Call for Hoodie Designs

The Math Union is looking for a new design for our hoodies. Please submit your design to mu@math.utoronto.ca by Sunday, September 30th at 11:59 PM. The winner will receive a free hoodie. Get creative!

Designs should include the words “U of T Mathematics”. Feel free to email if you have any questions! Here is the design we have used in the past:

Stay tuned for hoodie order forms in the next few weeks!

Math Union Officers: Applications Open

The Math Union is looking for students to fill officer positions. If you are interested in getting involved with the Math Union, please email an application to mu@math.utoronto.ca with subject line Officer Application, and the following data:

Your name, your year of study, what position(s) you’d like to apply for, a brief blurb (2 or 3 sentences max!) about why you’re interested, and your favorite math fact or theorem.

We’d love to have you guys!

The various positions are as follows (roles may be a little outdated):

-Communications Officers: should be students who are interested in exploring ways the Math Union can better connect with students — they should be comfortable composing a well-crafted email and making effective posts on social media. Although not a requirement, any experience in web design or WordPress is also an asset.

-Academic Officers: As an academic officer, you will participate in the planning of academic talks and other academic events which may include room booking, contacting professors, and assisting with the purchase and distribution of refreshments during events. Skills required are reliability, good communication skills, and knowledge of good food places.

-Social Officers: We’re looking for individuals who are motivated, adventurous, creative… and above all, interested in event planning.
Types of events including: Semi-formals, fundraisers, career development workshops, inter-disciplinary panels and etc. Previous experience is not necessary. Include any relevant skills or experience (such as photography, musical talents) in application. A very flexible 1-2 hr /week, on average.

-Designers: Our designer would like some help creating all our beautiful posters and banners. Experience isn’t necessary, but Adobe Illustrator is a huge plus!

Putnam Mathematics Competition

Are you the new star of the UofT Math team? Are you just curious about math competitions? Do you want free pizza?

Last year, our team placed 4th in the Putnam Mathematics Competition. Each team member earned $1,000 and bragging rights over poor Waterloo. This year, we are looking for new team members to replace our graduated stars.

Come to our orientation (with free pizza!)
Day: Friday, September 14th
Time: 5-7pm
Location: MP 102
There will be a brief introduction to the competition, and then we will have a practice test. We will use the test results to select the UofT team.

Regardless of how you do in the practice test, or even if you do not write it, you are welcome to come to our weekly open training sessions, and to write the competition in December.

More information at http://uoft.me/putnam-math
If interested, please register at http://uoft.me/putnam-register (even if you do not end up writing)

Alfonso Gracia-Saz and Bernardo Galvao-Sousa
The Putnam Coaches

CMI Math Institute – Volunteers Needed

Announcement from the It’s All About Math club:

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Good afternoon everyone,

I hope that everyone is well, and is enjoying their summer. In the month of August, I have a special volunteer opportunity for you. The Count Me In! Math Program has extended to include a Count Me In! Math Institute Conference hosted by OISE and the Department of Mathematics. It is a conference geared towards new elementary school teacher candidates, to support them in teaching math in primary and intermediate levels, as well as help reduce math anxiety in the classroom. The poster is attached.

The Conference will be held on Wednesday August 22nd, 2018 from 9:30am – 3:30 pm. It will take place at OISE (University of Toronto) located at 252 Bloor St. W. We are looking for ~20 volunteers to help with logistics, food distribution, ushering, assisting workshop leaders, etc. If you are interested in volunteering with this event, please sign up on the following Google Form: https://goo.gl/forms/brmXedNhyePIe3to2.

We will provide you with further details closer to the date. If you know of anyone in high school, or at other universities, who are interested in volunteering with this event, please forward them this information or forward the link.

Thank you all, and have a great rest of the summer.

Best,

It’s All About Math
iaamuoft@gmail.com

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CUMC 2018 Delegation Information

Are you interested in representing the University of Toronto this summer at the Canadian Undergraduate Mathematics Conference taking place July 11th-15th in Saskatoon?

The Math Union will be funding a delegation to this year’s conference. Unfortunately, Saskatoon is a very expensive place to fly, but the department would still like to send up to 10 people. This means that it is likely the case that individuals chosen to be funded will still have to pay some of the cost of the flight (with registration and accommodation fully covered). Based on current approximations this could be anywhere from 400 to 0 dollars, but the Math Union will work hard to get this cost as low as possible.

Delegates will be required to present a 20 minute talk on a mathematical topic.

If you are interested in applying for a spot, please complete the following instructions:

By June 1st (So that we can get a sense of interest)
- Submit a short cover letter containing your subject POSt, year of study, utoronto email, name, and phone number to the math union email (mu@math.utoronto.ca).

By June 5th
- Submit a 1-2 page outline of a talk you would like to give, which begins with the approximately 100 word abstract you will submit to the CUMC to the math union email, and attach the cover letter you wrote previously.
- Fill in the CUMC Funding Release Form (https://mu.math.toronto.edu/…/2018/05/CUMC_Funding_Form_201…) and submit it along with a copy of your transcript (a printout from Acorn is okay) to Sonja at the main office (BA6290)

If you would like to apply but would be uninterested in attending unless the cost is sufficiently low, that is fine.

For more information on the CUMC, please visit http://cumc.math.ca/2017/.

CUMC Award of Excellence – Deadline Extended

The deadline for the CUMC Award for Excellence is extended to April 28th.
This award is given to an outstanding undergraduate student for the purpose of participating in the Canadian Undergraduate Mathematics Conference (CUMC) It will be held at the University of Saskatchewan, in Saskatoon, from July 11th to 15th 2018.

ELIGIBILITY
Must be an undergraduate student studying at a Canadian university
Must be studying mathematics or a related discipline
Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
Must present a poster or talk at the CUMC

CRITERIA

Three key categories will be considered and weighted equally:
university and mathematical community involvement
academic excellence
research potential.

Applications should be submitted to chair-studc@cms.math.ca. Applications must be doc, docx, or pdf format. The application package must contain and is limited to the following documents that speak to the above criteria:
A Curriculum Vitae
A statement of qualifications and mathematical interests (no more than 250 words)
One reference letter from a faculty member or other professional, sent directly by the author from their professional email account
******************************************************************************************

***** S’il-vous-plaît distribuez ce message à vos étudiants du baccalauréat *****

***** On s’excuse pour les envois multiples *****

La date limite pour la soumission d’une candidature au prix d’excellence du CCÉM est allongée jusqu’au 28 avril 2018.
Le prix est décerné à un étudiant du premier cycle pour financer sa participation au Congrès Canadien des Étudiant.e.s en Mathématiques (CCÉM). Ce congrès aura lieu à University of Saskatchewan, à Saskatoon, du 11 au 15 juillet 2018.

ELIGIBILITÉ

Le candidat ou la candidate doit
être un étudiant du premier cycle étudiant dans une université canadienne;
étudier les mathématiques ou un domaine connexe;
être un citoyen canadien ou un résident permanent;
présenter une affiche ou une présentation orale au CCÉM.

CRITÈRES

Trois catégories seront considérées et sont jugées de manière équivalente pour décerner le prix:
implication dans les communautés universitaires et mathématiques;
excellence académique;
potentiel de recherche

Les candidatures doivent être soumises à chair-studc@cms.math.ca. Les fichiers doivent être au format doc, docx, ou pdf. Le dossier de candidature doit contenir, et contenir seulement, les documents suivantes qui expriment la façon dont la candidate ou le candidat remplisse les critères mentionnés.
Un Curriculum Vitae
Une description des qualifications et des intérêts mathématiques (pas plus de 250 mots).
Une lettre de référence d’un.e professeur.e ou d’un.e autre professionnel.le, envoyé directement par la personne référrent le candidat ou la candidate à partir de leur adresse courriel professionnelle

Invitation to Fourth Year Students…

If you have questions about your chances for admission to graduate schools,
questions about an impactful statement, or other questions for which you need answers come and talk to the past and present graduate chairs!!
Professor Bar-Natan, Professor Rina Rotman, Professor Henry Kim and Professor Almut Burchard will be available to answer your graduate application questions.
Location: Graduate Lounge – 6th Floor of Bahen
When? Tuesday, December 5, 2017
Time: 2-3:00p.m.
Sign in at: https://doodle.com/poll/tixtg876knn79n6k

MU Talk + Social: Lattices

 

Jonathan Love, U of T math grad and Stanford PhD student, will be giving a talk on Lattices and Basis Reduction!
INFO: Nov. 22, 4-6 pm // BAB025 // stay for the social happening afterwards, from 6-8 pm
Abstract: A lattice is a discrete collection of points inside a vector space which in many ways behaves like a vector space itself. But for many problems that are simple to solve for vector spaces, the corresponding lattice problems are extremely difficult to solve – so hard, in fact, that there are cryptosystems based on them which are expected to be secure even under quantum attacks.

In addition to discussing a few of these problems, this talk will develop the beginnings of the theory used to try and solve them, through the notion of a fundamental domain for a moduli space and related concepts.

Facebook Event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/161085384488953/