General description
Students in the M.Sc. program can choose a concentration in Statistics or in Mathematics.
The Statistics concentration provides students with a solid training in advanced statistical analysis, computational methods and applications to stochastic models such as statistical inference theory and Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms with extensive and computationally intensive simulation studies. We are currently working on having our M.Sc. graduates certified as Statisticians by the Statistical Society of Canada.
The Mathematics concentration aims at providing students with advanced training in such areas as algebra and number theory, computer algebra algorithms, dynamical systems, partial differential equations and symmetry analysis, functional analysis, solitons and integrable systems, topology, mathematical music theory, and - as a bridge with the Statistics Concentration - probability theory and stochastic processes.
Program's Options:- Thesis option Students intending to pursue further graduate studies would normally choose this option.
- Project option Students intending to join the job market would normally choose this option.
Special features of the program
Among the strengths of our program the following ones are especially worth mentioning:- The Mathematics Department has a tradition of individual excellence in publications and research, which has been strengthened by the appointment of eight new faculty since 1999. In research output the Department is currently in the top three in its category among Ontario universities as ranked by Canadian University Publications.
- Students will find a lively intellectual environment and friendly atmosphere where they will have one-on-one interaction with Graduate Faculty members and exposure to a wide range of research fields, including a number of overlapping areas of special strength in Statistical Analysis, Computational Analysis of Differential Equations and Discrete Dynamical Systems, Computational Algebra and Number Theory, and Computational Topics in Mathematical Physics. As well, numerous research visitors come to the Mathematics Department every year from internationally leading universities, and faculty actively participate in national and international research conferences and workshops.
- Normally, all full-time students (both domestic and international) will be offered competitive financial support consisting of a graduate fellowship, a teaching assistantship, plus a research stipend from a Graduate Faculty supervisor. For 2007-2008, the minimum total amount of support will be $16,600/year, which aims to cover all fees, tuition, and living expenses.
Computer resources
Graduate students have access to the computer labs located in the vicinity of the Mathematics Department as well as the Mathematics computer lab classroom equipped with 33 PCs. Software includes: Maple 8 and 10, MatLab, Visual Studio, SAS, S-PLUS, SPSS and Minitab, computer language compilers (C, C++, Fortran), Tex/Latex. Students will also have access to advanced computing facilities that include:- a number of dedicated local servers running special software
- a departmental 6-node cluster
- a 42-node parallel (Beowulf) cluster of 3 GHz Pentium IV computers
- 20 computer clusters (with more than 8000 CPUs in total) in the Ontario High Performance Computing consortium SHARCNET, ranging from highly connected clusters to SMP (Shared Memory Processor) computers with large memory and 70TB of disk space.