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Discovering College Math Summer Institute

Unlock the power of discrete mathematics and master complex problems.

Engage with experts, explore math through games, and showcase your discoveries

High school mathematics is for many students, a race to learn calculus — the mathematics of real functions and their limits. By contrast, “discrete” mathematics is everything else: any set of objects that can be counted. In addition to being full of interesting and beautiful ideas, discrete mathematics has many useful applications, from the coding and design of computers, to winning at many popular games, to understanding the tens of thousands of genes that make us healthy (or sick).

The goal of the Discovering College Math Summer Institute is to introduce students to mathematics as a creative, problem-solving activity that combines rigor, invention and elegance. The focus of this inaugural institute is on discrete mathematics.

Fees and Payment Info

The program fee includes the unit fees for the UCLA coursework offered as part of the program and thus varies by UC student status. In addition to the program fee, students are assessed other campus and administrative fees during the summer. This is a summary of fees that commonly apply to the selected student type.

Actual tuition and fees are subject to change by the University of California. Visit the fees, payment, and financial aid section for important disclaimer, as well as more details on fees, payment instructions, and information on delinquency, refunds, and financial aid.

 

Program Fee
TBD
Registration Fee
$350.00
IEI Fee
$61.00
Document Fee (for first-time Summer Sessions students)
$50.00
Total Estimated Fees:
$461.00
* Fees only apply for certain student types

Meet your instructors

Marcus Roper

Program Director

Marcus Roper, PhD, is a Professor of Mathematics and Computational Medicine, and the Undergraduate Vice Chair for the UCLA math department. Prior to joining the UCLA faculty in 2011, he received BA and MMath degrees in Mathematics from Cambridge University and a PhD in Applied Math from Harvard University. His research work has led to new understanding of blood flows in mammal brains, the dispersal of fungal spores, and the intelligence of slime molds and has been featured by the NY Times and Scientific American. He particularly relishes teaching introductory classes; he co-wrote a popular textbook for life science students learning calculus and won the Sorgenfrey Distinguished Teaching Award in 2019. In his spare time, he teaches classes for the Olga Radko Endowed Math Circle, teaching mathematics to gifted students ranging from first to sixth grades.

Tyler Arant

Summer Institute Instructor

In 6 years as a UCLA math instructor, Tyler Arant, PhD, has taught students ranging from freshmen to graduate students, and classes from calculus and probability through to algebra and analysis. He received his PhD from UCLA, and his BS in mathematics from UC Berkeley. His research is about the intersection of computability theory and descriptive set theory, focusing in particular on the regularity properties of infinite graphs and equivalence relations.. He is one of the department’s most lauded instructors, including receiving the Liggett Teaching Award in 2022. In the classroom, he strives to combine mathematical rigor, deep understanding of the obstacles that make the subject uniquely challenging to learn for many people, and activities and differentiated materials that provide challenge and interest to all students.