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About Us
The Department of Mathematics
The Department of Mathematics currently numbers 26 faculty. In a typical semester the ranks of regular faculty are augmented with up to 10 post-doctoral fellows and Visiting Professors. At present the Department has had a graduate enrolment between 40 and 45. The Department has earned a national and international reputation as one of the most forward-looking and broad-based mathematical sciences departments in Canada. Undergraduate and graduate students thrive in the highly interactive and personalized environment which characterizes our Department and is typical of the unique character of Simon Fraser University. We offer a broad program of training in contemporary Mathematics, but also specialize in various areas for which we are internationally recognized.
The members of the Department have organized themselves into two research groups: the Pure Mathematics group and the Applied and Computational Mathematics group. Acting under the aegis of the Department's Graduate Studies Committee, both of these groups maintain their own graduate programs and their own course listings. These graduate and research activities are described in the two documents: Applied and Computational Mathematics and Pure Mathematics. It should be stressed that there is close co-operation between the groups. Students in one of the three programs will often be primarily concerned with the courses listed under that program, but may take courses listed in the other two sections. For example, students pursuing a graduate program under the Pure Mathematics listing may take courses listed under Applied and Computational Mathematics (and/or Statistics).
The University
Simon Fraser University occupies a beautiful woodland setting at the 400m-high summit of Burnaby Mountain, just 12km east of Vancouver, on Canada's Pacific Coast. The University is named after the explorer and fur-trader Simon Fraser, who, in 1808, descended the major river which now bears his name. The University's location commands outstanding views of Vancouver harbour, the Coast mountains, and the Fraser River delta, while the bold modern architecture of the buildings has won numerous awards.
The University opened in 1965 with an enrollment of 2,500 students. It has grown substantially and in Fall 2000, 16,788 undergraduates and 2,559 graduate students were enrolled, and 4,584 degrees conferred. SFU is a young, moderate-sized, lively University with a commitment to advanced scholarship, research, and teaching.
British Columbia is noted for its superb scenery and Vancouver is recognized as one of the world's most beautiful cities. In the warm summer months the local beaches are thronged with sunbathers. In winter, skiing is a prime outdoor activity and there are several ski slopes on the local mountains and a world-class ski resort only 90 minutes from campus. The temperate climate allows sailing, tennis, golf and salmon or trout fishing to be year-round activities. As Canada's third largest city, Vancouver is a thriving business and cultural centre with modern rapid transportation, international shopping and dining, museums, theatres, professional sports, an opera company, and a symphony orchestra.
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