Dear Incoming Students,
I'm writing to tell you about the upcoming “Integration Workshop”. This 5-day workshop in early August has the goal of quickly integrating incoming students into the mathematical life of the department. The idea is to have a fairly intense few days where you can think about mathematics and get to know a few senior graduate students and faculty, before the crush of duties like teaching, grading, and going to classes sets in.
What we plan is a 5-day activity where there will be some lectures, some problem solving sessions, and a project which you will work on during the workshop and give a lecture about at the end. (We have done something with a similar flavor for the past several years with advanced graduate students in number theory from all over the country, with excellent results.) Mathematically, we will look at material you know (or should know) with a view toward connections between areas and a more “graduate” perspective. The topics will be based on a document called What every incoming student is expected to know.
The dates are August 8–12, 2008, and the workshop schedule will be roughly 9 a.m.–noon, 1–4 p.m. and 5:30–8:30 p.m., with the evening session on the last day replaced by a party. (As you can see, the workshop doesn't leave time for much else, so you should be relocated to Tucson with all housing matters settled, and be ready to work before the workshop starts.)
A few other things you should know:
Please let me know by e-mail by July 15th if you will be able to participate. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
