REU site: extremal graph theory and dynamical systems at RIT

The National Science Foundation Division of Mathematical Sciences awarded Rochester Institute of Technology $370,722 on December 1, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to operate a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site focused on extremal graph theory and dynamical systems.

The site will engage ten undergraduate students each summer from 2027 through 2029 in faculty-mentored research projects spanning graph theory, linear algebra, and dynamical systems, with some projects exploring applications to quantum information theory, mathematical biology, cardiac arrhythmia modeling, and analysis of complex networks related to global climate systems. Students will receive instruction in mathematical research practices, written and oral communication, and ethics in the profession. All students will work directly with RIT faculty and will present research findings weekly. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journal publications, presentations at national and regional mathematical meetings, and presentations at students' home institutions. Recruitment will target students from universities, liberal arts colleges, and community colleges. Students will participate in an ethics in science workshop and will be encouraged to pursue graduate studies and employment in the mathematical sciences. Computational work will employ Mathematica, MATLAB, SAGE, and NAUTY.

Performance occurs in Rochester, New York, with the period of performance running through November 30, 2029.

Abstract

The REU site in extremal graph theory and dynamical systems at the rochester institute of technology (RIT) will actively engage ten students in each of the summers of 2027, 2028, and 2029 in research experiences in the mathematical sciences. Research projects will span multiple areas and some of them will explore applications to quantum information theory. All students will work directly with RIT faculty for the entirety of the program and will receive mentoring in mathematical research practices, as well as in written and oral communication, as well as ethics in the profession. Students will give presentations on their research findings at the end of each week. Results from research projects will be disseminated through publications in refereed journals, presentations at national and regional mathematical meetings, and presentations at the students' home institutions. Students will be encouraged to pursue graduate studies and employment in the mathematical sciences. During the program, students will also participate in an ethics in science workshop. The recruitment efforts will target students from universities, liberal arts colleges, and community colleges. Research projects will?be in the areas of graph theory, linear algebra, and dynamical systems, some of which are linked to mathematical biology. Their impact will be seen in the areas of discrete and applied mathematics. Applied projects will include modeling of cardiac arrhythmia and analysis of complex networks related to global climate systems. Projects with a theoretical focus will include problems from algebraic and spectral graph theory and linear algebra. The faculty and student participants will utilize mathematical software packages including mathematica, matlab, sage, and nauty to help with computations and simulations.? This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.