Students Create New Undergraduate Research Journal
The Pittsburgh Interdisciplinary Mathematics Review (PIMR) is a newly launched peer-reviewed journal, published by the University Library System, and supported by the Mathematics Department at the University of Pittsburgh. PIMR is managed and edited entirely by undergraduate students. The goal of PIMR is to communicate pure and interdisciplinary mathematics to those with minimal mathematical background, so they may appreciate the wonder and beauty mathematics has to offer. The PIMR team hopes to create and nourish a diverse, inclusive, interdisciplinary mathematics community within Pittsburgh by highlighting undergraduate research, conducting interviews, aggregating career advice, publishing expository articles, and illustrating the joy of mathematics with sections such as Math Art Gallery, and Beach Math. Their priority is clarity and accessibility to their readers. PIMR is committed to sparking interest in math research and encouraging engagement among young mathematicians and non-math students in mathematical communication.
PIMR was conceived in the Fall of 2022 by two undergraduate students, Lark Song and Neil MacLachlan. The idea arose from their shared fascination with interdisciplinary mathematics and belief that most current research papers in math are insufficiently accessible to those without rigorous coursework in the topic of interest. This led to the conception of a journal emphasizing clarity and accessibility in all its publications and providing a developmental environment for nascent mathematicians. Beyond that the journal would be dedicated to humanizing and diversifying mathematics as a field by providing resources and encouragement to people of all backgrounds to pursue their mathematical interests. A growing team of dedicated editors including Stephen Arndt, Griffin Mekler-Culbertson, Sachi Ajmera, Sasha Sluis-Cremer (and several others) and supportive faculty including Professors Jon Rubin, Jason DeBlois, Paul Gartside, Tom Hales, Michael Neilan, Dehua Wang, and Carl Wang-Erickson, has allowed PIMR to become a reality.
Undergraduate students can contribute to it in many ways, either as a PIMR team member or an author. PIMR is currently accepting submissions of expository articles, original research papers, and math related art. Undergraduates can also engage by sending in their solutions to Beach Math problems and their career related questions to CALC. Graduate students and faculty can contribute by serving on the board of peer reviewers for undergraduate research pieces or submitting their own expository articles, book reviews, or art. To access current issues and more information, please visit the journal's website at pimr.pitt.edu. Those interested in contributing are welcome to reach out via email at contact.pimr@gmail.com.
PIMR will provide the opportunity for undergraduates to hone their math exposition skills, publish research papers, and serve as an editor. All of which are excellent preparation for careers in academia. For those not interested in academia, PIMR provides a platform for future educators and technical professionals to sharpen their expository skills. Furthermore, the system of peer review will allow graduate students to develop their capabilities as reviewers, which will be an asset in their future work. Fundamentally, PIMR is focused on making math accessible and inclusive. It is a community project that will strengthen and invigorate math at Pitt and in doing so enrich the experience of every interested undergraduate.
Math Majors’ Poster Awarded at MAA MathFest
Math majors Lark Song and Sasha Sluis-Cremer’s poster titled “The Smoothed Decagon Conjecture” was awarded Honorable Mention at the Student Poster Session of the MAA MathFest this past August 2-5. The research behind the poster was mentored by Andrew Mellon Professor of Mathematics Tom Hales. In performing it, Lark was supported by a Painter Fellowship from the Math Department and Sasha by a Brackenridge Fellowship from the Honors College. Congratulations to Lark and Sasha, and to Dr. Hales!