Mathematics

Faculty Develop New Calculus Course for Social Science Majors

Data increasingly drives research and policy on a broad array of pressing global issues, including climate change, misinformation in social media, and the future of the social safety net in our aging society. A new mathematics course in the works at UC Davis will help to prepare the next generation of social scientists to analyze and use data in mathematical models.

7 Letters and Science Faculty Join Society of Hellman Fellows

Seven faculty members in the College of Letters and Science have been named to the newest class of the UC Davis Society of Hellman Fellows.  They are among 15 assistant professors across UC Davis awarded 2021-22 Hellman Fellowships, which provide research funding to faculty members when they need it the most: early in their careers.

Two Mathematicians Awarded Sloan Fellowships

Assistant Professor Laura Starkson, Department of Mathematics, is one of two UC Davis faculty named as 2021 Sloan Research Fellows by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Considered one of the most prestigious fellowships given to young researchers, the Sloan Research Fellowship includes $75,000 over two years to support the fellow’s research.

Six Faculty Awarded Hellman Fellowships

Six assistant professors in the College of Letters and Science have been named to UC Davis’ newest class of Hellman Fellows. The Hellman Fellows Fund provides grants to more than 100 junior faculty members annually at all 10 UCs and four private institutions. The fellowships of up to $50,000 are intended to give early-career faculty extra support for their research.

Jesús De Loera Awarded Farkas Prize

Professor of Mathematics Jesús De Loera has received the Farkas Prize, awarded annually to a mid-career researcher in the field of optimization by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) Optimization Society.

Ironing the Wrinkles Out of Spacetime

According to Einstein’s theory of General Relativity, gravity is curvature in the fabric of spacetime. Shockwaves can distort spacetime, causing singularities where the laws of physics appear to break down.

Now two mathematicians at UC Davis have come up with equations that remove these singularities. In doing so, they also extend a theorem called Uhlenbeck Compactness to the setting of General Relativity.