A first-year schedule sample

This degree program is flexible and offers you the opportunity to take courses in many different subject areas. Here’s what a typical first-year schedule might look like:

^a Required course for the major
^b One of the course options to complete the English Language Writing Requirement
^c One of the course options to complete the Indigenous Learning Requirement
^d One of the course options which may be used in the Cognate Requirement
^e One of the course options which may be used in the Breadth Requirement

The Course and Program Catalogue has the complete and official listing of required classes and their descriptions for this program.

• Course and Program Catalogue

MATH 238: Introduction to Differential Equations
Solutions of first order and second order differential equations, elementary existence results, fundamentals of some operational and transform methods of solution, power series solutions, 2 x 2 systems, elementary numerical methods. An introduction to modelling will arise through the use of examples from the physical and biological sciences, economics and social sciences, engineering. Examples will include: population models, mechanical vibrations, Kepler's problem, predator-prey models.

MATH 361: Group Theory
Introduction to group theory, including: cyclic groups, symmetric groups, subgroups and normal subgroups, Lagrange's theorem, quotient groups and homomorphisms, isomorphism theorems, group actions, Sylow's theorem, simple groups, direct and semidirect products, fundamental theorem on finitely generated Abelian groups.

MATH 465: Introduction to Cryptography
Presents a thorough introduction to the mathematical foundations of cryptography. Results from number theory and algebra and how they are used for the safe transmission of information are studied. Various security protocols, the mathematical principles needed for them, and the mathematical principles used in possible attacks are examined.

MATH 402.0: Honours Thesis in Mathematics
Students taking an Honours program in Mathematics or a Double Honours program in Mathematics and a second subject are required to submit a written presentation of a topic in mathematics under the supervision of a faculty advisor and deliver a subsequent oral presentation on the topic.

MATH 450.3: Topics in Geometry
This course introduces students to topics in modern geometry drawn from algebraic, differential, and/or symplectic geometry. The course may focus on major themes and emerging phenomena such as the minimal model program, noncommutative geometry, and mirror symmetry; or upon individual classes of interesting geometric spaces, such as algebraic curves and Riemann surfaces, Calabi-Yau manifolds, minimal surfaces, and moduli spaces.

Unique opportunities
The Mathematical Physics program takes its students on a journey from mathematical foundations to cutting-edge topics at the intersection of mathematics and physics, such as quantum physics and the geometry of space and time.  You will interact with both mathematicians and physicists. The Department participates annually in undergraduate mathematical competitions that expose students to situations with no classroom counterpart.

Student-professor ratios
Upper year classes have excellent student-professor ratios; this allows for direct interaction and creates an excellent learning environment.