Department of Mathematics

The College of Arts & Sciences celebrates undergraduate and graduate students from across all four divisions, who are recognized for making the most of their time at the UW. 

Imagine an art class where you only did paint by numbers, or a music class where you werent allowed to play a song until you practiced scales for 20 years. This is often what its like to take a math class, where students spend most of their time learning to solve problems that have already...

Admitted students and families can engage with the College of Arts and Sciences through several department and program specific events over the next few weeks.

Mathematics alum Janet Galore and Computer Science alum Demi Raven have been making the news for turning a century-old Beacon Hill grocery store into a home and arts space. Along with being an exploration of an eclectic community space, “The Life Eclectic” is an exploration of the collector’s impulse and “Deep Nerdery.” UW professor Delancy Wu adds her insights about the psychological underpinnings of collecting and the importance of following your passions.

UW professors Xiaodong Xu, Cynthia Vinzant, and Shayan Oveis Gharan have been honored by the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of their research accomplishments.

Dr. Bobby Wilson was awarded the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers. Dr. Wilson is a leading researcher in Harmonic Analysis, Dispersive PDE and Geometric Measure Theory, and has been at the UW since 2018.

In the College of Arts & Sciences, we are proud to celebrate our first-generation community through a collection of stories! We honor our faculty and staff, and their many contributions to our university community and beyond.

Mathematics and Democracy, an undergraduate mathematics course, explores the role of math in many aspects of democracy, from elections to proportional representation. 

The College of Arts & Sciences welcomes students and their families to connect with faculty and staff, learn about a variety of topics, and explore our spaces throughout Family Weekend.

Happening September 18–27, 2024, Dawg Daze offers more than 500 events hosted by student organizations and UW departments. Kick off the fall quarter and celebrate a return to campus with these can’t-miss recommendations from the College of Arts & Sciences!

The traveling salesperson problem is one of the oldest known computational questions. Despite seeming simple, the problem is notoriously difficult. Recent work using geometric tools has created a new, faster algorithm, making the biggest runtime leap in decades. Co-developer Thomas Rothvoss, professor of mathematics and of computer science and engineering at the UW, is quoted.

Integer linear programming can help find the answer to a variety of real-world problems. Now researchers have found a much faster way to do it. Research from Thomas Rothvoss, Professor of Mathematics, is mentioned.

"My family could not provide me with information on what it means to be a university student, so I had to figure it out myself. It is a huge change going from high school to university. In the end, I viewed my experience as something that gave me an edge. I learned to solve problems and figure out answers as I needed them and this gave me strength and self-confidence." - Sándor Kovács, Professor, Department of Mathematics

"Find a sympathetic faculty member and start asking questions. How should you design your major?  How do you go about realizing your goals or what's the best way to clarify to yourself what your goals are?   You don't know what you don't know -- it's very, very easy to make mistakes that will have you miss out on opportunities without even realizing it!" - Stefan Steinerberger, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics 

Kick off the Autumn quarter and celebrate a return to campus with these can’t-miss recommendations from the College of Arts & Sciences.