Rose-Hulman Mathematics Research & Publications

Faculty Research Interests and Expertise

The faculty at Rose-Hulman have a variety of teaching and research interests. Notable among the faculty interests are:

• algebra, group theory, algebraic combinatorics  
• applied statistics 
• computer algebra systems in mathematics education 
• differential geometry and geometric modelling
• discrete mathematics, combinatorics 
• dynamical systems and Hamiltonian systems 
• geometry/topology 
• hysteresis modeling
• integral equations and associated inverse problems
• mathematical problem solving 
• mathematical modeling and simulation 
• number theory, arithmetic algebriac geometry, and cryptography 
• numerical analysis 
• operations research 
• partial differential equations 
• scientific computation
• topology

Several faculty are also interested in applications in the following areas:

• thermal imaging 
• imaging systems and image processing 
• applications of linear algebra 
• statistical consulting
• models and controls for actuators based on shape memory alloys or piezoelectric materials

For faculty expertise please see our list of faculty interests or the individual faculty web pages.

Student Research

    Research by undergraduates is nurtured in several different ways at Rose-Hulman. We encourage our own students to engage in research and industrial projects and to disseminate it through publications and presentations.  Some of this research and project work is accomplished through our project work programs (see below) as well as undergraduate research seminar courses and summer programs.  Starting with graduates in 2009 all math major will be required to complete either an unergraduate thesis or senior project (application of mathemtics). Off campus students are attracted to Rose-Hulman both to participate in research in our NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates summer program and to present research in our annual Conference in Undergraduate Mathematics, and to publish it in our Undergraduate Mathematics Journal. 

Project Work and Applied Research

    One of the strengths of Rose-Hulman's overall program is project work experience. This give students an opportunity to work on real-world, client-sponsored problems before graduation.  Students find the projects exciting because it combines application of the coursework (mathematical and otherwise) with realistic situations, creative problem solving, teamwork, and interaction with a client. Mathematics students have participated in project work in statistical analysis of product testing, production scheduling, the Solar racecar and Aerial Robotics club.  The Mathematics department is a participating department in the Imaging Systems Certificate (in this section of the bulletin), a source of additional projects.

The Institute has received about $11 million from various sources to support this work with industry and clients. Through the TED entrepreneurial and technology research program student teams with faculty mentors are encouraged to work with industrial clients. Much of the project work is carried out in the Meyer's Center that provides specialized facilities for project work. In addition, Rose-Hulman has recently received almost $50 million to create Rose-Hulman Ventures, a high-tech business incubator at our Aleph Park campus. The Center's primary goal is to help transform the Indiana economy by encouraging an supporting high-tech startups, but it also helps create additional applied research and consulting opportunities for faculty and students.

Publications and Archives

The department's electronic journal the Rose Hulman Undergraduate Math Journal, exclusively devoted to undergraduate mathematics research went live with its first volume in late March 2000.   The department also maintains a Mathematical Sciences Technical Report Series that functions both as as a preprint series for formal publications for faculty and students, and as a final form publication vehicle for some of our student research. 

In addition Rose faculty have created the following archives of electronic undergraduate mathematics resources: Complex, Technology Based Problems in Calculus, the Cwatsets Home Page, Tilings Home Page, and the Inverse Problems Home Page.