Graduate Program

Our Research Emphasis

Major areas of research in the Duke Math Department include Algebra and Combinatorics, Algebraic Geometry, Analysis and Partial Differential Equations, Computational Math, Differential Geometry, Mathematical Physics, Number Theory, Probability Theory and Stochastic Processes, as well as the applications of mathematics to biology, the physical sciences, high-dimensional data, and the analysis of images. Other parts of these web pages list faculty by their specialization. That list includes postdocs and visitors. However, only the core mathematics faculty can supervise graduate students.

Interdisciplinary Focus

Researchers in the mathematics department interact with people in statistics and computer science, the physical and biological sciences, and the school of medicine. There are a number of interdisciplinary activities on campus. Two that are particularly useful are: Computational Biology and Bioinformatics is an integrative, multi-disciplinary training program that encompasses the study of biology using computational and quantitative methods and the information initiative at Duke brings disciplines together to unlock the potential of big data.

Intellectual Engagement

Our department has a rich research culture with weekly seminars in most of the areas listed above. In addition to the regular seminars, there are annual events such as the Gergen Lectures, Triangle Lectures in Combinatorics, and Southeastern Probability Seminar. These and other specialized conferences allow graduate students and postdocs to interact with top researchers from throughout the country.

Collaborations Outside of Duke

  • The University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill is about 10 miles away. In addition to the mathematics department there is the department of Statistics and Operations Research. The Robertson Bus makes it easy to travel to that campus, so there are many joint seminars.
  • Close by Research Triangle Park covers 7000 acres and is home to 190 companies such as IBM, Cisco Systems and GlaxoSmithKline. More than 50,000 people work in RTP
  • SAMSI, the Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute, is an NSF funded research institute located in RTP. SAMSI holds regular year-long programs, and shorter summer programs, as well as an extensive education and outreach program for college and graduate students. It also provides support for Duke mathematics and statistics graduate students to participate in its activities.
  • Further down I-40 is North Carolina State University, the third vertex of our academic triangle. It has large departments in mathematics and statistics. These programs are housed in SAS Hall, named after the statistics software company in nearby Cary, NC.