Welcome to FSU Mathematics
Welcome to the Department of Mathematics at Florida State University, home to researchers, educators, students and a supporting staff that strive for excellence in mathematics. The cutting-edge research of our faculty and students covers a broad spectrum of pure and applied mathematics, creating a vibrant scientific atmosphere in the department.
Faculty Profile: Samuel Ballas
That old graduation speech cliche, the one about doing something you love so you never have to work a day in your life, is a linguistic lie. Anything worth loving is hard work. Lots and lots of work. Movies do not get made, nor gourmet cuisine cooked, nor convex projective geometry explained without feeling frustrated, confused, or stuck along the way. The adage has some truth, though. You should always follow your interests. That doesn't mean we'll all become bohemian loafers in a 19th century novel. Some of us, like Sam Ballas, will willingly think about low dimensional geometry and geometric structures. When your work, which is definitely still work, interests you, the results have meaning. And what else is there but that?
Alumni Profile: Mike Kirby
While journeying through his career, Kirby says that his favorite part was the experience of teaching and mentoring PhD students at Cambridge in England while on sabbatical. There he recognized a difference in PhD students, saying, "what distinguishes a PhD student is that they can learn anything on their own, but it's interesting to see a PhD student go back to undergrad material with new understanding."
Mariel Vazquez Alumni Profile
Mariel Vazquez, who earned her Ph.D. in math at FSU, has received a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award for her research. She applies pure math to the biological mysteries of DNA, studying its entanglement as it packs tightly into living cells. Born and raised in Mexico City, Vazquez became fascinated with math and biology in high school. "I found pure mathematics to be absolutely beautiful but I didn't know how I could apply it to biology," Vazquez said. That changed when she became an undergraduate at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and attended a series of talks about DNA topology - the application of knot theory to the study of DNA.
Math in Industry Symposium
Join us for the inaugural Math in Industry Symposium, where mathematicians from diverse industries will engage in discussions on the intersection of their mathematical expertise and professional endeavors. The symposium will feature talks by accomplished FSU Mathematics alumni. A jobs panel at the end of the symposium will provide networking opportunities for graduate students.
FSU Math Fun Day
Do you want your children and families to experience mathematics in a fun and engaging way? Come to FSU Math Fun Day. Each year, faculty, staff, and student volunteers from the Department of Mathematics engage with the community, including K-12 students and teachers to demonstrate that MATH is FUN! If you have not attended before, we welcome you, and if you are returning, welcome back! The event is free and open to the general public.