Mathematics and science are intimately connected and advances in one have often stimulated new research areas in the other. Applied mathematics provides a bridge between these two fields through the construction and analysis of mathematical and computational models. Initial efforts in applied mathematics focused primarily on problems in physics and engineering, but applied mathematics approaches are now used widely in many areas of science, health, technology, business, and public policy. Mathematical models generate insight into a wide variety of phenomena and provide a foundation for modern research in a broad range of disciplines.
Our undergraduate plan in Applied Mathematics focuses on the development of a variety of differential equation-based models. These yield mathematical and computational descriptions of dynamic phenomena: from the motion of ocean waves, to the control of aircraft flight, to the volatile price of stock options. The Applied Mathematics plan builds on the fundamental courses in calculus and linear algebra and offers a variety of core courses in ordinary differential equations, partial differential equations, and computational mathematics. These courses, along with an introduction to physics, provide a foundation for modeling across a wide range of domains. This breadth is represented by upper-year Applied Mathematics courses that focus on physics (quantum mechanics, general relativity, fluid dynamics), biology, earth science, and engineering (control theory and signal processing). Additional courses provide a deeper understanding of the mathematical theory on which mathematical and computational models are based, the computational methods used to formulate and investigate models, and the scientific understanding of how we can learn from these models.
As part of their plan, Applied Mathematics students acquire expertise in a chosen application area. The Applied Mathematics plans allow formal recognition of these specializations: these plans are each composed of a selection of courses in an application area. Students with a strong interest in theoretical physics can pursue our Mathematical Physics plan, offered jointly with the Department of Physics and Astronomy.