Undergraduate Programmes in Mathematics

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Undergraduate Programmes in Mathematics

Some of the most powerful and beautiful ideas occur in the field of Mathematics. The wide applicability of these ideas and their deep connection with the natural sciences have made this discipline one of the most fruitful arenas of human inquiry. Combining, as it does, the greatest creative freedom with the most stringent standards of rigor, Mathematics also happens to be the ideal training ground for learning a broad range of analytical and problem-solving skills. Ashoka University’s Mathematics major program has been designed to meet two primary goals:

  1. Students should get a broad exposure to the primary areas and the central ideas of contemporary Mathematics (as well as their applications) and
  2. Students should develop rigorous, analytical reasoning skills, along with problem-solving ability.

In addition to the Foundation courses that are common across disciplines, students aiming to choose Mathematics as their major should take the enabling course on Calculus as early as possible. This will be followed by 11 required and 3 elective courses in Mathematics. The required courses cover the areas of Analysis, Algebra, Linear Algebra, Probability, and Differential Equations. Elective courses vary from semester to semester depending on student and faculty interests. In addition, students have the opportunity to study some special topics in depth under the guidance of a faculty member.

At the end of the program of study, we expect students to be able to read and understand mathematical proofs; learn and apply new mathematical concepts; and, construct and communicate a correct and rigorous argument on their own. Most importantly, we expect students to be able to solve new mathematical problems on their own. Students completing this program will be well prepared to pursue Mathematics further or to take up positions that call for innovative problem solving in concert with strong analytical abilities.

Students may also opt for an inter-disciplinary BSc (Hons.) with Major in Mathematics and Computer Science. This allows them to get a wider variety of problem-solving skills as well as make them more attractive to the industry. 

Undergraduate programmes can be followed by a one-year Ashoka Scholars Program (ASP) in mathematics.

In addition, students of other disciplines can deepen their mathematics background by getting a Minor in Mathematics or a Concentration in Mathematics. 

  • BSc (Hons.) with Major in Mathematics: Course requirements

    Each student will take a total of 15 mathematics courses. For completing a major in Mathematics, one must take the following courses (12 required courses and 3 elective courses). For detailed course content, please see the Course Outlines or the Department of Mathematics Handbook.

    Required Courses

    1000 Level Courses

    • Calculus
    • Linear Algebra
    • Multivariable Calculus

    2000 Level Courses 

    • Algebra 1
    • Probability and Statistics
    • Real Analysis
    • Algebra  2
    • Metric and Topological Spaces

    3000 Level Courses

    • Complex Analysis
    • Mathematical Modeling (Differential Equations)
    • Linear Algebra and Matrix Analysis
    • Elementary Differential Geometry

    Elective Courses

    In addition to the 12 required courses, three electives are required. The elective courses offered vary from semester to semester depending on student interest and the availability of faculty. The elective courses offered by the department so far are as follows. 

    CTS Course

    • Introduction to Proofs

    This cannot be counted as a math elective if counted as a CTS requirement.

    3000 Level Courses

    • Statistical inference I
    • Fourier Analysis
    • Introduction to Combinatorics
    • Galois’ dream
    • Introduction to Algebraic Combinatorics

    4000 Level Courses

    • Topological Spaces
    • Measure Theory
    • Functional Analysis
    • Random Graphs
    • Topics in Analysis
    • Mathematical Foundations of Data Sciences
    • Algebraic Number Theory
    • Topics in Stochastic Processes

  • Bsc. (Hons) with Major in Mathematics and Computer Science: Course requirements

    Each student will take a total of 9 Mathematics courses and 9 Computer Science Courses and will top it up with any course either from Mathematics / Computer Science avoiding double counting.

    Required Courses

    Mathematics Department (Credits: 36)

    • Calculus

    • Linear Algebra

    • Algebra I

    • Probability and Statistics

    • Real Analysis

    • Multivariable Calculus

    • Statistical Inference I

    • Two more mathematics courses (8 credits) have to be taken

    Computer Science Department (Credits: 36)

    • Introduction to Computer Programming

    • Computer Organization and Systems

    • Algorithm Design and Analysis

    • Computer Networks

    • Introduction to Machine Learning

    • Computer Security and Privacy

    • Theory of Computation

    • Two more computer science courses (8 credits) have to be taken

    In addition to the above, one more CS or Math course (double counting not allowed) has to be taken (4 credits).

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  • Minor in Mathematics: Course requirements

    Required Courses

    • Calculus
    • Multivariable Calculus
    • Linear Algebra
    • Algebra I
    • Probability and Statistics
    • Real Analysis

    Students taking a course in probability as part of their major may replace the Probability and Statistics with another math course of their choice. 

  • Concentration in Mathematics: Course requirements

    Required Courses

    • Calculus
    • Linear algebra
    • Algebra I

    One more course must also be taken, of the student’s choice. Note that this course cannot be Probability and Statistics if they have done a course on Probability in their major.

  • Course Outlines

    The following are brief descriptions of the mandatory courses. The contents of the actual courses and references followed may be different. 

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Department of Mathematics Handbook

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Admissions

Joining Undergraduate Programmes

Ashoka University’s department of Mathematics offers a variety of undergraduate programmes which prepare students to pursue Mathematics further or to take up positions that involve innovative problem solving through strong analytical abilities.

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Student Stories

Testimonials

The most important thing I learned from my time at Ashoka is how to think creatively about mathematics. The CTS Intro to Proofs class, in particular, taught me that math is more than just a collection of theorems and proofs; good mathematics tells a story! Ashoka taught me how to effectively communicate mathematics.

Narmada Varadarajan (Founding Batch),

Ph.D. student, University of Toronto

Testimonials

I was given enough room and support to make mistakes and slowly build up from ground zero in all of my math courses. My professors’ investment in me made life at Ashoka more warm – whether it was spending ridiculous amounts of time during office hours on a concept I could not wrap my head around, giving me advice on life problems, welcoming my ideas for the department, showing up for my performances, or not letting me take the easy way out when I really wanted to. Math is a difficult subject, and I would not have been able to survive it without my brilliant and warm peers and juniors, and our endless coffee-fueled solving sessions.

Saloni Mehta (UG’20)

Business Analyst, Arthur D. Little India

Testimonials

The Ashoka math undergraduate program provides excellent preparation for students interested in pursuing a career in mathematical research. At Ashoka, I was exposed to a variety of courses from many different areas of mathematics. Each course was taught by an expert in the area that the course pertained to. As a consequence, I found that I was taught mathematics at the proper level of rigour, depth, and clarity. The option to complete a capstone thesis in mathematics allowed me to get exposed to various facets of modern mathematical research, which helped me decide to pursue a career in research.

Siddharth Mulherkar (UG’20) – PhD Student, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Testimonials

The math department offers an incredible range of possibilities for the study of mathematics (including colloquiums, advanced electives and ISMs). It seriously cares about cultivating the research interests of its students, which is rare at the undergraduate level in India.

Ojas Kumar (UG’22)

Testimonials

I am in a process of learning the essence of math from the point where I missed out on things. Ashoka is providing me the ambiance for rigorous learning. Enjoying the process well.

Anulya P. (UG’22)

Testimonials

The Mathematics Department at Ashoka University, in my experience offers one of the most advanced undergraduate curriculums amongst the few other Indian institutions like the IITs, ISI, CMI etc. The courses offered range from basic to some of the advanced ones which are usually hard to find in other Indian undergraduate programs. The courses cover the appropriate standard material every undergraduate math major is expected to know. One of the distinguishing features of our program is that it offers a better flexibility in adjusting the courses to our convenience by allowing us to take certain courses later in the undergraduate years or even retaking some courses for a better understanding or even improving the grades. Moreover, the learning and research conducive concepts of Independent Study Modules (Reading Courses) and a Capstone Thesis under a particular faculty mentor, are one of the most unique features of the mathematics undergraduate program at Ashoka in the Indian context. The Mathematics undergraduate program at Ashoka also prepares us well for pursuing graduate studies in Mathematics or related fields abroad or in India.

Manas Srivastava (UG’20) – ASP’22

Testimonials

The Math department at Ashoka is like a family. The small batch sizes and excellent student-faculty ratio means that the students and faculty get to know each other well. The professors are extremely approachable for mentorship, guidance, and also provide us with the opportunity to pursue guided research projects in fields of our interest. The mathematical training that studying Math at Ashoka enables us to become better problem solvers, researchers, and employees.

Aayush Soni (UG’21), ASP’22 batch

Testimonials

Math was something I have always been unsure about– too many other things interested me. But I think that’s what’s great about math at Ashoka. You get to do things outside of math. If you’re ever stuck on a problem for too long, you can always go build a clay sculpture or hear your roommate rant about the fundamental flaws of democracy and think to yourself, “maybe solving this differential equation might just be an easier task than fixing years of social inequalities that have stemmed from capitalism.” And maybe, if you’re smart enough, you might just figure out a way to solve both.

Naina Praveen (UG’21), ASP’22 batch

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