In addition, top students are eligible for election to Pi Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honorary society. All members of the mathematics faculty teach both introductory and advanced courses, and the department puts emphasis on providing stimulating and inviting learning experiences at all levels of the curriculum. Whether you are interested in the theoretical development of mathematical ideas, the application of mathematical techniques to other disciplines, or a combination of these, you ll find a rich variety of courses from which to choose in building a program of study. Recent topics have included knots and curves, quality control, graph theory, stochastic processes, and mathematical visualization. You may take advantage of independent study opportunities, which many students do, to pursue topics of special interest in greater depth.
Some independent studies lead to honors theses.
Ring theory, group theory, graph theory, functional analysis, chaos, fractal music, and genetic programming are examples of recent thesis topics. Many students have participated in research projects with mathematics faculty. After Graduation A diverse group of students major in mathematics at Lafayette, and that diversity is evident in the career paths they follow. Some continue their study of mathematics immediately after graduation, most recently at such institutions as Duke University, University of Maryland, University of Colorado, and University of Virginia. Others have entered graduate programs after first gaining some experience outside academics.