Department of Mathematics

Math DUG

Math DUG

The Math Departmental Undergraduate Group (DUG) is a group of undergraduate students who enjoy math and want to take part in the mathematical community at Brown.

We help math enthusiasts at Brown form a cohesive community and sponsor events that help to get more people interested in math. The Math DUG also hosts the annual SUMS conference in the spring, an opportunity for undergraduates at Brown and from all around the Northeast to present mathematical research they've done.

Membership

Anybody can be a part of the Math DUG, including those students who are not concentrating in math or not taking math classes. If you think you might like math, come to some of our events! Our weekly tea/cookies (Fridays at 4pm in Kassar House) are a great time to meet other lovers of math. Our seminars offer some math enrichment and are another fun way to meet people.

  • If you have any questions, please reach out to us at MathDUG@brown.edu.   
  • For information regarding the SUMS conference, email sums@brown.edu.
  • If you want to come to the math department, here is the address:
    • Department of Mathematics
      151 Thayer Street
      Providence, RI 02912

DUG Listserv

The DUG maintains an active listserv, where we post announcements of DUG events, math-related research and employment opportunities, and much more. You can sign up to receive DUG emails on the Brown Listserv Website.

Sign up to receive our emails

Officers

Being a Math DUG officer is a volunteer position, though we do expect a certain level of commitment for the year once you've decided to be an officer. Under extraordinary circumstances, there might be a need for formal elections, but everything has worked smoothly this way for many years. So for now, if you're interested in being a Math DUG officer, just contact us at MathDUG@brown.edu and we'll find a way for you to help out!

  • Aren Guralp '27
  • Mathide Kermorgant '25
  • Shivam Kogar '27
  • Nathan Smith '26
  • Jood Al Farso '27

Symposium for Undergraduates in the Mathematical Sciences (SUMS)

SUMS has been held annually since 2002. Our goal is to foster greater undergraduate interest and scholarship in mathematics by demonstrating the ubiquity of mathematics throughout the sciences. We also aim to provide an environment in which motivated undergraduates can come together to share their own work and learn from distinguished faculty and researchers from around the country.

Learn About SUMS

Links & Resources

The document preparation system LaTeX is almost universally used to create mathematical and scientific works. Here is an explanation of what TeX and LaTeX are, their history, and the benefits of using them. 

Brown offers Undergraduate Teaching and Research Awards (UTRAs). Applications for summer UTRAs are typically due in early February, so you should definitely talk with the professor you'd like to work with before winter break.

Outside of Brown, many summer math programs are what are known as "Research Experiences for Undergraduates" (REUs). These are designed to give you a sense of what real mathematics research is like (though the specific format can vary greatly). Many programs will require one or more recommendation letters, and it is good to give professors some time to write these.

The following summer programs give you an opportunity to encourage younger students to pursue their interest in math.

  • PROMYS, an excellent program for high schoolers at Boston University, focusing on number theory
  • The Ross Mathematics Program, held at Ohio State University (PROMYS is a descendent of the Ross Program)
  • HCSSiM, a program for high schoolers held at Hampshire College
  • Center for Talented Youth, a network of summer programs run by Johns Hopkins University

There are also semester- and year-long math programs for undergraduates. Here are some of the better-known ones: