Welcome
Mathematics began with roots in the basic concepts of space and number and has flowered into many wonderful forms. The creation and discovery of new mathematics have never been more active or vital than they are today. Mathematics is sometimes called the science of pattern and order. It relies on logic as a standard of truth, but uses observation and even experimentation as means of discovering truth. Mathematicians think of their work as a blend of science and art, sometimes elegant and beautiful, describing deep and useful creations. In addition to theorems and theories, mathematics offers distinct modes of thought which are both versatile and powerful for understanding the world.
Courses serve those who wish to make mathematics a part of a liberal arts education, those who desire a mathematics background for other disciplines, such as Computer Science, Economics or the natural sciences, those who wish to minor in Mathematics, and those who wish to major in Mathematics.
Mathematics majors choose careers in education, industry, business, banking and insurance serving as teachers, statisticians, industrial mathematicians, computer programmers or analysts, actuaries and research workers in the biological, management or social sciences. Their training can also serve as a stepping stone to professional training or graduate work in a variety of fields.
News and Events
- News from alumni - Ian McGahan (WU 2013) has began working on his M.S. degree in Applied and Computational Mathematics at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Ian reports that the semester has been going very well. Thanks Ian for the update and keep us posted!
- On September 25, 2013, Associate Professor Kathyrn Nyman was awarded the Lawrence D. Cress Award for excellence in faculty scholarship.
- The Willamette University Math Circle runs from September 24 through November 12, 2013. The Math Circle is led by Associate Professors Peter Otto and Mark Janeba with mathematics majors as student assistants.
- The Mathematics Department welcomes two new visiting members to the faculty this year: Peter Banwarth and Jordan Purdy.
- Mathematics professors Inga Johnson and Erin McNicholas, along with faculty members in Biology, Computer Science, Chemistry and Physics, received a 2012-2013 Hewlett Grant Award for their proposal titled STEM Colloquium Series: Promoting Interdisciplinary Communication & Collaboration.