UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

Mathematics
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Welcome to the Department of Mathematics

The University of Glasgow, founded in 1451, is the fourth oldest university in the UK. A Department of Mathematics has existed at the University of Glasgow since the seventeenth century and the first Professor of Mathematics, George Sinclair, was appointed in 1691.  The modern day Department offers a vibrant, dynamic and supportive environment for both staff and students.
 
The Department is highly rated for teaching and research and also for its student support.  In the National Student Survey 2009, our final year undergraduate students expressed overall satisfaction ratings which were outstandingly high at 95%. We offer an extensive range of undergraduate courses that include the options of specializing in either Pure Mathematics or Applied Mathematics or combining Mathematics on an equal basis with another subject, which can be focused in either Science or Arts.  A five-year undergraduate Masters course has recently been added to our portfolio of courses and this provides an excellent foundation for students aspiring to a career in research.  For details of our undergraduate courses click here.
 
In research we have strong international reputations in several areas of Pure Mathematics and Applied Mathematics and we contribute significantly to the preparation of the next generation of academic mathematicians through our PhD programme.  Details of our research activities can be found here.
     

Tower in Autumn 



 


Featured Item:

This tile, which has bilateral symmetry, is from a close in Hyndland, in Glasgow. Symmetric patterns fit with our idea of beauty and are used for ornamentation throughout the world.

Symmetry groups give the mathematical description for different types of symmetry. They are important in mathematics, and many other areas. In chemistry, they help us to understand the structure of crystals; in quantum mechanics they have been used to predict elementary particles.