Research in Linear Algebra
with Undergraduates
David Strong
Pepperdine University
BACKGROUND & HOW I STARTED
• My university values work with students, but not as
much as publications.
• I had a few ideas about work I might do, but
didn’t do anything about them until after tenured.
(I worked on projects that were too advanced for
students and which led to publications.)
• My experience is that most undergraduate research
projects don’t lead to a publication. To me, that’s
acceptable—the project is more for the experience
of the students.
BACKGROUND & HOW I STARTED
• I’ve worked on nine projects with sixteen students
since being tenured in 2006.
• All (except one) students were in classes with me,
and I invited them to work with me. (I invited one
student to work with me based on a colleague’s
recommendation—this turned out to be the
weakest of all of my students.)
• The majority of the students were math majors, but
a few were from CS and Physics.
• Most were juniors and seniors, but a couple were
well qualified sophomores.
GOALS FOR MY STUDENTS
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Develop mathematical breadth and depth.
Become more persistent and careful problem solvers.
Learn how to ask meaningful questions.
Become more:
• Creative
• Independent
• Confident
• Develop programming skills .
• Learn to work with a partner or team.
• Have a positive (this doesn’t mean easy) experience.
BASIC PLAN
• Select students (usually from courses I’ve recently
taught) at end of Fall semester.
• We work on project during Spring semester.
• Students present at MathFest in August if sufficient
progress was made.
• Students work on project during Fall semester.
• Students present at Joint Meetings in January.
• Students also present at local conferences and at
school.
BASIC PLAN
• Select students (usually from courses I’ve recently
taught) at end of Fall semester.
• We work on project during Spring semester.
• Students present at MathFest in August if sufficient
progress was made.
• Students work on project during Fall semester.
• Students present at Joint Meetings in January.
• Students also present at local conferences and at
school.
• Of course results and progress don’t simply follow
such a neat and tidy schedule.
BASICS OF MY PROJECTS
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•
•
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Number of students
Time
Presentations
After Pepperdine
BASICS OF MY PROJECTS
•
•
•
•
Number of students
Time
Presentations
After Pepperdine
• 8 of my 16 research students have gone on to pursue
something other than graduate school in mathematics.
They still tell me the research experience was of very high
value to them.
IS CLOSER ALWAYS BETTER WHEN
KICKING FIELD GOALS?
• Number of students: Two
• Time: 2004 – 2005
• Presentations:
• 2005 Joint Meetings
• After Pepperdine:
• Ph.D. program in mathematics
• Peace Corps
A COMPARISON OF PRE-SEASON AND
FINAL COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLLS
• Number of students: Three
• Time: 2007 – 2008
• Presentations:
• 2007 Joint Meetings
• After Pepperdine:
• Ph.D. program in mathematics
• Ph.D. program in financial mathematics
• Actuary
A SINKHORN-KNOPP FIXED POINT
PROBLEM (LINEAR ALGEBRA)
• Number of students: Four
• Time: 2008 – 2009
• Presentations:
• 2008 MathFest
• 2009 Joint Meetings
• Local conferences
• After Pepperdine:
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Ph.D. program in mathematics
Ph.D. program in mathematics
Masters program in international business
Medical school
A COMBINATORICS PROBLEM ARISING
IN THE “WICKED” TICKET LOTTERY
• Number of students: Two
• Time: 2009 – 2010
• Presentations:
• 2010 Joint Meetings
• Local conferences
• After Pepperdine:
• Masters/Ph.D. program in computer science
• Masters program in management science and engineering
AN DERIVATIVE APPROXIMATION
USING LU FACTORIZATION OF
VANDERMONDE MATRICES
• Number of students: One
• Time: 2010 – 2011
• Presentations:
• 2010, 2011 MathFest
• 2011 Joint Meetings
• Local conferences
• After Pepperdine:
• Joint JD/MS program in electrical engineering and CS
IDEAL SEAT LOCATION IN
THE ROSE BOWL STADIUM
• Number of students: One
• Time: 2011 – 2012
• Presentations:
• 2011 MathFest
• 2012 Joint Meetings
• Local conferences
• After Pepperdine:
• Actuary
CODING A JAVA APPLET
FOR CALCULUS
• Number of students: One
• Time: 2013
• Presentations:
• Not applicable
• After Pepperdine:
• Not yet graduated
MOSAICKING DIGITAL IMAGES
• Number of students: Two
• Time: 2014 - 2015
• Presentations:
• 2014 MathFest, Portland, OR
• 2015 Joint Meetings, San Antonio, TX
• After Pepperdine:
• Ph.D. program in mathematics
• Student two not yet graduated
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
• For the majority of these projects I was able to
arrange some financial support for students:
$10/hour for 10 hours/week for 15 weeks.
• For most (all?) Joint Meetings and MathFests,
Pepperdine supported each student in travel costs
(the MAA and PME are quite good about offering
support). The students think this is pretty cool.
• For the group of four students my students had a
CURM grant for two semesters.
• All students receive academic credit of 1 – 4 units,
depending on how much time they put in.
SUMMARY OF THE STUDENTS
• Most of my students went on to graduate school.
Of those, about half went in to math, the other half
into other disciplines including finance, medical
school, business, CS, management science, law/EE.
• Other pursuits after graduation included actuarial
positions and the Peace Corps.
• These were good students and good people before
working with me, and likely would have done good
things with or without a research experience. But
for all of them the experience was very helpful.
SOME ADVICE
• Be curious. Keep a list of potential problems that
students can help you on. They don’t have to be
from your own research area.
• If appropriate, allow students to help select topic.
• Projects involving experimentation is nice.
• It is useful for students to have background in
programming. Still, they will pick up some real life
experience programming as part of the project.
THREE PROJECTS