (2011) [with H. Bray]
• Bo Waggoner  A model of the foot and ankle in running  (2011) [with E. Bouzarth]
• Wutichai Chongchitmate  Classification of Legendrian knots and links  (2010) [with L. Ng]
• Jason D. Lee  Multiscale analysis of dynamic graphs  (2010) [with M. Maggioni]
• Jeremy Semko  Statistical analysis simulations of coarsening droplets coating a hydrophobic surface  (2010) [with T. Witelski]
• Amy Wen  Model of feedback-mediated dynamics of coupled nephrons with compliant thick ascending limbs  (2010) [with A. Layton]
• Jason Ferguson  Factorization of Primes in Biquadratic Extensions of Q  (2009) [with C. Schoen]
• Jared Haftel  A Closer Look at ADC multivariate GARCH  (2009) [with M. Huber]
• Mark Hallen  Improving accuracy and scope of quantitative FRAP analysis  (2009) [with A. Layton]
• Andy Ng  Retinoid Transport in the Vision cycle  (2009) [with J. Mercer]
• Aaron Pollack  Relations between special derivations arising from modular forms  (2009) [with R. Hain]
• Jesse Thorner  Simplicial homology and DeRham’s theorem  (2009) [with W. Allard]
• Barry Wright III  Objective measures of preferential ballot voting systems  (2009) [with H. Bray]
• Michael Bauer  Existence and stability of patterns arising from square wave forcing of the damped Mathieu equation  (2008) [with A. Catlla]
• Tirasan Khandhawit  On Legandrean and transverse knots  (2008) [with L. Ng]
• Aalok Shah  An overview of fast marching and optimal control methods for trajectory optimization  (2008) [with W. Allard]
• Charles Staats III  Application of discrete geometry to the construction of Laurent-rational zeros  (2008) [with S. Sharif]
• Elliott Wolf  Computational pathways to Godel’s first incompletness theorem  (2008) [with R. Hodel]
• Lingen Zhang  The motion of sets of vortices  (2008) [with T. Witelski]
• Morgan Brown  An algorithm for tracking persistence pairing of a discrete homotopy of Morse functions on S 2   (2007) [with J.Harer]
• Brandon Levin  Class field theory and the problem of representing primes by binary quadratic forms  (2007) [with L. Saper]
• Stepan Paul  Lines and conics relative to degenerating divisors in CP 2   (2007) [with J. Davis]
• James Zou  3-D reconstruction and topological analysis of root architecture  (2007) [with J. Harer]
• Pradeep Baliga  Dynamic cellular automata model of toll plaza traffic flows  (2006) [with W. G. Mitchener]
• Adam Chandler  Dynamic cellular automata model of toll plaza traffic flows  (2006) [with W. G. Mitchener]
• Matthew Fischer  Mapping model of cardiac-membrane dynamics  (2006) [with D. Schaeffer]
• Qinzheng Tian  Simulation of Newtonian fluid flow between rotating cylinders  (2006) [with T. Witelski]
• Yee Lok Wong  Models of instant runoff voting  (2006) [with J. Mattingly]
• Oaz Nir  Mechanical arms and algebraic topology  (2005) [with J.Harer]
• Mayank Varia  Explicit calculation of the L invariant for Kummer surfaces  (2005) [with J. Hanke]
• David Arthur  On the higher Hasse-Witt matrices and related in variants  (2004) [with W. Pardon]
• Suzy Borgschulte  A mathematical approach to the panting of dogs  (2004) [with M. Reed]
• Lauren M. Childs  Scaling population dynamics from the macroscopic to the microscopic  (2004) [with T. Kepler]
• Ryan Letchworth  Wavelet methods for numerical solutions of differential equations  (2004) [with S. Roudenko]
• David Marks  Coadjoint orbits and geometric quantization  (2004) [with M.R. Plesser]
• Lori Peacock  Distributions of the small eigenvalues of Wishart matrices  (2004) [with B. Rider]
• Lindsay C. Piechnik  Smooth reflexive 4-polytopes have quadratic triangulations  (2004) [with C. Haase]
• Matthew Toups  A solution to the D0-D4 system of equations  (2004) [with M. Stern]
• Jenna VanLiere  Mathematically modelling the growth and diversification of T-cell populations  (2004) [with T. Kepler]
• Matthew J. Atwood  Evaluating singular and nearly singular integrals numerically  (2003) [with J.T. Beale]
• Marie Guerraty  Controlling alternans in a cardiac map model  (2003) [with M. Romeo]
• Meredith C. Houlton  Classification of critical curves and preliminary analysis of caustics  (2003) [with A. Petters]
• Steven R. Nicklas  Envy and satisfaction in the public goods game  (2003) [with D. Kraines]
• Dane R. Voris  A numerical approach to the M t /M t /N t  queue with abandonment  (2003) [with B. Rider]
• Melanie Wood  Invariants and relations of the action of the absolute Galois group on dessins d’enfants and the algebraic fundamental group of the punctured sphere  (2003) [with R. Hain]
• Thomas W. Finley  Efficient Myrinet routing  (2002) [with W. Allard]
• Samuel W. Malone  Alternative Price Processes for Black-Scholes: Empirical Evidence and Theory  (2002) [with A. Petters]
• Carl Miller  Exponential Iterated Integrals and the Solvable Completion of Fundamental Groups  (2001) [with R. Hain]
• Daniel Neill  Optimality under Noise: Higher Memory Strategies for the Alternating Prisoner’s Dilemma  (2001) Computer Science [with D. Kraines]
• Luis Von Ahn  Models of the language of set theory and Zermelo Frankel axioms  (2000) [with R. Hodel]
• Christopher Beasley  Superconformal theories from Branes at Singularities  (1999) Physics [with R. Plesser]
• Alexander Brodie  Measurable Cardinals  (1999) [with R. Hodel]
• Jeffrey DiLisi  The Biology and Mathematics of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Testicular Axis  (1999) [with M. Reed]
• Garrett Mitchener  Lattices and Sphere Packing  (1999) [with R. Hain]
• Andrew O. Dittmer  Generalized Formulas for Circular Polygons  (1998) [with R. Hain]
• Richard R. Schneck  Set Theory and Cardinal Arithmetic  (1997) [with R. Hodel]
• Tung T. Tran  Counting Independent Subsets in Nearly Regular Graphs  (1997) [with G. Lawler]
• Paul A. Dreyer  Knot theory and the human pretzel game  (1995) [with J. Harer]
• Paul J. Koss  Effects of noise on the iterated prisoner’s dilemma  (1995) [with D. Kraines]
• Jeff Vanderkam  Eigenfunctions of an acoustic system  (1994) [with T. Beale]
• Linie Chang  Mathematics and immunology: Modeling antigen and antibody interactions  (1993) [with M. Reed]
• Sang H. Chin  Action of the Torelli group on the 3-fold cover of G-hole torus  (1993) [with R. Hain]
• Jennifer Slimowitz  Transitions of gaps between the integers N satisfying N q < j (1993) [with M. Reed]
• David Jones  Primality testing, factoring and continued fractions  (1992) [with C. Schoen]
• Will Schneeberger  The axiom diamond  (1992) [with J. Shoenfield]
• Jeanne Nielsen  Triply periodic minimal surfaces in  R 3  (1991) [with R. Bryant
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Harvard University Theses, Dissertations, and Prize Papers

The Harvard University Archives ’ collection of theses, dissertations, and prize papers document the wide range of academic research undertaken by Harvard students over the course of the University’s history.

Beyond their value as pieces of original research, these collections document the history of American higher education, chronicling both the growth of Harvard as a major research institution as well as the development of numerous academic fields. They are also an important source of biographical information, offering insight into the academic careers of the authors.

Spanning from the ‘theses and quaestiones’ of the 17th and 18th centuries to the current yearly output of student research, they include both the first Harvard Ph.D. dissertation (by William Byerly, Ph.D . 1873) and the dissertation of the first woman to earn a doctorate from Harvard ( Lorna Myrtle Hodgkinson , Ed.D. 1922).

Other highlights include:

• The collection of Mathematical theses, 1782-1839
• The 1895 Ph.D. dissertation of W.E.B. Du Bois, The suppression of the African slave trade in the United States, 1638-1871
• Ph.D. dissertations of astronomer Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (Ph.D. 1925) and physicist John Hasbrouck Van Vleck (Ph.D. 1922)
• Undergraduate honors theses of novelist John Updike (A.B. 1954), filmmaker Terrence Malick (A.B. 1966),  and U.S. poet laureate Tracy Smith (A.B. 1994)
• Undergraduate prize papers and dissertations of philosophers Ralph Waldo Emerson (A.B. 1821), George Santayana (Ph.D. 1889), and W.V. Quine (Ph.D. 1932)
• Undergraduate honors theses of U.S. President John F. Kennedy (A.B. 1940) and Chief Justice John Roberts (A.B. 1976)

What does a prize-winning thesis look like?

If you're a Harvard undergraduate writing your own thesis, it can be helpful to review recent prize-winning theses. The Harvard University Archives has made available for digital lending all of the Thomas Hoopes Prize winners from the 2019-2021 academic years.

Accessing These Materials

How to access materials at the Harvard University Archives

How to find and request dissertations, in person or virtually

How to find and request undergraduate honors theses

How to find and request Thomas Temple Hoopes Prize papers

How to find and request Bowdoin Prize papers

• email: Email
• Phone number 617-495-2461

Related Collections

Harvard faculty personal and professional archives, harvard student life collections: arts, sports, politics and social life, access materials at the harvard university archives.

BYU ScholarsArchive

Home > Computational, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences > Mathematics Education > Theses and Dissertations

Mathematics Education Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

Rigorous Verification of Stability of Ideal Gas Layers , Damian Anderson

Documentation of Norm Negotiation in a Secondary Mathematics Classroom , Michelle R. Bagley

New Mathematics Teachers' Goals, Orientations, and Resources that Influence Implementation of Principles Learned in Brigham Young University's Teacher Preparation Program , Caroline S. Gneiting

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Impact of Applying Visual Design Principles to Boardwork in a Mathematics Classroom , Jennifer Rose Canizales

Practicing Mathematics Teachers' Perspectives of Public Records in Their Classrooms , Sini Nicole White Graff

Parents' Perceptions of the Importance of Teaching Mathematics: A Q-Study , Ashlynn M. Holley

Engagement in Secondary Mathematics Group Work: A Student Perspective , Rachel H. Jorgenson

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Understanding College Students' Use of Written Feedback in Mathematics , Erin Loraine Carroll

Identity Work to Teach Mathematics for Social Justice , Navy B. Dixon

Developing a Quantitative Understanding of U-Substitution in First-Semester Calculus , Leilani Camille Heaton Fonbuena

The Perception of At-Risk Students on Caring Student-Teacher Relationships and Its Impact on Their Productive Disposition , Brittany Hopper

Variational and Covariational Reasoning of Students with Disabilities , Lauren Rigby

Structural Reasoning with Rational Expressions , Dana Steinhorst

Student-Created Learning Objects for Mathematics Renewable Assignments: The Potential Value They Bring to the Broader Community , Webster Wong

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Emotional Geographies of Beginning and Veteran Reformed Teachers in Mentor/Mentee Relationships , Emily Joan Adams

You Do Math Like a Girl: How Women Reason Mathematically Outside of Formal and School Mathematics Contexts , Katelyn C. Pyfer

Developing the Definite Integral and Accumulation Function Through Adding Up Pieces: A Hypothetical Learning Trajectory , Brinley Nichole Stevens

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Mathematical Identities of Students with Mathematics Learning Dis/abilities , Emma Lynn Holdaway

Teachers' Mathematical Meanings: Decisions for Teaching Geometric Reflections and Orientation of Figures , Porter Peterson Nielsen

Student Use of Mathematical Content Knowledge During Proof Production , Chelsey Lynn Van de Merwe

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Making Sense of the Equal Sign in Middle School Mathematics , Chelsea Lynn Dickson

Developing Understanding of the Chain Rule, Implicit Differentiation, and Related Rates: Towards a Hypothetical Learning Trajectory Rooted in Nested Multivariation , Haley Paige Jeppson

Secondary Preservice Mathematics Teachers' Curricular Reasoning , Kimber Anne Mathis

“Don’t Say Gay. We Say Dumb or Stupid”: Queering ProspectiveMathematics Teachers’ Discussions , Amy Saunders Ross

Aspects of Engaging Problem Contexts From Students' Perspectives , Tamara Kay Stark

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Addressing Pre-Service Teachers' Misconceptions About Confidence Intervals , Kiya Lynn Eliason

How Teacher Questions Affect the Development of a Potential Hybrid Space in a Classroom with Latina/o Students , Casandra Helen Job

Teacher Graphing Practices for Linear Functions in a Covariation-Based College Algebra Classroom , Konda Jo Luckau

Principles of Productivity Revealed from Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Discussions Around the Productiveness of Teacher Moves in Response to Teachable Moments , Kylie Victoria Palsky

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Curriculum Decisions and Reasoning of Middle School Teachers , Anand Mikel Bernard

Teacher Response to Instances of Student Thinking During Whole Class Discussion , Rachel Marie Bernard

Kyozaikenkyu: An In-Depth Look into Japanese Educators' Daily Planning Practices , Matthew David Melville

Analysis of Differential Equations Applications from the Coordination Class Perspective , Omar Antonio Naranjo Mayorga

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

The Principles of Effective Teaching Student Teachershave the Opportunity to Learn in an AlternativeStudent Teaching Structure , Danielle Rose Divis

Insight into Student Conceptions of Proof , Steven Daniel Lauzon

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Teacher Participation and Motivation inProfessional Development , Krystal A. Hill

Student Evaluation of Mathematical Explanations in anInquiry-Based Mathematics Classroom , Ashley Burgess Hulet

English Learners' Participation in Mathematical Discourse , Lindsay Marie Merrill

Mathematical Interactions between Teachers and Students in the Finnish Mathematics Classroom , Paula Jeffery Prestwich

Parents and the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics , Rebecca Anne Roberts

Examining the Effects of College Algebra on Students' Mathematical Dispositions , Kevin Lee Watson

Problems Faced by Reform Oriented Novice Mathematics Teachers Utilizing a Traditional Curriculum , Tyler Joseph Winiecke

Academic and Peer Status in the Mathematical Life Stories of Students , Carol Ann Wise

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

The Effect of Students' Mathematical Beliefs on Knowledge Transfer , Kristen Adams

Language Use in Mathematics Textbooks Written in English and Spanish , Kailie Ann Bertoch

Teachers' Curricular Reasoning and MKT in the Context of Algebra and Statistics , Kolby J. Gadd

Mathematical Telling in the Context of Teacher Interventions with Collaborative Groups , Brandon Kyle Singleton

An Investigation of How Preservice Teachers Design Mathematical Tasks , Elizabeth Karen Zwahlen

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Student Understanding of Limit and Continuity at a Point: A Look into Four Potentially Problematic Conceptions , Miriam Lynne Amatangelo

Exploring the Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching of Japanese Teachers , Ratu Jared R. T. Bukarau

Comparing Two Different Student Teaching Structures by Analyzing Conversations Between Student Teachers and Their Cooperating Teachers , Niccole Suzette Franc

Professional Development as a Community of Practice and Its Associated Influence on the Induction of a Beginning Mathematics Teacher , Savannah O. Steele

Types of Questions that Comprise a Teacher's Questioning Discourse in a Conceptually-Oriented Classroom , Keilani Stolk

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Student Teachers' Interactive Decisions with Respect to Student Mathematics Thinking , Jonathan J. Call

Manipulatives and the Growth of Mathematical Understanding , Stacie Joyce Gibbons

Learning Within a Computer-Assisted Instructional Environment: Effects on Multiplication Math Fact Mastery and Self-Efficacy in Elementary-Age Students , Loraine Jones Hanson

Mathematics Teacher Time Allocation , Ashley Martin Jones

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

How Student Positioning Can Lead to Failure in Inquiry-based Classrooms , Kelly Beatrice Campbell

Teachers' Decisions to Use Student Input During Class Discussion , Heather Taylor Toponce

A Conceptual Framework for Student Understanding of Logarithms , Heather Rebecca Ambler Williams

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

Growth in Students' Conceptions of Mathematical Induction , John David Gruver

Contextualized Motivation Theory (CMT): Intellectual Passion, Mathematical Need, Social Responsibility, and Personal Agency in Learning Mathematics , Janelle Marie Hart

Thinking on the Brink: Facilitating Student Teachers' Learning Through In-the-Moment Interjections , Travis L. Lemon

Understanding Teachers' Change Towards a Reform-Oriented Mathematics Classroom , Linnae Denise Williams

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

A Comparison of Mathematical Discourse in Online and Face-to-Face Environments , Shawn D. Broderick

The Influence of Risk Taking on Student Creation of Mathematical Meaning: Contextual Risk Theory , Erin Nicole Houghtaling

Uncovering Transformative Experiences: A Case Study of the Transformations Made by one Teacher in a Mathematics Professional Development Program , Rachelle Myler Orsak

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

Student Teacher Knowledge and Its Impact on Task Design , Tenille Cannon

How Eighth-Grade Students Estimate with Fractions , Audrey Linford Hanks

Similar but Different: The Complexities of Students' Mathematical Identities , Diane Skillicorn Hill

Choose Your Words: Refining What Counts as Mathematical Discourse in Students' Negotiation of Meaning for Rate of Change of Volume , Christine Johnson

Mathematics Student Teaching in Japan: A Multi-Case Study , Allison Turley Shwalb

Theses/Dissertations from 2007 2007

Applying Toulmin's Argumentation Framework to Explanations in a Reform Oriented Mathematics Class , Jennifer Alder Brinkerhoff

What Are Some of the Common Traits in the Thought Processes of Undergraduate Students Capable of Creating Proof? , Karen Malina Duff

Probing for Reasons: Presentations, Questions, Phases , Kellyn Nicole Farlow

One Problem, Two Contexts , Danielle L. Gigger

The Main Challenges that a Teacher-in-Transition Faces When Teaching a High School Geometry Class , Greg Brough Henry

Discovering the Derivative Can Be "Invigorating:" Mark's Journey to Understanding Instantaneous Velocity , Charity Ann Gardner Hyer

Theses/Dissertations from 2006 2006

How a Master Teacher Uses Questioning Within a Mathematical Discourse Community , Omel Angel Contreras

Determining High School Geometry Students' Geometric Understanding Using van Hiele Levels: Is There a Difference Between Standards-based Curriculum Students and NonStandards-based Curriculum Students? , Rebekah Loraine Genz

The Nature and Frequency of Mathematical Discussion During Lesson Study That Implemented the CMI Framework , Andrew Ray Glaze

Second Graders' Solution Strategies and Understanding of a Combination Problem , Tiffany Marie Hessing

What Does It Mean To Preservice Mathematics Teachers To Anticipate Student Responses? , Matthew M. Webb

Theses/Dissertations from 2005 2005

Fraction Multiplication and Division Image Change in Pre-Service Elementary Teachers , Jennifer J. Cluff

An Examination of the Role of Writing in Mathematics Instruction , Amy Jeppsen

Theses/Dissertations from 2004 2004

Reasoning About Motion: A Case Study , Tiffini Lynn Glaze

Theses/Dissertations from 2003 2003

An Analysis of the Influence of Lesson Study on Preservice Secondary Mathematics Teachers' View of Self-As Mathematics Expert , Julie Stafford

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What is expected from a mathematics student bachelor's thesis?

Well, I like maths, I like studying it and applying it. But I always feared the moment when I'd actually have to do a thesis. I'm in my third year of bachelor's studies. What I was wondering about is what kind of topic should I be looking for, for my thesis? It just is hard to me to see how I could actually research and contribute something to the field as a bachelor's student, as in something not trivial and that no one with much more education has come up with before.

From merely passing courses to coming up with something of mine is a huge leap for me, and I can't see how I can do something meaningful with the limited education I have. I'm feeling a bit like in maths, before say a phd there would be nothing new for me to come up with. I am interested in cryptography, so I was given by one of my teachers a paper on elliptic cryptography that seemed interesting and a nice starting point. But now I realise I don't know where to head.

• mathematics

• 9 The usual expectation in mathematics is that one give an original exposition of known material. This means that one digests and understands on one's own terms things already known, maybe filling them out with well chosen examples, and provides a coherent expository account. Only rarely does an undergraduate math thesis contain new research; the only student I've known who wrote a thesis containing real novelties later won a Fields Medal. It is the advisor's task to help you find a suitable and well delineated topic. –  Dan Fox Commented Jan 3, 2015 at 17:33
• 6 @DanFox, you should make your comment into an answer. –  Bill Barth Commented Jan 3, 2015 at 18:44

2 Answers 2

What is expected varies dramatically between different schools. In my experience, bachelor's projects in math can vary from trivial to nontrivial, and also from expository to original research, and the two scales are somewhat independent. I have supervised both trivial and nontrivial expository papers, as well as several undergraduate original research projects.

The concerns you have about being able to do research are common, but they are somewhat misplaced. You can almost certainly do more research than you believe you can do.

Here is an anecdote. In the 1980s, U.S. math departments began to offer "Research Opportunities for Undergraduates" (REUs), summer programs for undergrads to work on research. At the time, these were viewed very skeptically by many mathematicians. I have heard personal anecdotes that the NSF and NSA gave out a few initial grants on a purely experimental basis, not expecting to see very good results. But the projects flourished! Now there are many math REUs , and grants that allow schools to offer them are very competitive. The math community went from doubting that undergraduate research was possible to embracing it. Many math faculty are now required, or at least strongly encouraged, to mentor in undergraduate research if they expect to get tenure. See " Undergraduate Research in Mathematics Has Come of Age " from Notices of the AMS , 2014.

The key thing is to find a good project - which means finding a good advisor. Your advisor is responsible for finding a question that is accessible to you, for pointing out the background that you need to learn, and for mentoring you as you go. You still need to work on the research - we won't do it for you - but we don't expect you to operate as if you have already earned a PhD.

As the topic is still relevant to many others, please forgive my very late reply. (I sincerely hope that the person who posted this question did well and is in no need to read my response.)

Most bachelor theses are like the "appetizer" for a specific problem. It contains enough knowledge to get a good idea about the area, but it's kept simple so that "rookies" of that area still understand the content.

The most important questions should be covered. E.g:

(i) What am I talking about? -> Solving a PDE by approximations. (ii) Why? -> To approximate the dynamics in fluids (iii)Relevance of this thesis -> Explaining the advantages and disadvantages of my approach. (iv) How? -> Mathematical theory (v) How exactly? -> Explaining my code (vi) How good is my approach? -> Calculate accuracy (vii)Conclusion

As mathematics often tends to be, I sometimes feel overwhelmed with all the needed input. But as long as the chosen topic interests you (and yes, a good supervisor is very helpful), it's quite nice to deepen one's knowledge in a specific area.

Hopefully I could help someone with my experience.

I wish everyone success and passion!

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Home > Arts and Sciences > Mathematics > MATHEMATICSHONORS

Mathematics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Honors theses from 2024 2024.

Estimating the Payoffs of Variance Swaps using GARCH(1,1) and COGARCH(1,2) , Nicholas Zehnle

Improved Bounds for the Index Conjecture in Zero-Sum Theory , Andrew Pendleton

Honors Theses from 2023 2023

Automorphisms of a Generalized Quadrangle of Order 6 , Ryan Pesak

Demographic Noise and Fragmentation in Stochastic Extinction , Cameron Curtis

Design and Application of Surrogate Models for Hypersonic Inlet Physics , Owen Guch

Examining Factors Using Standard Subspaces and Antiunitary Representations , Paul Anderson

Merging Cross-Platform Gene Expression Data , Jiayi Xu

Minimal Network Structure for Turing Instability , Brendan Millis

Modeling the Effects of Seasonal Births and Predation on Disease Spread , Ally Introne

The Probability Distribution of the Kaplan-Meier Product-Limit Estimator and its Application to Bias and Interval Estimation , Yuxin Qin

Honors Theses from 2022 2022

Approximating Star-Discrepancy with a Genetic Algorithm , Isabel Agostino

Counting Holes in Physical Systems - Applications of Computational Homology to Systems in Physics - , Sage Stanish

Enumerating Switching Isomorphism Classes of Signed Graphs , Nathaniel Healy

Investigating Text Mining Techniques Within the Context of Politicized Social Media Data , Grace Smith

Investigating the Effectiveness of GARCH(1,2) and COGARCH(1,2) Models in Estimating Volatility in the S&P500 Index , Ethan Hackett

Modeling and Analyses of Mechanisms Underlying Network Synaptic Dynamics in Two Neural Circuits , Linda Ma

Modern Theory of Copositive Matrices , Yuqiao Li

Period Doubling Cascades from Data , Alexander Berliner

Schur Class Power Series over the Quaternions , Rongbiao Wang

The Enumeration of Minimum Path Covers of Trees , Merielyn Sher

The Minimum Number of Multiplicity 1 Eigenvalues Among Real Symmetric Matrices Whose Graph is a Tree , Jacob Zimmerman

Voting Rules and Properties , Zhuorong Mao

Honors Theses from 2021 2021

A Survey of Methods to Determine Quantum Symmetry of Graphs , Samantha Phillips

Blockchain in Healthcare: a New Perspective from Social Media Data , Andrew Caietti

Determining Quantum Symmetry in Graphs Using Planar Algebras , Akshata Pisharody

Reality and Strong Reality in Finite Symplectic Groups , Spencer Schrandt

The Minimum Number of Multiplicity 1 Eigenvalues among Real Symmetric Matrices whose Graph is a Tree , Wenxuan Ding

Toward a Holographic Transform for the Quantum Clebsch-Gordan Formula , Ethan Shelburne

Using Machine Learning to Track the Location of the Shock Train in Hypersonic Engines , Alison Reynolds

Honors Theses from 2020 2020

A Mathematical Model for the Trend and Prediction of Movie Revenue , Yuxin Shang

Analysis of Modelling Deficiencies that Contributed to the High Unanticipated Loan Losses Incurred During the Housing Price Collapse of the Great Recession , Jennifer Shulman

Dynamics of Sensory Integration of Olfactory and Mechanical Stimuli Within the Response Patterns of Moth Antennal Lobe Neurons , Harrison Tuckman

Learning & Planning for Self-Driving Ride-Hailing Fleets , Jack Morris

Non-linear Modifications of Black-Scholes Pricing Model with Diminishing Marginal Transaction Cost , Kaidi Wang

Nonnegative Matrix Factorization Problem , Junda An

RMSE-Minimizing Confidence Intervals for the Binomial Parameter , Kexin Feng

Stage-structured Blue Crab Population Model with Fishing, Predation and Cannibalism , Fangming Xu

Honors Theses from 2019 2019

A General Weil-Brezin Map and Some Applications , Benjamin Bechtold

Continuous Opinion Dynamics on an Adaptive Network , Xinyu Zhang

Disentanglement of Whisker Deflection Velocity and Direction , Srijan Bhasin

Eventually Positive Matrices and Tree Sign Patterns , Madellyne Waugh

Minimal Principal Series Representations of SL(3,R) , Jacopo Gliozzi

Partial Difference Sets in Nonabelian Groups and Strongly Regular Cayley Graphs , Gabrielle Tauscheck

Rankin-Cohen Brackets and Fusion Rules for Discrete Series Representations of SL(2,R) , Emilee Cardin

Spectrogram Analysis of Blood Pressure on Neonates with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) , Tianrui Zhu

Totally Positive Completable Matrix Patterns and Expansion , David Allen

Honors Theses from 2018 2018

A Mathematical Study of Competition and Adoption of Two Consumer Products , Chengli Huang

A New Upper Bound for the Diameter of the Cayley Graph of a Symmetric Group , Hangwei Zhuang

Counting Real Conjugacy Classes in Some Finite Classical Groups , Elena Amparo

Implementation and Analysis of the Nonlinear Decomposition Attack on Polycyclic Groups , Yoongbok Lee

Modeling Social Interactions of Yeast Biofilms with a Stochastic Spatial Simulation , Aparajita Sur

Potential Stability of Matrix Sign Patterns , Christopher Hambric

Strongly Real Conjugacy Classes in Unitary Groups over Fields of Even Characteristic , Tanner N. Carawan

The Doubly Stochastic Single Eigenvalue Problem: An Empirical Approach , John Wilkes and Charles Royal Johnson

TP Matrices and TP Completability , Duo Wang

Ultra-High Dimensional Statistical Learning , Yanxin Xu

Honors Theses from 2017 2017

A Mathematical Model of Economic Growth of Two Geographical Regions , Xin Zou

Center Manifold Theory and Computation Using a Forward Backward Approach , Emily E. Schaal

Involutions and Total Orthogonality in Some Finite Classical Groups , Gregory K. Taylor

Saving Babies Using Big Data , Evan Dienstman

Spatial Analysis with Applications on Real Estate Market Price Prediction , Yujing Zheng

TP and TN Completability of Border Patterns , Haoge Chang

Honors Theses from 2016 2016

Computing All Isolated Invariant Sets at a Finite Resolution , Martin Salgado-Flores

Graph packing with constraints on edges , Fangyi Xu

Growing Networks with Positive and Negative Links , Corynne Smith Dech

Normal Matrices Subordinate to a Graph , Morrison Turnansky

Relaxed Coloring of Sparse Graphs , Michael C. Kopreski

Row and Column Distributions of Letter Matrices , Xiaonan Hu

(Un)Stable Manifold Computation via Iterative Forward-Backward Runge-Kutta Type Methods , Dmitriy Zhigunov

Honors Theses from 2015 2015

On the Non-Symmetric Spectra of Certain Graphs , Owen Hill

Relaxation of Planar Graphs With d∆≥2 and No 4-Cycles , Heather A. Hoskins

Honors Theses from 2014 2014

Basins of Attraction for Pulse-Coupled Oscillators , Ryan Gryder

Combinatorially Derived Properties of Young Tableaux , James R. Janopaul-Naylor

Linear and Nonlinear Trees: Multiplicity Lists of Symmetric Matrices , Eric Wityk

Local Zeta Functions over p-Adic Fields , Stephen P. Cameron

Nonlinear Models of Zooplankton Communities , Catherine King

Honors Theses from 2013 2013

A Population Density Model of Domain Calcium-Mediated Inactivation of L-Type Ca Channels , Kiah Hardcastle

Finding Open Locating Dominating Sets on Infinite and Finite Graphs , Allison Oldham

On Almost Normal Matrices , Tyler J. Moran

Statistical Inference Based on Upper Record Values , Daniel J. Luckett

Honors Theses from 2012 2012

A Model for Blue Crab Population in the Chesapeake Bay , Timothy J. Becker

Analysis and Simulation of an Optimal Control Model of an Oyster Population Displaying an Allee Effect , Timothy Raymond McDade

Circadian Oscillations of the Intestinal Stem Cell Lineage , Brian Waldman

Finding the Minimum Randic Index , Sarah Joyce Kunkler

Fixed Points of Pick and Stieltjes functions: A Linear Algebraic Approach , Nicholas Andrew Woods

Global Dynamics of Pulse-Coupled Oscillators , Allison Leslie Corish

Perfect Partitions of Some (0,1)-Matrices , Jeffrey Soosiah

Permutations with Extremal Routings on Cycles , Luis Alejandro Valentin

Strongly Real Conjugacy Classes of the Finite Unitary Group , Zach Gates

Synchronous Oscillatory Solutions in a Two Patch Predator-Prey Model , Matthew H. Becker

The Laplacian on Isotropic Quantum Graphs: Solutions and Applications , Patrick King

Honors Theses from 2011 2011

A New Lower Bound on the Minimum Density of Vertex Identifying Codes for the Infinite Hexagonal Grid , Ariel J. Cukierman

Basins of Attraction in Stage Structured Populations , Georgia Waite Pfeiffer

Critical Exponents: Old and New , Olivia J. Walch

Factoring Banded Permutations and Bounds on the Density of Vertex Identifying Codes on the Infinite Snub Hexagonal Grid , Chase A. Albert

Persistent Activity in Assortative Networks of Integrate and Fire Neurons , Matthew D. Peppe

Poles and Zeros of Generalized Carathéodory Class Functions , Yael Gilboa

Solution Theory for Systems of Bilinear Equations , Dian Yang

Topological Characterization of Extinction in a Coupled Ricker Patch Model , Benjamin Robert Holman

Honors Theses from 2010 2010

Bistability in Differential Equation Model of Oyster Population and Sediment Volume , William Crowell Jordan-Cooley

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Home > FACULTIES > Applied Mathematics > APMATHS-ETD

Applied Mathematics Theses and Dissertations

This collection contains theses and dissertations from the Department of Applied Mathematics, collected from the Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Theses/Dissertations from 2024 2024

Osculating Curves , Sepideh Bahrami

Host-Pathogen Co-evolution with Various Transmission Modes of Infection and Density-Dependent Dynamics , bita ghodsi

Impact of fluctuating selection on genetic variation when new mutations are expected to be deleterious , Zahra Shafiei

Impact of Energy Allocation on Fish's Age and Weight at Maturation by Mathematical Models , Siyi Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Visual Cortical Traveling Waves: From Spontaneous Spiking Populations to Stimulus-Evoked Models of Short-Term Prediction , Gabriel B. Benigno

Spike-Time Neural Codes and their Implication for Memory , Alexandra Busch

Study of Behaviour Change and Impact on Infectious Disease Dynamics by Mathematical Models , Tianyu Cheng

Series Expansions of Lambert W and Related Functions , Jacob Imre

Data-Driven Exploration of Coarse-Grained Equations: Harnessing Machine Learning , Elham Kianiharchegani

Pythagorean Vectors and Rational Orthonormal Matrices , Aishat Olagunju

The Magnetic Field of Protostar-Disk-Outflow Systems , Mahmoud Sharkawi

A Highly Charged Topic: Intrinsically Disordered Proteins and Protein pKa Values , Carter J. Wilson

Population Dynamics and Bifurcations in Predator-Prey Systems with Allee Effect , Yanni Zeng

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

A Molecular Dynamics Study Of Polymer Chains In Shear Flows and Nanocomposites , Venkat Bala

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Complete Hopf and Bogdanov-Takens Bifurcation Analysis on Two Epidemic Models , Yuzhu Ruan

A Theoretical Perspective on Parasite-Host Coevolution with Alternative Modes of Infection , George N. Shillcock

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Mathematical Modelling & Simulation of Large and Small Scale Structures in Star Formation , Gianfranco Bino

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Credit Risk Measurement and Application based on BP Neural Networks , Jingshi Luo

Coevolution of Hosts and Pathogens in the Presence of Multiple Types of Hosts , Evan J. Mitchell

SymPhas: A modular API for phase-field modeling using compile-time symbolic algebra , Steven A. Silber

Population and Evolution Dynamics in Predator-prey Systems with Anti-predation Responses , Yang Wang

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

The journey of a single polymer chain to a nanopore , Navid Afrasiabian

Exploration Of Stock Price Predictability In HFT With An Application In Spoofing Detection , Andrew Day

Multi-Scale Evolution of Virulence of HIV-1 , David W. Dick

Contraction Analysis of Functional Competitive Lotka-Volterra Systems: Understanding Competition Between Modified Bacteria and Plasmodium within Mosquitoes. , Nickolas Goncharenko

Phage-Bacteria Interaction and Prophage Sequences in Bacterial Genomes , Amjad Khan

The Effect of the Initial Structure on the System Relaxation Time in Langevin Dynamics , Omid Mozafar

Mathematical modelling of prophage dynamics , Tyler Pattenden

Hybrid Symbolic-Numeric Computing in Linear and Polynomial Algebra , Leili Rafiee Sevyeri

Abelian Integral Method and its Application , Xianbo Sun

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Algebraic Companions and Linearizations , Eunice Y. S. Chan

Algorithms for Mappings and Symmetries of Differential Equations , Zahra Mohammadi

Algorithms for Bohemian Matrices , Steven E. Thornton

A Survey Of Numerical Quadrature Methods For Highly Oscillatory Integrals , Jeet Trivedi

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Properties and Computation of the Inverse of the Gamma function , Folitse Komla Amenyou

Optimization Studies and Applications: in Retail Gasoline Market , Daero Kim

Models of conflict and voluntary cooperation between individuals in non-egalitarian social groups , Cody Koykka

Investigation of chaos in biological systems , Navaneeth Mohan

Bifurcation Analysis of Two Biological Systems: A Tritrophic Food Chain Model and An Oscillating Networks Model , Xiangyu Wang

Ecology and Evolution of Dispersal in Metapopulations , Jingjing Xu

Selected Topics in Quantization and Renormalization of Gauge Fields , Chenguang Zhao

Three Essays on Structural Models , Xinghua Zhou

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

On Honey Bee Colony Dynamics and Disease Transmission , Matthew I. Betti

Simulation of driven elastic spheres in a Newtonian fluid , Shikhar M. Dwivedi

Feasible Computation in Symbolic and Numeric Integration , Robert H.C. Moir

Modelling Walleye Population and Its Cannibalism Effect , Quan Zhou

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Dynamics of Discs in a Nematic Liquid Crystal , Alena Antipova

Modelling the Impact of Climate Change on the Polar Bear Population in Western Hudson Bay , Nicole Bastow

A comparison of solution methods for Mandelbrot-like polynomials , Eunice Y. S. Chan

A model-based test of the efficacy of a simple rule for predicting adaptive sex allocation , Joshua D. Dunn

Universal Scaling Properties After Quantum Quenches , Damian Andres Galante

Modeling the Mass Function of Stellar Clusters Using the Modified Lognormal Power-Law Probability Distribution Function , Deepakshi Madaan

Bacteria-Phage Models with a Focus on Prophage as a Genetic Reservoir , Alina Nadeem

A Sequence of Symmetric Bézout Matrix Polynomials , Leili Rafiee Sevyeri

Study of Infectious Diseases by Mathematical Models: Predictions and Controls , SM Ashrafur Rahman

The survival probability of beneficial de novo mutations in budding viruses, with an emphasis on influenza A viral dynamics , Jennifer NS Reid

Essays in Market Structure and Liquidity , Adrian J. Walton

Computation of Real Radical Ideals by Semidefinite Programming and Iterative Methods , Fei Wang

Studying Both Direct and Indirect Effects in Predator-Prey Interaction , Xiaoying Wang

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

The Effect of Diversification on the Dynamics of Mobile Genetic Elements in Prokaryotes: The Birth-Death-Diversification Model , Nicole E. Drakos

Algorithms to Compute Characteristic Classes , Martin Helmer

Studies of Contingent Capital Bonds , Jingya Li

Determination of Lie superalgebras of supersymmetries of super differential equations , Xuan Liu

Edge states and quantum Hall phases in graphene , Pavlo Piatkovskyi

Evolution of Mobile Promoters in Prokaryotic Genomes. , Mahnaz Rabbani

Extensions of the Cross-Entropy Method with Applications to Diffusion Processes and Portfolio Losses , Alexandre Scott

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

A Molecular Simulation Study on Micelle Fragmentation and Wetting in Nano-Confined Channels , Mona Habibi

Study of Virus Dynamics by Mathematical Models , Xiulan Lai

Applications of Stochastic Control in Energy Real Options and Market Illiquidity , Christian Maxwell

Options Pricing and Hedging in a Regime-Switching Volatility Model , Melissa A. Mielkie

Optimal Contract Design for Co-development of Companion Diagnostics , Rodney T. Tembo

Bifurcation of Limit Cycles in Smooth and Non-smooth Dynamical Systems with Normal Form Computation , Yun Tian

Understanding Recurrent Disease: A Dynamical Systems Approach , Wenjing Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Pricing and Hedging Index Options with a Dominant Constituent Stock , Helen Cheyne

On evolution dynamics and strategies in some host-parasite models , Liman Dai

Valuation of the Peterborough Prison Social Impact Bond , Majid Hasan

Sensitivity Analysis of Minimum Variance Portfolios , Xiaohu Ji

Eigenvalue Methods for Interpolation Bases , Piers W. Lawrence

Hybrid Lattice Boltzmann - Molecular Dynamics Simulations With Both Simple and Complex Fluids , Frances E. Mackay

Ecological Constraints and the Evolution of Cooperative Breeding , David McLeod

A single cell based model for cell divisions with spontaneous topology changes , Anna Mkrtchyan

Analysis of Re-advanceable Mortgages , Almas Naseem

Modeling leafhopper populations and their role in transmitting plant diseases. , Ji Ruan

Topological properties of modular networks, with a focus on networks of functional connections in the human brain , Estefania Ruiz Vargas

Computation Sequences for Series and Polynomials , Yiming Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

A Real Options Valuation of Renewable Energy Projects , Natasha Burke

Approximate methods for dynamic portfolio allocation under transaction costs , Nabeel Butt

Optimal clustering techniques for metagenomic sequencing data , Erik T. Cameron

Phase Field Crystal Approach to the Solidification of Ferromagnetic Materials , Niloufar Faghihi

Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Peptide-Mineral Interactions , Susanna Hug

Molecular Dynamics Studies of Water Flow in Carbon Nanotubes , Alexander D. Marshall

Valuation of Multiple Exercise Options , T. James Marshall

Incomplete Market Models of Carbon Emissions Markets , Walid Mnif

Topics in Field Theory , Alexander Patrushev

Pricing and Trading American Put Options under Sub-Optimal Exercise Policies , William Wei Xing

Further applications of higher-order Markov chains and developments in regime-switching models , Xiaojing Xi

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

Bifurcations and Stability in Models of Infectious Diseases , Bernard S. Chan

Real Options Models in Real Estate , Jin Won Choi

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Does writing a bachelor thesis make sense?

I am a math student in my fourth semester. At my university, it is common to write a bachelor-thesis in the end of the bachelor program in almost all subjects while in the math undergraduate program there is none. As I asked around why there is none, I often got the answer that a math student with such a "small" amount of mathematical knowledge is just not able to write a proper scientific paper. I absolutely agree with this argument, but I also know that there are other universities offering a bachelor thesis in math.

So I went to one of our advisers and asked him what he thinks about it and if there is maybe a possibility to write a small paper during my undergraduate studies. He answered that if I find a good topic and I can persuade one of my professors to be the advisor, I can write one. But he added that something like this will require a lot of effort from my side and it would maybe be better to invest it in some lectures.

What do you think? Does it make sense to write something like that so early or should I follow the advice and attend lectures instead? Did you write a bachelor thesis? Is there maybe a list with accurate topics such that I could look over it?

P.S I hope this is not off topic... otherwise let me know and I will immediately delete the question.

• soft-question

• $\begingroup$ I think this is a good question, but it should be asked on matheducators.stackexchange.com $\endgroup$ –  user35603 Commented Apr 12, 2014 at 12:43
• $\begingroup$ @user35603 I didnt know about this SE. Thanks a lot! $\endgroup$ –  Thorben Commented Apr 12, 2014 at 12:44
• $\begingroup$ Please avoid the tags undergraduate-research and research . We are trying to remove them. $\endgroup$ –  Caleb Stanford Commented Jul 24, 2016 at 19:53

3 Answers 3

Yes. It's true that the undergraduate knows almost nothing and would certainly be not qualified to write an original scientific paper. But there are some advantages:

You do not know enough to write an original essay, but if you write it, you'll get used to writing academic papers: You get used to $\LaTeX$, you get used to the schedule of an academic paper, etc.

At some universities, these papers made by undergraduate students do not need to be something original, suppose you make a small calculus book that has a nice (and easy to write) feature, you're helping others to learn. The work might not be original, but it's useful anyway.

• 1 $\begingroup$ Your first point is actually the reason I am still thinking about it. Since I have to wirte a thesis in my Master anyway it would somehow make sense to gain first experiance by already writting a "paper" during my bachelor. $\endgroup$ –  Thorben Commented Apr 12, 2014 at 12:50

You'll have to first look carefully at what are the requirements of a bachelor's thesis if you choose to embark on writing one. Doing original mathematics research that you can write up in a form that is basically suitable for publication is a complex process that usually cannot be undertaken solely by an undergraduate. You would need a good adviser to help you in your project. Such an adviser should ideally be able to (1) come up with one or more problems that are suitable for undergraduates (this often involves knowing the literature in one field of mathematics fairly well and translating a more general problem in the literature into a special case that is suitable for an undergraduate's current background level); (2) be able to offer hints and suggestions when your first attempts to solve the problem inevitably fail (i.e. you're supposed to struggle with a problem if it is one that is in need of an original solution); and (3) guide you through the process of turning your discovered results into a well-written publication.

At many universities, the requirement that an undergraduate contribute original research in this strict sense of solving an unsolved problem is typically relaxed. Often, it is acceptable for an undergraduate to write an expository paper on an advanced topic in mathematics. Thus, issues (1) and (2) above are replaced with an adviser being able to (1') select an appropriate level of advancement for the type of project you are interested (i.e. not too simple and not too difficult) and (2') suggest specific references to consult and specific examples to work out to help you understand the topic well enough to be able to explain to others.

The latter task is much more feasible as a first exposure to research. It involves many of the skills that you will use in future research if you decide to pursue a post-graduate degree in mathematics. But it relieves you of the pressure of coming up with new results. You would still learn a lot about mathematical writing and it is certainly not trivial to learn about an advanced topic well enough to be able to write a good expository paper on the topic.

If you decide to pursue a project along the former lines, then you should be sure that you pick an adviser who has some experience with guiding students in this type of project. (Because your university does not require such a bachelor's thesis, this may be a non-trivial task.) You should have a long period of time to work on the project and should get started as soon as possible. Without any experience in mathematical writing, you should aim to complete your research first and obtain results suitable to write up several months before the bachelor's thesis is due. You will need that additional time to learn how to write up your work using LaTeX and will likely have to create many drafts before you produce a suitable document. Trying to do original research at the same time as you are trying to learn how to write a substantial mathematical document for the first time is a recipe for likely disaster.

I think it's a fine idea to embark on a thesis involving research.

Showing you can "learn math" and have learned a solid core of undergraduate math is certainly important.

But it is also important to show that you have the independence, ambition, creativity, and determination to "do math".

The first you can accomplish through taking lectures/classes that cover some of the core concepts expected of a math undergraduate.

The second you can do by deciding upon a thesis topic, doing some preliminary work, as in a literature review, presenting the proposal to a potential advisor, securing an advisor, and most importantly, doing the research and "doing the math" required to write an appropriate thesis. Even better, you might even want to submit it to an appropriate journal that publishes undergraduate and/or graduate research in mathematics.

So if the idea of writing an undergraduate thesis appeal to you, and you are willing to commit to the work involved, then GO FOR IT!

• $\begingroup$ Thanks for this answer. It makes courage :D. But how should I find a topic? I even do not know what are of math I like the most... $\endgroup$ –  Thorben Commented Apr 12, 2014 at 12:53
• $\begingroup$ As amWhy wrote, do it in the area you prefer ! It will be a very good exercise for you. $\endgroup$ –  Claude Leibovici Commented Apr 12, 2014 at 13:48

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Universität Bonn

Preparation of the Final Thesis

The mathematics degree programs conclude with a Bachelor's or Master's thesis, in which independent work on a mathematical topic is to be demonstrated. The Examination Board has compiled the most important requirements for theses and some assessment criteria as guidelines.

• Please read the document carefully before you register your thesis.
• When registering the thesis, you confirm with your signature that you have taken note of the requirements in the document.

The teacher training programs also end with a final thesis. This can be completed in the subject mathematics.

Rules for Theses in the Subject-Specific Study Programs

Here you will find the regulations for registering and submitting final theses that apply to both mathematics programs. Specific deadlines and rules are listed under the respective degree program.

As a rule, students find a supervisor for their thesis on their own initiative.

• Every professor of mathematics in Bonn can of course assign topics for theses.
• Many other doctoral lecturers at Bonn Mathematics have been appointed by the Examination Board to supervise theses. You can enquire about this with the person concerned.
• One of the two reviewers must always be a professor of mathematics at Bonn University.
• If you have not found a supervisor yourself, you can also have one assigned to you by the Examination Board . In this case, please contact the Bachelor-Master Office Mathematics.

The thesis must be registered using the form Registration of the Thesis .The form must be signed by both you and the supervisor of the thesis.

• The form must state the topic of the thesis and your first supervisor.
• You also confirm that you have taken note of the requirements for the final theses of your degree program.
• At the same time, you will be registered for the seminar accompanying your thesis.
• The registration form must be submitted to the Bachelor-Master Office Mathematics immediately after the topic has been assigned and within four weeks of the supervisor's signature.
• If the registration form is received in February or August, the thesis can still be assessed in the semester in which it is submitted.
• For the accompanying thesis seminar you earn 6 credit points. It is registered for the semester in which your thesis is due for submission.
• During the time you are working on your thesis, there are usually three presentations in the thesis seminar on the topic of the thesis and the results achieved.
• The examination of the thesis seminar consists of a graded (final) presentation, which should be held shortly before or shortly after the submission of the thesis. 
• The day on which you give the graded presentation is an examination date and is therefore relevant for your degree.
• Therefore, please make sure that the presentation takes place before the end of the semester in which you wish to graduate.
• The deadline for submitting your thesis is calculated from the signature date of your supervisor plus the working time.
• You can see the submission date of your thesis in BASIS.
• The deadline for submitting your thesis is strict. If you submit the thesis after this date, it will be failed.
• Please note that you are responsible for meeting the submission deadline. Your supervisors are not necessarily aware of your submission deadline, and in no case could they change the deadline for you, as this is set by the examination regulations.
• In the event of illness , the deadline can be extended by up to six weeks.

The thesis must be submitted on time in the required number of copies together with the form Submission of the Thesis at the Bachelor-Master Office Mathematics . On the submission form, you confirm that you have written the paper independently and have not used any sources or aids other than those specified and that you have indicated any quotations.

Requirements:

• DIN A4, printed on both sides, with cover page
• in a bound version (no spiral bindings please!)
• If programming code or similar is available, it must be attached to each copy of the work on a CD or a USB stick that is as flat as possible (do not send it by e-mail). The CD or stick must be glued to the last page of a copy.
• A single copy of the submission form must be submitted separately.

Options for submitting the thesis:

• personal delivery during office hours
• personal delivery after making an appointment outside office hours
• by post to the Bachelor-Master Office Mathematics The date of the postmark is decisive for the submission.

The thesis is evaluated by two assessors.

• The first assessor is the person who provided the topic of the thesis.
• The second assessor must be proposed by you when you submit your thesis. You are therefore responsible for finding a suitable second reviewer. On request, the supervisor can of course help you with this.
• Both reviewers must be noted on the title page of the thesis (see templates for the title page).

As a rule, the candidate is notified of the thesis' evaluation six to eight weeks after the submission date.

Bachelor's Thesis (B.Sc. Mathematik)

• The topic of the Bachelor's thesis is usually assigned towards the end of the fifth semester.
• You need to have earned at leat 90 credit points in order to register the Bachelor's thesis.

The working period of a Bachelor's thesis is five months.

• The Bachelor's thesis is estimated to require a workload of 360 hours.
• Therefore it earns 12 credit points.

The text part of the Bachelor's thesis must be between 5 and 50 pages long.

• Deviations from this require the approval of the Examination Board.
• In this case, please obtain the consent of both your advisors.
• Then send an application by e-mail to the Bachelor-Master Office Mathematics .

The language of the Bachelor's degree program is German. You can write your Bachelor's thesis in English if

• your supervisor agrees with it and
• the thesis contains a summary in German.

There is a coursework for the Bachelor's thesis seminar, the training in subject-specific literature research . It will be noted in BASIS when you register your Bachelor's thesis and it is a prerequisite for passing the Bachelor's thesis seminar.

The training courses are offered by the University and State Library in the form of a one-off two-hour course. The course imparts knowledge that is very useful for academic work, especially when writing a Bachelor's thesis, for example the use of the relevant academic online archives.

• The courses are held in the MNL departmental library in the training room on the 1st floor.
• Usually three dates are offered every semester, each on a Monday or Wednesday from 16.15 to 18.00 hrs.
• You can register for a date via an online form.

After you have taken part in a course, we will enter the coursework as passed in BASIS.

• You must complete this training shortly before or during the time you are working on your Bachelor's thesis.

The title page of your Bachelor's thesis must be agreed with your supervisor.

• In particular, make sure that you name the correct institute to which your supervisor belongs.
• Please use our LaTeX-template for the title page of your Bachelor's thesis.

The submission deadline for the Bachelor's thesis is 5 months after the date on which the supervisor signed the application.

• Three copies of the Bachelor's thesis must be submitted.

Master's Thesis (M.Sc. Mathematics)

• The topic of the Master's thesis is usually assigned towards the end of the second semester.
• You need to have earned at leat 30 credit points in order to register the Master's thesis.

The working period of a Master's thesis is twelve months.

• The Master's thesis is estimated to require a workload of 900 hours.
• Therefore it earns 30 credit points.

The text part of the Master's thesis must be between 10 and 100 pages long.

The language of the Master's degree program is English. You can write your Master's thesis in German if

• the thesis contains a summary in English.

The title page of your Master's thesis must be agreed with your supervisor.

• Please use our LaTeX-template for the title page of your Master's thesis.

The submission deadline for the Master's thesis is 12 months after the date on which the supervisor signed the application.

• Four copies of the Master's thesis must be submitted. One copy will be made available to the Mathematics Library.

If you would like to apply for a PhD position at BIGS Mathematics you should find out about the application process at the beginning of the third Master's semester.

Reimbursement of the Printing Costs for the Thesis

The printing costs for the required copies of your thesis can be reimbursed upon application. This also applies to theses in the teacher training programs that were written in mathematics.

• Please fill out the application form and hand it in at the Bachelor-Master Office Mathematics.
• The enclosed original receipt must show the number of copies printed.
• Please attach the receipts to the separately printed page 2 of the form using a glue stick.

Please submit the form promptly, as the original receipts are only valid for 6 months.

Examination Office Mathematics