MAY-UP

SLMath MAY-UP = Mathematically Advancing Young Undergraduates Program (Pilot)
May 2023 

MAY-UP aims to maximize access and opportunity for first-year students to recognize that their interest in math could lead to myriad future possibilities, including a wide variety of careers. Students who gain experience in mathematics early in their college years, particularly in a rigorous and culturally supportive setting, are likely to develop greater comfort and ease within the field.

The goal of MAY-UP 2023 is to provide students with a glimpse into Linear Algebra; and the ways in which this topic may arise both theoretically and computationally in their future studies. Material will include an introduction to matrices as well as basic matrix operations. We will also provide students with introductory programming skills in Python, including development environment setup and matrix manipulations via code. We will then explore several topics both theoretically and computationally. Options for the subsequent modules include:

• Image compression via singular value decomposition
• Identifying objects within an image, and the impacts of noise on matrix/image structure
• Artificial intelligence generated images/art
• Linear programming / linear optimization

Students will be expected to submit a final project that aligns with their interests and leverages knowledge gained during one of the modules. This experience is designed to facilitate students’ ability to apply skills in technology (such as Python) to develop a broad view of the mathematical sciences beyond the scope of typical undergraduate mathematics coursework.

During the intensive two-week session, each of the 12 students will:

• actively participate in the mathematics discovery/research program described above under the direction of the research leader and four graduate students
• complete a research/computational project in collaboration with other MAY-UP students
• give a presentation on their research project
• attend two colloquium talks given by leading researchers in their fields (talks will include discussion of the speaker’s career path)
• learn to prepare fellowship applications
• receive a stipend, lodging, meals and round-trip travel to Atlanta, GA.

After the program, each student will:

• be invited to continue to participate in the sophomore year activities (provided they are enrolled in math courses) which include lectures and planned site visits to industry
• be welcomed into a community that includes MSRI-UP alumni
• join a network of mentors that will provide continuous advice in the long term as the students make progress in their studies, similar to MSRI-UP
• be encouraged to pursue future professional opportunities.

Pilot Program Participation: The 2023 pilot program is aimed at first-year students from the Atlanta University Center which includes Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta University. Applications for 2023's pilot program are not open to the general public. Future years are anticipated to open to additional universities in the region.