About the Math Department

The Stony Brook Mathematics Department was founded in 1958; it awarded its first Ph.D.s in 1968. Recipients of Stony Brook doctorates now hold tenured positions at Rice University, the University of California at Davis and Santa Barbara, the University of Maryland at College Park, the University of Oklahoma, Indiana University, the University of Connecticut at Storrs, Tulane University, and Kansas State University as well as several universities abroad. The Department is particularly strong in differential and symplectic geometry, algebraic topology, complex analysis, and their applications to mathematical physics. In cooperation with the Institute for Theoretical Physics, it offers training in various areas of mathematical physics. In cooperation with the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, it offers a concentration in Partial Differential Equations.

In recent years the Department has ranked among the top twenty in the country. The faculty includes five members of the National Academy of Sciences (Glimm, Lawson, McDuff, Milnor and Sullivan), one member of the Royal Society of London (McDuff), 5 former Guggenheim Fellows, 10 former Sloan Fellows, and at least 9 members who have addressed International Congresses of Mathematics. Faculty of the Department are serving as officers of various scientific societies; in particular, of the American Mathematical Society. The research activities of at least 17 members are currently supported by the National Science Foundation. Graduate students and occasionally undergraduates participate in these research activities.

The Institute for Mathematical Sciences, which cooperates closely with the Mathematics Department, was founded in 1989. Currently only the Director, John Milnor, a 1962 Fields Medalist and winner of the 1989 Wolf Prize, and Dennis Sullivan, winner of the 1981 Elie Cartan Prize of the French Academy of Science and the 1994 King Faisal International Prize of Science, have permanent affiliation. Each year between half-a-dozen and a dozen young mathematicians are invited to be temporary members of the Institute for periods ranging from one semester to two academic years; these members of the Institute also participate in the teaching and other activities of the Department. Senior mathematicians periodically visit the Institute for short periods. In recent years, the primary research focus for the Institute has been dynamical systems with an emphasis on the real and complex one-dimensional cases.

The Department currently has about sixty graduate students in a program that covers a wide range of active research areas. Some of these study only for the Masters degree; of those working for the Ph.D., an average of 9 have received the degree each year. A majority have then opted for academic careers, and have held first appointments at Harvard, Princeton and Berkeley among a wide range of universities. The degree gives a strong mathematics foundation that has enabled others to pursue careers in large corporations, banks, laboratories, and government agencies. Some have founded their own businesses.

A part-time evening Masters Program for current high school teachers is offered. Students needing New York State certification can participate in the full-time Master's of Arts in Teaching mathematics program.

The undergraduate major program in mathematics at Stony Brook is broadly based, and contains courses which feature the history of mathematics and the use of computers in mathematics as well as the staples of analysis, geometry and algebra. It is very flexible and may be combined with other majors, such as physics, economics, biochemistry, computer science or applied mathematics. A double major or major/minor combination like this gives a very solid background for a student who is interested in graduate education in these disciplines. Many mathematics majors continue their education in graduate school studying more mathematics and/or mathematics education.

There are over 300 students majoring in mathematics, including double majors. Of these, approximately 30 earn initial New York certification as mathematics teachers for grades 7 through 12 each year simultaneously with the awarding of their Bachelor's degree. Many of our majors go on to graduate school in mathematics or a related discipline such as or physics. Others obtain positions that use mathematics, in fields such as accounting, business and finance.

Mathematics is an essential part of a wide range of human activity. It is the universal language of the physical sciences, and plays an increasingly important role in the social and biological sciences in modeling complicated, large-scale phenomena. Even very abstract parts of mathematics, initially studied just for their intrinsic beauty, have turned out to have unexpected but important applications, ranging from computer security to the digitalization of fingerprints. A mathematics undergraduate major teaches students to think clearly and argue cogently. It is excellent preparation for many jobs in business, finance, accounting, computing and education.