San Diego State University

Apr 19, 2024

2021/2022 University Catalog

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2021/2022 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Mathematics

Undergraduate Information
Graduate Information

OFFICE: Geology/Mathematics/Computer Science 413
TELEPHONE: 619-594-6191

Faculty

Chair: Michael E. O’Sullivan, Professor of Mathematics (Ph.D.)

Associate Chairs:

Ricardo Carretero, Professor of Mathematics (M.S. Dynamical Systems Graduate Adviser; Ph.D.)

T. Marc Dunster, Professor of Mathematics (Ph.D.)

Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty:

Peter V. Blomgren, Professor of Mathematics (Ph.D.)

José E. Castillo, Professor of Mathematics (M.S. Computational Science Graduate Adviser) (Ph.D.)

Ricardo Carretero, Professor of Mathematics, Associate Chair (M.S. Dynamical Systems Graduate Adviser) (Ph.D.)

T. Marc Dunster, Professor of Mathematics, Associate Chair (Ph.D.)

J. Carmelo Interlando, Professor of Mathematics (M.S. Communication Systems Graduate Adviser) (Ph.D.)

Joanne E. Lobato, Professor of Mathematics (Ph.D.)

Joseph M. Mahaffy, Professor of Mathematics (Applied Mathematics Graduate Adviser) (Ph.D.)

Susan D. Nickerson, Professor of Mathematics (M.A.T.S. Graduate Adviser) (Ph.D.)

Antonio Palacios, Professor of Mathematics (Ph.D.)

Vadím Ponomarenko, Professor of Mathematics (M.A. Mathematics Graduate Adviser) (Ph.D.)

Chris L. Rasmussen, Professor of Mathematics, Associate Chair, Mathematics Education (Ph.D.)

Samuel S.P. Shen, Albert W. Johnson Distinguished Professor of Mathematics (Ph.D.)

Jérôme E. Gilles, Associate Professor of Mathematics (Ph.D.)

Christopher W. Curtis, Associate Professor of Mathematics (Ph.D.)

Antoni Luque Santolaria, Associate Professor of Mathematics (Ph.D.)

Christopher O’Neill, Associate Professor of Mathematics (Ph.D.)

Mary E. Pilgrim, Associate Professor of Mathematics (Ph.D.)

Daniel L. Reinholz, Associate Professor of Mathematics (Ph.D.)

Bo-Wen Shen, Associate Professor of Mathematics (Ph.D.)

Naveen K. Vaidya, Associate Professor of Mathematics (Ph.D.)

William C. Zahner, Associate Professor of Mathematics (Ph.D.)

Uduak George, Assistant Professor of Mathematics (Ph.D.)

Youngjoon Hong, Assistant Professor of Mathematics (Ph.D.)

Huan Qin, Assistant Professor

Tingting Tang, Assistant Professor (Ph.D.)

Emeritus:

Janet S. Bowers, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mathematics

Carlson

Deaton

Elwin

Garrison

Geveci

Grone

Hager

Hintzman

Hui

Stephen J. Kirschvink, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mathematics

Lesley

Lutz

Marcus

McLeod

Nemirovsky

Noble

Nower

Pierce

Peter Salamon, Ph.D., 1980-2015, Professor of Mathematics

Saltz

Short

Smith

J. Sowder

L. Sowder

Thompson

Verzi

Undergraduate Information

The Majors

Mathematics is the language and instrument for the sciences and technology. It is concerned with a wide range of diverse problems from developing techniques to model real world applications and designing efficient methods for calculating their solutions, to creating new branches of mathematics and theories for as yet unsolved problems. Some students find mathematics stimulating because of its many and varied applications, while others are fascinated and attracted to it for the beauty of its intrinsic order, structure, and form.

Because of its broad scope, degrees in mathematics can prepare students for many different careers and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics offers a variety of such degrees and emphases to provide students with several blends and specialties according to their interests and goals.

Graduates with a mathematics major have many options for either careers in applications, for further study in graduate school, or for teaching. Mathematics majors are important because their training involves quantitative abilities and critical reasoning that many potential employers can utilize. With a minor in an area of applications, graduates are suited for further graduate study in many areas that heavily depend upon mathematical methods and techniques. Graduates with an interest in the more theoretical aspects of mathematics are sought after in many diverse graduate programs from applied and pure mathematics to computer and computational sciences and statistics. Careers in teaching include positions in secondary schools, for which a teaching credential is additionally required, teaching in two year colleges, for which a master’s degree is required, and teaching at the university level, which requires a doctorate degree and involves research and creation of new mathematics.

Impacted Program

The mathematics major and emphases are impacted programs. To be admitted to the mathematics major or an emphasis, students must meet the following criteria:

Complete preparation for the major. Refer to the individual program for specific impaction criteria;
Complete a minimum of 60 transferable semester units;
Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
For the mathematics major with an emphasis in integrated teacher education program (ITEP-SS) students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.67.

To complete the major, students must fulfill the degree requirements for the major described in the catalog in effect at the time they are accepted into the premajor at SDSU (assuming continuous enrollment).

Students should consult their degree audits in WebPortal to determine how to make progress on their degree requirements.

Mathematics Placement Assessment

All students who expect to enroll in CS 100 , CS 150 and CS 150L , MATH 118 , MATH 120 , MATH 124 , MATH 140 , MATH 141 , MATH 150 , MATH 210 , MATH 211 , STAT 119 , STAT 250 must satisfy the SDSU Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning Assessment requirement. For MATH 124 , MATH 141 , and MATH 150 , students must also pass the Mathematics Placement Assessment. For MATH 150 , certain prerequisite courses taken at San Diego State University may be used to satisfy the Mathematics Placement Assessment requirement. For MATH 312 and MATH 313 , students must pass the Liberal Studies Mathematics Proficiency Assessment.

Graduate Information

OFFICE: Geology/Mathematics/Computer Science 413
TELEPHONE: 619-594-6191

Associateships

Graduate teaching associateships in mathematics are available to a limited number of qualified students. Application blanks and additional information may be secured from the chair of the department.

General Information

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics offers graduate study leading to the Master of Arts degree in mathematics, the Master of Arts degree for teaching service with a concentration in mathematics, the Master of Science degree in applied mathematics, the Master of Science degree in applied mathematics with a concentration in mathematical theory of communications systems, and the Master of Science degree in applied mathematics with a concentration in dynamical systems. The department also offers the Master of Science degree in statistics and the Master of Science degree in statistics with a concentration in biostatistics (see the Statistics section of this bulletin for a description of the statistics program and courses).

Faculty active in research direct theses and research projects in most general areas of the mathematical sciences: in complex analysis, differential equations, number theory, numerical analysis; in cognitive science, computer education and problem solving within mathematics education; in climate mathematics, computational mathematics, control theory, dynamical systems, mathematics of communication, mathematical physics, modeling and optimization within applied mathematics.

Opportunities for research in mathematics education are available through research facilities in the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education.

The department hires qualified graduate students as teaching associates. These positions serve as an important stepping stone on the path to a career in the teaching of mathematics at various levels.

Admission to Graduate Study

All students must satisfy the general requirements for admission to the university with classified graduate standing, as described in Admission and Registration .

Students applying for admission should electronically submit the university application available at http://www.calstate.edu/apply along with the application fee.

All applicants must submit admissions materials to SDSU Graduate Admissions.

Graduate Admissions

The following materials should be submitted as a complete package directly to:

Graduate Admissions
Enrollment Services
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA 92182-7416

Official transcripts (in sealed envelopes) from all postsecondary institutions attended;

NOTE:
- Students who attended SDSU need only submit transcripts for work completed since last attendance.
- Students with international coursework must submit both the official transcript and proof of degree. If documents are in a language other than English, they must be accompanied by a certified English translation.
GRE scores (http://www.ets.org SDSU institution code 4682);
English language score, if medium of instruction was in a language other than English (http://www.ets.org SDSU institution code 4682).