About the Department

Background image: About the Department

The Department

About the Department

The Department of Mathematics at UC Berkeley is generally recognized as one of the broadest, liveliest, and most distinguished departments of mathematics in the world. With approximately 55 regular faculty membersrepresenting most of the major fields of current research, along with 25 to 30 postdoctoral scholars180 graduate studentsover 800 undergraduate majors, one of the finest mathematics libraries in the nation, and situated in a favorable climate in one of America's most exciting and cosmopolitan centers for mathematics research and teaching, UC Berkeley is a favorite location for the study of mathematics by students and faculty from all over the world.

Location

The department offices are located on the top four floors of Evans Hall, situated in the northeast quadrant of UC Berkeley's scenic hillside campus. Within this building, the department has excellent facilities for a flourishing mathematical community. These include an 1800-square-foot Common Room on the tenth floor overlooking the San Francisco Bay, an outstanding computer laboratory on the seventh floor, 26 classrooms specially designed for mathematics instruction on the ground floor, and a calculus computer lab on the basement floor. The Mathematics Library on the first floor of Evans Hall, part of the system of UC Libraries, provides researchers and students with access to world-class collections.

Undergraduate

UC Berkeley is increasingly interested in developing the talents of successful mathematics students and has a number of challenging honors-level courses. The department encourages all major students to participate in the annual William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition. Additionally, the department sponsors undergraduate teams in the annual Mathematical Contest in Modeling in which teams of 3 people write mathematical solutions to real-life problems. 

An active Mathematics Undergraduate Student Association (MUSA), of which all departmental majors are automatically members, contributes to making UC Berkeley a stimulating and rewarding place to study mathematics. Moreover, Gender Equity In Mathematics (GEM) serves to foster a community and provide a network amongst the undergraduate women in mathematics at UC Berkeley.

Graduate and Postdoctoral

UC Berkeley's mathematics education program is greatly enriched by its large number of graduate students, postdoctoral faculty and fellows, and visitors teaching in residence each year. They come from all over the world to teach courses, participate in seminars, collaborate in research, give talks at the weekly Mathematics Colloquium, and be available as consultants. An affiliated interdisciplinary group, with its own doctoral program, is the Group in Logic and the Methodology of Science.

The Department has several graduate student groups: the Mathematics Graduate Student Association (MGSA), comprising all graduate students, the Noetherian Ring, a group of women in mathematics, Unbounded Representation (Urep), promoting dialogue on diversity in the mathematics community, and a student lecture series named Many Cheerful Facts.

SLmath (formerly MSRI)

An exciting development was the establishment of SLMath by the National Science Foundation in 1981. In a beautifully designed building on the hills above the UC Berkeley campus overlooking the San Francisco Bay, about 1,700 mathematicians from around the world come each year to participate in research programs on a wide variety of mathematical topics. The combined and cooperative efforts of the department, the center, and the institute provide a program of mathematics courses, workshops, seminars, and colloquia of remarkable variety and exciting intensity.

Berkeley Mathematical Circle

For pre-college students grades 1-12 with an interest in mathematics, the Department of Mathematics hosts the Berkeley Mathematical Circle since its creation in 1997.

Statement on Collegiality, Respect, and Sensitivity

The Department of Mathematics---faculty, staff, and students---is committed to fostering an atmosphere of respect, collegiality, and sensitivity. The study of mathematics is challenging, often emotionally as well as intellectually; even mildly inappropriate behavior can have highly detrimental effects on one’s ability to focus. The math department upholds the policies of the university regarding discrimination and harassment. Beyond that, we strive to provide a welcoming and supportive environment for all, regardless of other characteristics that are irrelevant to the pursuit of mathematics, for example, size or socioeconomic status, in addition to the protected categories outlined in UC policy.

In most situations, simple common sense and good judgment should suffice as guidance, but we appreciate that some questions of appropriate behavior can be more complex and subtle. Instead of focusing on this fine line, we encourage faculty, staff, and students to strive for their actions in all contexts to be genuinely respectful and supportive rather than merely appropriate. For guidance about your own behavior, or if you think you have experienced or witnessed discrimination or harassment of any kind, we urge you to seek advice and support. Any member of the faculty or staff whom you trust is an appropriate contact person, in particular the Chair and Vice Chairs, or the university resources listed below. We strive to treat concerns brought forward about discrimination or harassment with discretion, respecting the privacy of individuals insofar as possible, but in some cases policy or law may require that department members contact an appropriate university authority.

Below is the list of university resources. In particular, the OMBUDS offices offer confidential advice and assistance with dispute resolution, and counseling centers in University Health Services (UHS) offer confidential counseling and support:


Photo © Contemporary Images from Original Negative by Ansel Adams, UCR/California Museum of Photography, Sweeney/Rubin Ansel Adams Fiat Lux Collection, University of California, Riverside.