Applied Mathematics at Western -- Applied Mathematics Courses

The Department of Applied Mathematics offers honors programs leading to a 4-year B.Sc. degree and 3-year programs leading to a B.Sc. degree. Students enter the programs at the second year level after the successful completion of a first year program.

Here's a three point summary of what we teach in the Applied Mathematics Programs:

Useful mathematics for describing and solving important real world problems
Numerical and computational techniques for completing the solutions
Application areas where you'll use your mathematical and computing skills

Biomathematics: In the last century, our understanding of biology has sky-rocketed, and so has the need for sophisticated mathematical tools to understand and model this expanding new universe. Research in our department includes diverse topics such as the evolution of drug-resistance in HIV, blood flow through the arteries, neural networks and predator-prey interactions. Students interested in this area are advised to take a major in Applied Mathematics and a minor which incorporates Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and/or Genetics. Our flagship course is AM311, An Introduction to Mathematical Biology.

Computational Methods and Numerical Analysis: "Number crunching" is a fairly well-known phrase. Performing a calculation accurately and quickly is a challenging problem in mathematics as well as computer science, because the fastest computer in existence cannot solve a problem without an algorithm to find the solution. The study and analysis of methods for solving mathematical problems in science and engineering is called numerical analysis. Students can study this topic by itself as part of a major in applied mathematics, but it also makes a useful addition to any major that uses computation - from engineering to economics.

Financial Mathematics: Financial mathematics is about using mathematical tools to quantify financial risks. It is used by Wall- and Bay- street traders as well as by analysts employed by Banks, Pension Funds, and Mutual Funds. Work in this area requires graduate work at the Master's level or beyond. Excellent preparation for Master's programs in this area would be a major in Applied Math or, better, our Major in Scientific Computing and Numerical Methods, combined with a major in Statistics and perhaps a Minor in Probability or in Operations Research.

Theoretical Physics: Members of the theoretical physics group are involved in the mathematical aspects of physical systems. The tools we use range from analytical calculations to high performance computing. Our interest span the whole spectrum of length scales that occur in nature: From very small distances associated with elementary particles, through the nanometer length scales relevent in modern material physics all the way up to cosmological distances where black holes and gravitational waves occur. Students interested in this area re advised to take a double major in applied mathematics and physics, with courses chosen in consultation with a faculty member working in this area.

Old Programs:
You can click on the programs (and timetables for 3 and 4 year programs) below. As you browse, you may find a program that fits your interests immediately. Alternatively, the programs can be modified with the consent of the Department if certain course substitutions are better suited for your particular career objective. For example, you may have another application area in mind.

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