We are the Mathematics Undergraduate Student Association of the University of California, Berkeley!
Announcements
- The final round of merch madness has begun! Only 1 can win! The winner of this round will have their design become new merch for MUSA.
- The Pauline Sperry lecture and Student-Faculty dinner is on Monday, April 7! There will be a talk by Professor Christina Goldschmidt from Oxford and a catered dinner afterwards. The sign up form is now open! Tickets are $10 and will likely sell out.
Upcoming Events
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(Pulled automatically from our Google Calendar.)
Problem of the Week
A 102 x 102 "chessboard" is displayed on a computer screen, with its squares colored in the standard alternating black-and-white pattern. One can select with a mouse any rectangle with sides on the lines of the chessboard and click the mouse button: as a result, the colors in the selected rectangle switch (black becomes white, white becomes black). Determine, with proof, the minimum number of mouse clicks required to transform the entire chessboard into a single uniform color.
Submissions due March 23rd, 11:59pm on this google form.
You can check out past problems in the archive! And if you have a problem you'd like to suggest for problem of the week, fill out this google form.
Upcoming Math Monday: From surfaces to algebras, and beyond
Jasper van de Kreeke
March 31
Abstract: In this talk, we will explore a connection between geometry and higher algebra through the study of surfaces with punctures. By considering systems of arcs on these surfaces, we can construct a specific type of algebra called a "gentle algebra." This idea plays a key role in mirror symmetry, a fundamental concept in modern mathematics. On the technical side, we will discuss categories and potentially how to upgrade them to \\(A_\\infty\\)-categories, providing a powerful framework to capture surface topology in an algebraic way. We will provide an intuitive explanation of the construction, as well as some key results and insights.
See our Math Monday page for past talks!
Resource of the Day
The AMS page on what mathematicians do explains the diverse careers available to mathematicians, including roles in finance, technology, research, and academia.
Check our our resources page for more!
About MUSA
Berkeley's Mathematics Undergraduate Student Association is an organization representing the undergraduate community in the math department.
We strive to improve the overall quality of studying mathematics here as an undergraduate, especially by advocating for issues that benefit the entire undergraduate math community, not only the subset that attends our events.
If you want to stay involved, make sure to suscribe to our mailing list and Google Calendar (see below), and also join our Discord and Instagram (@musaberkeley)!
Weekly Events
We hold events every week in Evans 1015
, the top floor lounge of Evans Hall. Our upcoming events
are posted on our mailing list, Discord, and calendar (see below).
Some of our regular events, which are open to everyone, include:
- Thursday social events, held at 6:30pm
- Math Mondays at 5pm , where professors speak on a wide variety of mathematical topics
- Student-faculty lunches
- Homework parties every Wednesday at 1:30pm
We also host special events each semester, such as the Pauline Sperry lecture and the student-faculty dinner.
Lounge
The MUSA Lounge, 938 Evans, is open 10am–5pm on weekdays, selling hoodies and cheap food. People often come by just to chat about math or life. Come stop by—we won't bite!
We also have a library of math books you can borrow. See the lounge page for more details on the library as well as the merch preorder form.
If you can't hang out with us in person, join our Discord server to chat and get to know the MUSA community!
Mailing List and Calendar
Most announcements are done over MUSA's mailing list, which goes out every Sunday.
You can also view our event calendar here! Click the plus symbol at the bottom right to add it to your own Google Calendar or use this iCal link to add it to your own calendar application!
Merch
Looking to upgrade your outfit? We sell t-shirts, hoodies, and (recent addition) long sleeve shirts! Find them on our merch page!
How do I join MUSA?
There is no formal process to join the club! Just show up to as many events as you want, sign up for the mailing list, and get to know the math community at Berkeley! Our events are open to the public, not just declared math majors — so don't be a stranger!
Joining MUSA is an excellent way to connect with other math enthusiasts. You can learn about the many opportunities for math students, including little tricks that will help you survive the rigorous math curriculum here.
Don't forget to sign up for our mailing list and join our Discord and Instagram (@musaberkeley)!
Other Info
MUSA strives to make the math department as inclusive as possible. How are we doing? Let us know with our anonymous feedback form.