Department of Mathematics
and Statistics

Mathematics and Science Center, Room 368
146 Library Drive
Rochester , MI 48309-4479
(location map)
phone: (248) 370-3430
fax: (248) 370-4184

Hours:
Monday–Friday: 8:00–11:59 a.m. and 1:00–5:00 p.m.

A large group of people outside.

Summer Mathematics Institute

For Bright and Gifted Pre-College Students
The Summer Mathematics Institute is a free opportunity for bright and gifted pre-college students to interact with university faculty and each other, to take some challenging math classes that earn college credit, and have fun in an academic atmosphere. The Institute runs approximately from late June through the first week of August each summer. Students are encouraged to apply early (before the deadline of mid-May). If you are interested in applying, you may request an application by sending an email to echeng@oakland.edu.

Contact Us
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Professor Eddie Cheng, Director
e-mail: echeng@oakland.edu
Phone: (248) 370-4024

The Institute Director

Dr. Eddie Cheng is Distinguished Professor of Mathematics in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Oakland University. He joined the faculty of Oakland University as an assistant professor in 1997, promoted to associate professor in 2001, promoted to professor in 2007 and given the rank of distinguished professor in 2011; in addition, he served as Chair of the department from 2010 to 2013, and as Acting Chair of the department in Winter 2016.

Professor Cheng graduated with a B.Sc. (Hons.) from Memorial University of Newfoundland (Canada) in 1988. During the summer of 1988, he worked as a research assistant in the Department of National Defence in British Columbia. For his graduate studies, he earned his M.Math. in 1990 and Ph.D. in Combinatorics and Optimization from the University of Waterloo (Canada) in 1995. From 1995 to 1997, he was a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Postdoctoral Fellow and part-time lecturer in the George R. Brown School of Engineering at Rice University. He was  a member of the examination committee of the Michigan Mathematics Prize Competition (MMPC) from 2001 to 2005, from 2008 to 2012 and from 2013-2017. He also served as the Director of MMPC from 2005 to 2008. MMPC is a state-wide competition given every year to thousands of high school students in Michigan.

He is co-Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Computer Mathematics: Computer Systems Theory (Taylor & Francis) and Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Interconnection Networks (World Scientific), as well as a member of a number of the editorial boards of journals including Networks (Wiley), Discrete Applied Mathematics (Elsevier) and International Journal of Machine Learning and Cybernetics (Springer).

His research interests include combinatorial optimization, integer programming and network analysis. He has authored and coauthored about 200 research papers. Professor Cheng has directed a number of high school students for projects that advanced to semifinals and beyond in national competitions such as Siemens Competitions and the Intel Science Talent Search. Many of these projects resulted in publications in refereed journals. He is the recipient of the 2007 Mathematical Association of America (Michigan Section) Distinguished Teaching Award and a recipient of the 2009 Professor of the Year Award from the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan.

The Institute Past Directors

Dr. Marc Lipman served as the director from 1997 to 2002. During this time he was Professor and Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Oakland University. He graduated from Lake Forest College in 1971 with a double major in Mathematics and Physics. He earned his Ph.D. from Dartmouth College in 1976. From 1976 to 1989, he was a faculty member at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. During this time, he spent 1980–1981 at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C.. From 1989 to 1997, he was the scientific officer in charge of the four million dollar Discrete Mathematics program at the Office of Naval Research. His research interests include interconnection networks, communication network topology and sphere-of-influence graphs. He has authored and coauthored over 50 research papers. Among other things, he's taught at STAR, the residential summer camp for bright and gifted students at Purdue University. He left Oakland University to be the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at IUPU Fort Wayne.

Dr. James H. McKay
was the first director (1996–1997) of the institute. Dr. McKay was the first professor in the department in 1959 and served as the chair of the department for many years through the 1990's. He retired in 1997.

Courses Offered

1996
APM 263 Discrete Mathematics
MTH 372 Number Theory

1997
STA 226 Applied Statistics
MTH 475 Abstract Algebra

1998
MTH 256,266 Linear Algebra with Laboratory
STA 405 Probability

1999
APM 405 Linear Programming
MTH 302 Introduction to Advanced Mathematical Thinking

2000
APM 405 Combinatorics: Enumeration
STA 226 Applied Statistics

2001
APM 405 Introduction to Graph Theory
MTH 461 General Topology

2002
MTH 256,266 Linear Algebra with Laboratory
MTH 372 Number Theory with Cryptography

2003
MOR 342 Introduction to Operations Research
MTH 302 Introduction to Advanced Mathematical Thinking

2004
APM 405 Combinatorics: Enumeration
MTH 361 Geometric Structures

2005
APM 405 Introduction to Graph Theory
STA 226 Applied Statistics

2006
MTH 275 Linear Algebra
MTH 372 Number Theory with Cryptography

2007
MOR 454 Linear and Integer Optimization
MTH 302 Introduction to Advanced Mathematical Thinking

2008
APM 405 Combinatorics: Enumeration
MTH 462 Geometric Structures

2009
APM 405 Introduction to Graph Theory
APM 367 Design and Analysis of Algorithms

2010
MTH 275 Linear Algebra
MTH 472 Number Theory with Cryptography

2011
MOR 454 Linear and Integer Optimization
MTH 302 Introduction to Advanced Mathematical Thinking

2012
APM 405 Combinatorics: Enumeration
MTH 462 Geometric Structures

2013
APM 405 Introduction to Graph Theory
APM 367 Design and Analysis of Algorithms

2014
MTH 275 Linear Algebra
MTH 472 Number Theory with Cryptography

2015
MOR 454 Linear and Integer Optimization
MTH 302 Introduction to Advanced Mathematical Thinking

2016
APM 405 Combinatorics: Enumeration
APM 381 Theory of Computation

2017
APM 405 Introduction to Graph Theory
APM 367 Design and Analysis of Algorithms

2018
MTH 275 Linear Algebra
MTH 472 Number Theory with Cryptography

2019
MOR 4554 Linear and Integer Optimization
MTH 3002 Introduction to Advanced Mathematical Thinking

2024 Summer Mathematics Institute

Program Announcement 
July 1 – August 9, 2024

The Institute provides an opportunity for bright and gifted pre-college students to interact with university faculty and each other, to take some challenging math classes that earn college credit, and have fun in an academic atmosphere.

Students take two 4-credit courses in mathematics or statistics taught by full-time doctoral-holding faculty.

The Summer Mathematics Institute at Oakland University is free to all participants.
The Summer Mathematics Institute at Oakland University is a day camp.
Completed applications will be given full consideration if received by May 15, 2024. (Application material will be available in March.)

Download the sample problem set, to include with your application.

Please contact Professor Eddie Cheng echeng@oakland.edu for application.

The Institute Instructor

Dr. László Lipták is Professor of Mathematics in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Oakland University. He joined the faculty of Oakland University in 2003, promoted to associate professor in 2007 and promoted to professor in 2013; in addition, he served as Chair of the department from 2013 to 2019. He participated in mathematical competitions starting from grade 3, and represented his native country, Hungary, in two of the International Mathematical Olympiads, in 1986 (Warsaw, Poland) and 1987 (Havana, Cuba), receiving silver and bronze medals, respectively. He graduated with a B.S. from the University of Szeged, Hungary with honors in 1993, and received his Ph.D. in mathematics from Yale University in 1999. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow first at the Fields Institute in Toronto, Canada during 1999-2000, then at the University of Waterloo, Canada during 2000-2003. His research interests include combinatorial optimization, lifting-projecting methods, the stable set polytope, and interconnection networks. He has authored and coauthored about 60 research papers.

Courses
  • MTH 2775 Linear Algebra, Dr. Eddie Cheng
    Study of general vector spaces, linear systems of equations, linear transformations and compositions, Eigenvalues, eigenvectors, diagonalization, modeling and orthogonality. Provides a transition to formal mathematics. 
  • MTH 3002 - Introduction to Advanced Mathematical Thinking, Dr. Laszlo Liptak
    The propositional and predicate calculus, set theory, methods of mathematical proof, inductive and recursive thinking, relations and functions, infinity. Emphasis is on rigorous proofs of mathematical statements.
Schedule

The 2024 Summer Mathematics Institute at Oakland University meets for for six weeks.

Activities are scheduled Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Students will attend special sections of two regular Oakland University courses that generate regular university credit. Generally, each class will meet every day. When not in class, the students will be in small groups under the direct supervision of counselors. Small group sessions will include opportunities to do homework, problem solving, computer instruction and practice, and other mathematical recreations.

Lunch will be provided (FREE) every day.

The Summer Mathematics Institute at Oakland University closes with a banquet. Parents, students' high-school mathematics teachers, and their high-school principals will be invited. The program will include the presentation of Certificates of Completion to the students. We will also provide signed testimony regarding the college credit courses taken during the Institute.

2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 Summer Mathematics Institute

Due to the pandemic, OUSMI 2020, OUSMI 2021, OUSMI 2022, and OUSMI 2023 have been cancelled.