Fourth Year Pure Mathematics

2023 Handbook
School of Mathematics and Statistics

http://www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/UG/HM/
ii
Contents

1 The Structure of Pure Mathematics Four 1

1.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Pure Mathematics Honours/PG units for 2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3 Pure Mathematics 40xx Units of Study for 2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.4 AMSI-ACE Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2 Entry, Administration and Assessment 5

2.1 Entry Requirements for Pure Mathematics 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.2 Structure of Honours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.2.1 The honours project (50%) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.2.2 The Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.2.3 Coursework (50%) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.3 Important coursework information for all students . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.3.1 Selecting your courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.4 Actions to be taken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.5 Administrative arrangements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.6 Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.7 Honours grades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.8 School Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.9 Scholarships, Prizes and Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

3 Course Descriptions 13
3.1 Fourth Year Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

4 The Essay 17
4.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4.2 Choosing a Supervisor and topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4.3 Essay content and format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.4 Submission of essay, assessment, corrections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.5 Time management and progress reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.6 Your supervisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

iii
iv CONTENTS

5 Sample Essay Topics 21

5.1 Algebra Research Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5.2 Computational Algebra Research Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
5.3 Geometry, Topology and Analysis Research Group . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
5.4 Non-Linear Analysis Research Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

6 The Talk 35
6.1 General remarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
6.2 Preparing the talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
6.3 Slide Talks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

7 Your Future and Mathematics 37

7.1 Seminars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
7.2 After fourth year, what then? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
7.3 Higher degrees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
7.4 Scholarships and other support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
7.5 Further study in another subject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

A Instructions on Preparing the Manuscript 39

 Mathematicians are like Frenchmen: whatever you say to
them they translate into their own language and forthwith it
is something completely different.
Goethe, Maximen und Reflexionen

Chapter 1

The Structure of Pure Mathematics

Four

1.1 Introduction
In linguistics it is increasingly believed that universal features of language are reflections
of the structure of the human brain and its perception of the world around us. In a similar
fashion, mathematics is a universal language that has been developed to understand and
describe how nature and life work. Mathematics, both in structure and development, is
inextricably bound to our attempts to understand the world around us and our perceptions
of that world. We see this in the mathematical descriptions and formulations of models
in the theoretical and applied sciences: from physics, computer science and information
theory on the one hand, to engineering, chemistry, operations research and economics on
the other.
Just as remarkable is the way in which esoteric and abstract mathematics finds applications in
the applied sciences. Indeed, one of the most exciting developments in science over the past
decade has been the re-emergence of a dynamic interaction between pure mathematicians
and applied scientists, which is bringing together several decades of the relatively abstract
and separate development of pure mathematics and the sciences. Examples include the
applications of singularity theory and group theory to symmetry-breaking and bifurcation
in engineering; number theory to cryptography; category theory and combinatorics
to theoretical and computational computer science; and, most spectacular of all, the
developments of general field theories in mathematical physics based on the most profound
work in complex analysis and algebraic geometry. Of course, this interaction is not one
way. For example, there is the discovery of “exotic” differential structures on R4 utilising
ideas from Yang-Mills theory.
There are many valid approaches to the study of Pure Mathematics in the final Honours
Year. Thus, the course may be regarded as useful in its own right, or may lead on to
an M.Sc. or Ph.D. or to a teaching position in University or High School. In another
direction, what want a solid base from which to continue with studies in computer science
or physics, for example. Finally, you may intend to seek employment with the CSIRO or
in the operations research field, or in a financial institution. In the latter circumstances,
one well-known advantage of studying mathematics is that mathematics gives training in a

1
2 CHAPTER 1. THE STRUCTURE OF PURE MATHEMATICS FOUR

particular way of thinking and an analytic approach to problem solving. Mathematicians

are highly adaptable (and employable).
The Fourth Year Honours program in Pure Mathematics caters for the various needs
described above by offering a highly flexible and adaptable program, which is both
interesting and challenging. We offer a combination of courses, which introduce the major
areas of mathematics, together with a smorgasbord of deeper courses that can be arranged
to suit your personal requirements.
A description of the various components of the course is given below. For detailed
descriptions of the courses, the essay project, and so on, see Chapter 3 and 4.
Overall, the lecture courses offered at the level of PM4 and above are intended to introduce
students to the major divisions of modern mathematics and provide a knowledge of some
of the main ideas needed for the understanding of much of contemporary mathematics,
while still reflecting the research interests within the pure mathematics research groups.

1.2 Pure Mathematics Honours/PG units for 2023

The Bachelor of Advanced Studies (new Honours) (Mathematics (Pure)) requires 48 credit
points from the following tables including:
(i) 6 credit points of 4000-level Honours coursework selective units from List 1, and
(ii) 6 credit points of 4000-level Honours coursework selective units from List 2, and
(iii) 12 credit points of 4000-level and 5000-level Honours coursework selective units from
List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4 or List 5 (listed in the Faculty Handbook).
– a maximum of 6 credit points of which may be from List 3, and
– a maximum of 6 credit points of which may be from List 4, and
(iv) 24 credit points of 4000-level Honours research project units.

See the Faculty Handbook

List 1
Algebraic Topology (Semester 2)
Commutative Algebra (Semester 2)
Representation Theory (Semester 1)

List 2
Functional Analysis (Semester 1)

List 3
4000 or 5000-level units from a different School

List 4
5000-level units from our School.
If you are unsure about the combination of courses you should take, consult with your
supervisor or the course coordinator. In any case, you are very welcome to attend all the
1.3. PURE MATHEMATICS 40XX UNITS OF STUDY FOR 2023 3

lecture courses. Our expectation is that the pure honours students will complete at least 12
credit points of 4000-level Honours coursework selective units from List 1 and List 2.

1.3 Pure Mathematics 40xx Units of Study for 2023

Semester I
Metric Spaces (MATH4061)
Rings, Fields and Galois Theory (MATH4062)
Dynamical Systems and Applications (MATH4063)

Semester II
Differential Geometry (MATH4068)
Measure Theory and Fourier Analysis (MATH4069)

1.4 AMSI-ACE Courses

Students are welcomed to check the courses offered in January at the AMSI Summer
School and also courses available through Advanced Collaborative Environment (ACE)
during Semester 1 or 2. Enrolment is through the unit AMSI4001 and requires explicit
permission from the honours coordinator, Prof Laurentiu Paunescu (Carslaw 721, phone
(02) 9351 2969, email [email protected]).
Students are encouraged to attend the AMSI Summer School even without credit. It is a
great way to get to know other students around Australia and to expand their knowledge
beyond our coursework program.
4 CHAPTER 1. THE STRUCTURE OF PURE MATHEMATICS FOUR
 I fear that I bore you with these details, but I have to let you
see my little difficulties, if you are to understand the
situation.
Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia

Chapter 2

Entry, Administration and Assessment

2.1 Entry Requirements for Pure Mathematics 4

The faculty offers two main Honours pathways:

• Combined Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Advanced Studies (BAS) is an option

if you commenced your studies after 2018 and it allows completing Honours as an
embedded pathway in the final year of the program. Requires two majors.

• The Bachelor of Science (Honours) is a standalone (appended) Honours requiring an

additional year of study. It is for students who

– are not on track to complete two majors in the Bachelor of Science, or

– are external students, or
– commenced before 2018 and did not choose to transfer to the new curriculum
version of their degree.

• Students enrolled in the combined BAS can transfer to the appended honours if
they are not able to complete two majors by the end of the combined degree (same
requirements as appended honours)

Preliminary entrance into the honours program is through the Faculty of Science application
portal (BSc) or through the Combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies. The Faculty
requirements which must be met include:

• qualifying for a degree in a major which is cognate to the proposed honours stream
(a major which provides a suitable background for the honours stream; in borderline
cases the decision of whether a major is cognate is in the hands of the relevant
Honours coordinator and the Faculty);

• qualifying for the pass degree with two majors one of which should be cognate to
the proposed honours stream, a major which provides a suitable background for the
honours stream;

• having a WAM of at least 65;

5
6 CHAPTER 2. ENTRY, ADMINISTRATION AND ASSESSMENT

• securing the agreement of a supervisor.

Please refer to the respective web sites for more details on the Faculty entry
requirements to Honours.

In addition, the School of Mathematics and Statistics recommends that the students have a
total of at least 18CP or 24CP (depending on their major requirements) of relevant 3XXX
units in which :

• the average mark of Advanced level courses is at least 65;

• the average mark of Mainstream level courses is at least 75.

If you have a mix of advanced and mainstream courses, where some are above and some
below the thresholds, if you are not sure which of your courses are relevant, or if your
average is just on the wrong side of the threshold you can seek further advice from the
relevant program’s honours coordinator.
Entry to PM4 is also subject to the approval of the Head of School and judgement of the
Honours coordinator.
The Faculty of Science Honours application deadline for Honours commencement in
Semester 1, 2023 is 15 January 2023, and for Semester 2, 2023 it is 25 June 2023.

2.2 Structure of Honours

An honours year in Mathematics and Statistics involves four 6CP courses (worth 50% of
the final mark) and a project (worth 50%).

2.2.1 The honours project (50%)

The honours project centres around an essay/thesis consisting of about 40-60 pages written
on a particular topic from your chosen area. The thesis is due at the end of your final
semester, specifically on Monday of week 13. For more information about the essay see
Chapter 4.

2.2.2 The Talk

As part of the essay project, students are required to give a talk about their project. The
talk is worth 5% of the essay mark. The talk will usually take place about the mid-semester
break of student’s final semester. The aim of the talk is to explain to a broader audience the
purpose and nature of the project. The talk is followed by 5 minutes dedicated to questions
from the audience which includes staff members and fellow students.
2.2. STRUCTURE OF HONOURS 7

2.2.3 Coursework (50%)

The honours program specifies a couple of core courses as well as which combination
of courses can be taken – please carefully read through the list of constraints! Full-time
students will normally attend two 6CP lecture courses each Semester, for a total of four
courses.
8 CHAPTER 2. ENTRY, ADMINISTRATION AND ASSESSMENT

2.3 Important coursework information for all students

2.3.1 Selecting your courses
Regardless of whether you are a new or an old curriculum student make sure you select
your courses after consulting the Honours supervisor and the Honours coordinator!
See also Section 1.2 for the offerings.

2.4 Actions to be taken

All students intending to take Pure Mathematics 4 should see the PM4 Course Coordinator,
Prof Laurentiu Paunescu (Carslaw 721, phone (02) 9351 2969, email pm4coord@maths.
usyd.edu.au) at their earliest opportunity, and in any case well before the beginning of
the new teaching year. The Course Coordinator will advise you about choosing a supervisor
and a topic for the essay project (see also Section 4.2 below).

2.5 Administrative arrangements

The PM4 Course Coordinator is in charge of Pure Mathematics 4 and should be consulted
about any organisational problems that may arise.
In particular, students should note that the Course Coordinator’s permission should be
obtained if you wish to substitute courses from outside, or take a reading course or a
postgraduate course. In the first instance, however, you should discuss such matters with
your supervisor. Provided you can agree, the Course Coordinator’s permission would then
normally be a formality.
Please take particular note of the procedure to be followed if you are sick or other
circumstances arise that may lead to late submission of your essay (see Section 4.4).
Also note that at the end of first semester a progress report must be given to the Course
Coordinator (see Chapter 4).
When we know that you are enrolled for PM4 you will be given a computer account. The
usual way in which messages for PM4 students will be distributed will be via e-mail. Please
remember to check your e-mail regularly.

2.6 Assessment
Each PM4 lecture course is assessed as advertised in the official unit outline available
from www.sydney.edu.au/units. Usually, a written (sometimes oral) exam is held during
the exam period immediately following the course; however, some courses are assessed
entirely by assignment.
The essay accounts for 50% of the year’s assessment.
As well as assessing the Fourth Year performance, the Department is required to make
a recommendation for a grade of Honours. In exceptional cases, the grade of Honours
 2.7. HONOURS GRADES 9

awarded could differ from the level of performance in the Fourth Year. The possible results
for fourth year are First Class Honours, Second Class Honours division 1, Second Class
Honours Division 2, Third Class Honours and No Award (Fail), usually abbreviated I, II-1,
II-2, III and F.

2.7 Honours grades

The Faculty of Science has given the following guidelines for assessment of student
performance in fourth year.
95–100 Outstanding First Class quality of clear Medal standard, demonstrating independent
thought throughout, a flair for the subject, comprehensive knowledge of the subject
area and a level of achievement similar to that expected by first rate academic journals.
This mark reflects an exceptional achievement with a high degree of initiative and
self-reliance, considerable student input into the direction of the study, and critical
evaluation of the established work in the area.
90–94 Very high standard of work similar to above but overall performance is borderline
for award of a Medal. Lower level of performance in certain categories or areas of
study above.
Note: An honours mark of 90+ and a third year WAM of 80+ are necessary but
not sufficient conditions for the award of the Medal. Examiners are referred to the
Academic Board Guidelines on the award of Medals found in the general policy
pages at the front of the Examiners’ Manual.
80–89 Clear First Class quality, showing a command of the field both broad and deep, with
the presentation of some novel insights. Student will have shown a solid foundation
of conceptual thought and a breadth of factual knowledge of the discipline, clear
familiarity with and ability to use central methodology and experimental practices of
the discipline, and clear evidence of some independence of thought in the subject
area. Some student input into the direction of the study or development of techniques,
and critical discussion of the outcomes.
75–79 Second Class Honours, First Division – student will have shown a command of the
theory and practice of the discipline. They will have demonstrated their ability to
conduct work at an independent level and complete tasks in a timely manner, and have
an adequate understanding of the background factual basis of the subject. Student
shows some initiative but is more reliant on other people for ideas and techniques
and project is dependent on supervisor’s suggestions. Student is dedicated to work
and capable of undertaking a higher degree.
70–74 Second Class Honours, Second Division – student is proficient in the theory and
practice of their discipline but has not developed complete independence of thought,
practical mastery or clarity of presentation. Student shows adequate but limited
understanding of the topic and has largely followed the direction of the supervisor.
65–69 Third Class Honours – performance indicates that the student has successfully
completed the work, but at a standard barely meeting honours criteria. The student’s
understanding of the topic is extremely limited and they have shown little or no
independence of thought or performance.
10 CHAPTER 2. ENTRY, ADMINISTRATION AND ASSESSMENT

The award of a medal is not made just on the basis of a numerical mark or formula. The
merits of each eligible candidate are debated by the relevant Board of Examiners.

2.8 School Facilities

Pure Mathematics 4 students traditionally enjoy a number of privileges. These include:
• Desk space in the Carslaw Building.

• A computer account with access to email and the internet, as well as TEX and laser
printing facilities for the preparation of essays and projects.

• A photocopying account paid by the School for essay/project source material.

• After-hours access to the Carslaw Building. (A deposit is payable.)

• A pigeon-hole in room 728 – please inspect it regularly as lecturers often use it to

hand out relevant material.

• Participation in the School’s social events.

• Class representative at School meetings.

2.9 Scholarships, Prizes and Awards

The following scholarships and prizes may be awarded to Pure Mathematics 4 students
of sufficient merit. (Note that unless the conditions of the prize state otherwise, as in the
David G.A.Jackson Prize and the A.F.U.W. Prize, these prizes are also open to all Honours
students in the School of Mathematics and Statistics.)

Joye Prize in Mathematics

To the most outstanding student completing fourth year honours in the School of Mathematics
and Statistics.
Value: $5300 plus medal and shield.

George Allen Scholarship in Pure Mathematics

To a student proceeding to Honours in Pure Mathematics who has shown greatest proficiency
in at least 24 credit points of Senior units of study in the School of Mathematics and
Statistics.
Value: $1000.
2.9. SCHOLARSHIPS, PRIZES AND AWARDS 11

Barker Prize
Awarded at the fourth (Honours) year examiner’s meetings for proficiency in Pure Mathe-
matics, Applied Mathematics or Mathematical Statistics.
Value: $550.

Ashby Prize
Offered annually for the best essay, submitted by a student in the Faculty of Science,
that forms part of the requirements of Pure Mathematics 4, Applied Mathematics 4 or
Mathematical Statistics 4.
Value: $360.

Norbert Quirk Prize No IV

Awarded annually for the best essay on a given mathematical subject by a student enrolled
in a fourth year course in mathematics (Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics or
Mathematical Statistics) provided that the essay is of sufficient merit.
Value: $250.

David G.A. Jackson Prize

Awarded for creativity and originality in any undergraduate Pure Mathematics unit of study.
Value: $1100.

Australian Federation of Graduate Women: Prize in Mathematics

Awarded annually, on the recommendation of the Head of the School of Mathematics
and Statistics, to the most distinguished woman candidate for the degree of B.A. or
B.Sc. who graduates with first class Honours in Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics
or Mathematical Statistics.
Value: $175.

Rolf Adams Prize

This annual prize is awarded to the pure mathematics honours student who delivers the
best talk.
Value: $100.

University Medal
Awarded to Honours students who perform outstandingly. The award is subject to Faculty
rules, which require a Faculty mark of 90 or more in Pure Mathematics 4 and a WAM of
80 or higher in 3rd year. More than one medal may be awarded in any year.
12 CHAPTER 2. ENTRY, ADMINISTRATION AND ASSESSMENT
 I dislike arguments of any kind. They are always vulgar,
and often convincing.
Oscar Wilde, The importance of being earnest

Chapter 3

Course Descriptions

Each course is run at 3 lectures and 1 tutorial per week, and counts as 1 unit. For
substitutions by courses not given by Pure Mathematics see Section 1.3. In addition, any
40xx course, not previously examined, is available for credit.

3.1 Fourth Year Courses

Algebraic Topology
Lecturer: TBA
One of the most important aims of algebraic topology is to distinguish or classify topological
spaces and maps between them up to homeomorphism. Invariants and obstructions are
key to achieve this aim. A familiar invariant is the Euler characteristic of a topological
space, which was initially discovered via combinatorial methods and has been rediscovered
in many different guises. Modern algebraic topology allows the solution of complicated
geometric problems with algebraic methods. Imagine a closed loop of string that looks
knotted in space. How would you tell if you can wiggle it about to form an unknotted loop
without cutting the string? The space of all deformations of the loop is an intractable set.
The key idea is to associate algebraic structures, such as groups or vector spaces, with
topological objects such as knots, in such a way that complicated topological questions
can be phrased as simpler questions about the algebraic structures. In particular, this turns
questions about an intractable set into a conceptual or finite, computational framework
that allows us to answer these questions with certainty. In this unit you will learn about
fundamental group and covering spaces, homology and cohomology theory. These form the
basis for applications in other domains within mathematics and other disciplines, such as
physics or biology. At the end of this unit you will have a broad and coherent knowledge of
Algebraic Topology, and you will have developed the skills to determine whether seemingly
intractable problems can be solved with topological methods.
Classes: 3 × 1hr lecture/week, 1 × 1hr tutorial/week
Assessment: 2x homework assignments (50%), final exam (50%)
Assumed Knowledge: Familiarity with abstract algebra and basic topology, e.g.,
(MATH2922 or MATH2961 or equivalent) and (MATH2923 or equivalent).

13
14 CHAPTER 3. COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Commutative Algebra
Lecturer: TBA

Commutative Algebra provides the foundation to study modern uses of Algebra in a wide
array of settings, from within Mathematics and beyond. The techniques of Commutative
Algebra underpin some of the most important advances of mathematics in the last century,
most notably in Algebraic Geometry and Algebraic Topology. This unit will teach students
the core ideas, theorems, and techniques from Commutative Algebra, and provide examples
of their basic applications. Topics covered include affine varieties, Noetherian rings,
Hilbert basis theorem, localisation, the Nullstellansatz, ring specta, homological algebra,
and dimension theory. Applications may include topics in scheme theory, intersection
theory, and algebraic number theory. On completion of this unit students will be thoroughly
prepared to undertake further study in algebraic geometry, algebraic number theory, and
other areas of mathematics. Students will also gain facility with important examples of
abstract ideas with far-reaching consequences.
Classes: 3 × 1hr lecture/week, 1 × 1hr tutorial/week
Assessment: 2x submitted assignments (20% each), final exam (60%)
Assumed Knowledge: Familiarity with abstract algebra, e.g., MATH2922 or equivalent.

Functional Analysis
Lecturer: TBA

Functional analysis is one of the major areas of modern mathematics. It can be thought
of as an infinite-dimensional generalisation of linear algebra and involves the study of
various properties of linear continuous transformations on normed infinite-dimensional
spaces. Functional analysis plays a fundamental role in the theory of differential equations,
particularly partial differential equations, representation theory, and probability. In this unit
you will cover topics that include normed vector spaces, completions and Banach spaces;
linear operators and operator norms; Hilbert spaces and the Stone-Weierstrass theorem;
uniform boundedness and the open mapping theorem; dual spaces and the Hahn-Banach
theorem; and spectral theory of compact self-adjoint operators. A thorough mechanistic
grounding in these topics will lead to the development of your compositional skills in the
formulation of solutions to multifaceted problems. By completing this unit you will become
proficient in using a set of standard tools that are foundational in modern mathematics and
will be equipped to proceed to research projects in PDEs, applied dynamics, representation
theory, probability, and ergodic theory.
Classes: 3 × 1hr lecture/week, 1 × 1hr tutorial/week
Assessment: 3x homework assignments (total 30%), final exam (70%)
Assumed Knowledge: Real Analysis (e.g., MATH2X23 or equivalent), and, preferably,
knowledge of Metric Spaces.
3.1. FOURTH YEAR COURSES 15

Representation Theory
Lecturer: TBA
Representation theory is the abstract study of the possible types of symmetry in all
dimensions. It is a fundamental area of algebra with applications throughout mathematics
and physics: the methods of representation theory lead to conceptual and practical
simplification of any problem in linear algebra where symmetry is present. This unit will
introduce you to the basic notions of modules over associative algebras and representations
of groups, and the ways in which these objects can be classified. You will learn the special
properties that distinguish the representation theory of finite groups over the complex
numbers, and also the unifying principles which are common to the representation theory of
a wider range of algebraic structures. By learning the key concepts of representation theory
you will also start to appreciate the power of category-theoretic approaches to mathematics.
The mental framework you will acquire from this unit of study will enable you both to
solve computational problems in linear algebra and to create new mathematical theory.
Classes: 3 × 1hr lecture/week, 1 × 1hr tutorial/week
Assessment: 2x homework assignments (40%), final exam (60%)
Assumed Knowledge: Familiarity with abstract algebra, specifically vector space theory
and basic group theory, e.g., MATH2922 or MATH2961 or equivalent.
Prohibition: MATH3966
16 CHAPTER 3. COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
 A man ought to read just as the inclination leads him; for
what he reads as a task will do him little good.
Samuel Johnson

Chapter 4

The Essay

4.1 Introduction
The essay project has several objectives. First and foremost, it is intended to provide
an essentially open-ended framework whereby you may pursue, develop and discover
your interests in mathematics unencumbered by syllabus and the prospect of eventual
written examination. Basic to this process is the use of the library (for more details see
http://libguides.library.usyd.edu.au/MathsStats) and communication with
others, most especially your supervisor. The writing of the essay is a most valuable part of
the project. The very act of writing is an invaluable aid to comprehension. A good essay
should be carefully organised, clear, readable by others, laid out well, properly referenced
and convey the essential ideas. Attainment of such writing skills is of great benefit whether
or not you elect to stay in mathematics.
One point should, perhaps, be emphasised: the essay project is not generally intended to be
a contribution to original research; however, the essay must clearly demonstrate that you
understand and have mastered the material. Originality in presentation or view in the essay
is required.

Writing proficiency. As mentioned above your essay is also assessed based on the quality
of the writing. The university offers several resources that can help you achieve this goal.
The Learning Centre offers workshops for students that need help with extended written
work, and a trove of online resources for improving your writing skills is also available.
Make sure you make use of these resources as early as possible as writing skills develop
slowly over time and with much practice.

4.2 Choosing a Supervisor and topic

Choosing a supervisor and topic are the first two things that you should do, and are really
not two choices, but one. It is recommended that you begin in the long vacation (preceding
your fourth year) by seeking out members of staff and asking them about their interests and
topics they would be keen on supervising. (See also Chapter 5 below.) It is a good idea to

17
18 CHAPTER 4. THE ESSAY

ask them about their particular method of supervising and other questions important to you.
Do not feel you must settle for the first person you talk to!
All staff members, lecturer and above, are potential supervisors.
There is not necessarily any correlation between supervising style and lecturing style. Also,
the subject a lecturer taught you may not be their real area of interest. You should try to
decide on a supervisor and topic before the start of first semester. Most staff members will
be available during the last two weeks of the long vacation; if you have not arranged a topic
and supervisor at the beginning of the long vacation, you will probably have to organise
your supervisor and topic during these last two weeks.
Changes in supervisor and/or topic are possible during the year (the earlier the better!). If
you do change supervisors then you must notify the PM4 Coordinator.
It is a good idea to have a provisional topic and supervisor in mind at the beginning of the
long vacation. Your potential supervisor can then suggest some reading for you to do over
the long vacation, and, if you have second thoughts about the topic or supervisor, it is then
easy to change before the first semester starts.

4.3 Essay content and format

The essay must start with an introduction describing the objective and contents of the essay.
The essay may end with a summary or conclusion; however, this is optional. Should you
wish to make any acknowledgements, they should appear on a separate page, following the
introduction.
You should aim at the best scholarly standards in providing bibliographic references. In
particular, clear references to cited works should be made, where appropriate, throughout
the text. Furthermore, it is not acceptable to base large portions of your essay on the existing
literature and whenever part of your essay closely follows one of your sources this must
be explicitly acknowledged in the text. References should not appear in the bibliography
unless they are referred to in the text. For the format of the references see the appendix.
The essay should be clear, coherent, self contained and something that others (your fellow
students and other non-specialists in the topic) can read with profit. The essay should not
exceed (the equivalent of) 60 pages one and a half spaced type of normal TEX font size
(that is, as on this page). About 40 to 50 pages would normally be acceptable. Students are
asked to try to keep their essays within these limits; overly long essay may be penalised.
Supervisors should advise their students accordingly.
Take pains over style, especially clarity, precision and grammar. Aim at readability for
the non-specialist. Avoid starting sentences with symbols. Aim for succinct statements of
theorems and lemmas. Break up long proofs into lemmas. Cross reference previous results
and notation, as this markedly improves readability.
Finally, the essay must be typed or printed and prepared in accordance with the instructions
listed in the appendix. You should prepare your essay using a word-processing program
such as LATEX.
4.4. SUBMISSION OF ESSAY, ASSESSMENT, CORRECTIONS 19

4.4 Submission of essay, assessment, corrections

Three bound copies of the essay should be given to the PM4 Course Coordinator for
marking no later than noon on Monday of Week 13 in Semester 2 or Semester 1 in case
you finish mid year. A PDF of the essay should also be submitted to the relevant Canvas
site by this deadline.
Any students submitting their essays past this time can anticipate a penalty of up to 5%
per day or part thereof. Essays which are more than one day late may not be accepted.
If, during the year, illness or other personal circumstances give a genuine reason for late
submission of the essay, such matters should be reported to the Course Coordinator and
your supervisor. Such circumstances should be reported as soon as possible, not at the last
minute!
Each essay will be read independently by at least two members of the School. (The number
of readers will depend on the staff available.) The candidate’s supervisor may or may not
be one of the readers. The markers may suggest corrections that should be made to the
manuscript. If corrections are required, a final corrected copy of the essay should be given
to the Course Coordinator for School records. If no corrections are required, one of the
markers’ copies will normally be kept by the School and the remaining two copies returned
to the candidate.

4.5 Time management and progress reports

At the end of the first semester you should write a summary (approximately one page in
length) of your essay project and progress and give this to the Course Coordinator. This
should include a description of the project, the progress made in Semester 1, and what will
be achieved in Semester 2. This must be approved by your supervisor before submission to
the Course Coordinator.
Here are some rough guidelines and deadlines:
• Select supervisor and topic – before the beginning of first semester

• Reading, discussion and understanding – first semester

• Start work on first draft – by the end of first semester

• Final proofreading – mid-semester break

Do not underestimate the time it takes you to do the actual writing. Often it is not until you
start writing that you will settle on a final view, or realise that you have misunderstood a
particular part of the theory. Allow yourself sufficient time both for the typing and proof
reading of the manuscript.
It is strongly advised that you provide your supervisor with drafts of your essay as soon as
possible so that he/she may provide constructive feedback. In any case a complete draft
must be submitted to your supervisor by 2 weeks before the final essay is due, namely
Monday of Week 11.
The essay should be submitted by Monday of Week 13.
20 CHAPTER 4. THE ESSAY

4.6 Your supervisor

To get the most benefit from the course, you should work closely with your supervisor.
To this end, you may set up a regular hour each week to meet and discuss progress and
problems with your essay project. Alternatively, you might come to some more informal
arrangement.
You can expect your supervisor to:

• Help you select or modify your topic;

• Direct you to useful sources on your topic;

• Explain difficult points;

• Provide feedback on whether you are going in the right direction;

• Advise you on other course matters.

 The paradox is now fully established that the utmost
abstractions are the true weapons with which to control our
thought of concrete fact.
A. Whitehead, Science and the Modern World

Chapter 5

Sample Essay Topics

Here are some topics or areas of interest suggested by members of the Department for 2023.
Please note that this list is not intended to be complete, the topics suggested are perhaps
best regarded as a guide to the likely interests of the proposer, and other staff members
are willing to act as essay supervisors. The topics are grouped according to the Research
Group to which each staff member belongs.

5.1 Algebra Research Group

Dr Nathan Brownlowe – Carslaw 532
Operator Algebra is the study of continuous linear operators on topological vector spaces. A
large class of examples comes from 𝐶 ∗ -algebras, which are closed, self-adjoint collections
of bounded linear operators on Hilbert space. I study the structure of 𝐶 ∗ -algebras associated
to a number of mathematical objects, including algebraic objects like semigroups, groups,
and groupoids; combinatorial objects like graphs, and their higher-dimensional analogues;
and other mathematical objects, including graphs of groups, and Hilbert bimodules. I am
happy to supervise projects in any of these areas.

A/Prof Kevin Coulembier – Carslaw 717

I would like to suggest two topics, as attached below.

i) Algebraic K-theory
𝐾-theory is a branch in mathematics connected to geometry, topology, representation
theory, physics and number theory. 𝐾-theory assigns invariants, called 𝐾-groups
(𝐾𝑖 for 𝑖 a non-negative integer), to certain geometric and algebraic objects. These
𝐾-groups contain a lot of information about the object, but are difficult to compute.
Even the 𝐾-theory of the ring of integers is unknown!
One possible project here aims at understanding 𝐾1 . Historically, the first definition
of 𝐾1 of a ring is due to Bass and Schanuel (using the general linear group). Quillen
defined 𝐾-groups for a ring using the ‘plus’-construction. Later he improved this

21
 22 CHAPTER 5. SAMPLE ESSAY TOPICS

definition by introducing the ‘Q’-construction for any exact category (using simplicial
sets). A possible project is to understand some of these constructions, show they
yield the same abelian group 𝐾1 , and/or compute 𝐾1 in some explicit examples.

ii) Invariant theory in positive characteristic

Invariant theory is a classical topic, with a variety of fascinating applications. The
most classical instance of this is Schur-Weyl duality, which establishes a strong
duality between representations of the symmetric group and the general linear group.
This project will study some of the well-known theory over fields of characteristic
zero, before focussing on positive characteristic (in particular characteristic 2) in
which case there are several interesting open questions.

A/Prof David Easdown – Carslaw 619

A/Prof David Easdown will not be available for supervision in 2023.

Professor Andrew Mathas – Carslaw 718

I would be happy to supervise a fourth year essay on any topic in representations theory, or
combinatorics. My main research interests are the representation theory of the symmetric
groups and related algebras (such as Hecke algebra, Ariki Koike algebras, Schur algebras,
general linear groups, Brauer algebras, Solomon’s descent algebras, . . . ), with an emphasis
of the non-semisimple case—which is where things start to get interesting, and more
difficult!
Possible topics include:
i) The modular representation theory of finite groups. In characteristic zero every
representation of a finite group can be decomposed, in a unique way, as a direct sum
of irreducible representations. For fields of positive characteristic this is no longer the
case, but nevertheless the number of times that a given irreducible module can arise as
a composition factor of a representation is uniquely determined. Possible projects in
this area range from classifying the number of irreducible representations of a finite
group, to studying the Brauer and Green correspondences.

ii) Representations of symmetric groups. The representation theory of the symmetric group
is a rich and beautiful subject that involves a lot of algebra and combinatorics. Possible
projects here include character formulae, classifying homomorphisms, computing
decomposition matrices, Murphy operators, the Jantzen sum formula, . . . .

iii) Brauer algebras. The Brauer algebras arise naturally from the representation theory of
the symplectic and orthogonal groups, but they can also be understood from a purely
combinatorial viewpoint in terms of a “diagram calculus”. Possible topics include
character formulae, classifying semisimplicity, branching theorems, . . . .

iv) Seminormal forms. For many algebras it is possible to give “nice” generating matrices
for the irreducible representations in the semisimple case. These explicit matrix
representations are called seminormal forms. The study of the seminormal forms, and
5.1. ALGEBRA RESEARCH GROUP 23

the resulting character formulae, for one or more algebras would make an interesting
essay topic.

Professor Alex Molev – Carslaw 707

i) Sugawara operators Vacuum modules over the affine Kac-Moody algebras are
principal examples of vertex algebras which have profound connections in geometry
and mathematical physics. The vertex algebra structure on the vacuum module
brings up a few bridges connecting its center with the representation theory of the
affine Kac-Moody algebra. Elements of the center give rise to Sugawara operators
which act as scalars in the Wakimoto modules thus providing an affine analogue
of the Harish-Chandra isomorphism and leading to a description of the associated
classical W-algebras. The goal of the project is to work out explicit constructions of
Sugawara operators which are based on the Schur-Weyl duality and involve special
matrix techniques originated in mathematical physics.

ii) Yangians and quantum groups The study of quantum groups has occupied a central
stage in mathematics research for the past few decades. The groundwork for this
field was laid in the mid-80s. ‘Quantum groups’ refer to a range of Hopf algebras
that are deformations (quantisations) of either algebras of functions on groups,
or universal enveloping algebras. The aim of the project is to study families of
infinite-dimensional quantum groups known as Yangians, which are associated with
classical Lie algebras and superalgebras.

Dr Daniel Tubbenhauer – Carslaw 827

My research is focused on the various aspects of categorical representation theory and
algebra, with focus on the abstract theory as well as its applications. I stand in between
algebra, category theory, combinatorics and topology.
My research can be summarised by: Over the last 21 years we witnessed history of
mathematics in its making with Khovanov’s discovery of his celebrated categorification of
the Jones polynomial. This discovery was transformative, and since then it has become
clear that categorical actions provide the right language for understanding Khovanov’s work,
and its generalisations, and these actions have now been axiomatised into the emerging
field of categorical representation theory. One could call categorical representation theory
the representation theory of the 21th century, with expected wide ranging applications in
mathematics and beyond.
I would be happy to supervise a thesis, some potential projects are listed below. Feel free
to contact me if you want to know more details. (Some details and two additional projects
can also be found on my website: dtubbenhauer.com/teaching.html.)
1) "Categorical representations of Artin-Tits groups" Artin-Tits braid groups are certain
groups having a generators-relation presentation encoded in a labeled graph Γ (commonly
called a Coxeter diagram). The prototypical example is the case where Γ is a type 𝐴 Dynkin
diagram where the Artin-Tits groups is the group of braids in three-space, as it arose in the
work of Gauss on electromagnetism.
24 CHAPTER 5. SAMPLE ESSAY TOPICS

Not much is know about Artin-Tits braid groups in general, and this project would try to
attack combinatorial and group-theoretical questions using categories.
2) "Semisimplifications of tensor categories" The notion of a monoidal category dates
back to Mac Lane who developed this categorical analog of a monoid ("a group without
inverses") in the 1960s of the last century. In the same vein, tensor categories should be
thought of as counterparts of rings in the world of categories. They are ubiquitous in
non-commutative algebra and representation theory, and also play an important role in
many other areas of mathematics, such as algebraic geometry, algebraic topology, number
theory, the theory of operator algebras, mathematical physics, and theoretical computer
science.
This project is to understand certain nice tensor categories that arise from representation
theory. Specifically, study certain semisimplifications of tensor categories that arise in
diagrammatic representation theory.
3) "Monoidal categories and cryptography" Some of the most important cryptographic
protocols in use today are based on commutative groups and deliver a gold standard for
cryptography (modulo fears of quantum computers). On the other hand, non-commutative
group-based and monoid-based protocols seem to be less understood and in many cases
admit efficient linear attacks: they can be successfully attacked if the underlying monoid
admits small non-trivial representations. One of the consequences of linear attacks is that
finite non-commutative groups may not be suited for cryptographic purposes as they admit
non-trivial representations of moderate size. For a toy example, the symmetric group which
has n! elements, but admits a faithful (𝑛 − 1)−dimensional representation.
This projects focuses on monoids coming from monoidal categories, and investigates their
potential usefulness in cryptography. The point hereby is to construct and study monoids
which do not have small representations.

A/Prof Oded Yacobi – Carslaw 724

My broad interests are in representation theory, especially in problems of geometric and
combinatorial flavour. Most recently, I have been interested in categorical representation
theory, which is the study of actions of groups or Lie algebras on categories rather than
vector spaces. This is a very new subject, with amazing applications and much yet to be
discovered. If you are interested in representation theory and/or category theory, then
please feel free to contact me about possible Honours topics.

Professor Ruibin Zhang – Carslaw 722

I can supervise Honours projects in various areas of Lie theory and mathematical physics.
Some possible topics are:

i) Quantum groups. Quantum groups are ‘quantized versions’ of universal enveloping

algebras of Lie algebras. They originated from the study of the Yang-Baxter equation
in physics in the 1980s, and have had very significant impact on many branches of
mathematics and physics in recent years. Research on quantum groups is very active,
and the subject is rapidly developing.
 5.2. COMPUTATIONAL ALGEBRA RESEARCH GROUP 25

ii) Infinite dimensional Lie algebras. Infinite dimensional Lie algebras play a key role in
conformal field theory and the theory of strings. Typically the Hilbert space of a physical
system forms a positive energy module over the Virasoro or a Kac-Moody algebra,
where the energy operator is some special element of the algebra. The study of the states
and the energy spectrum of the physical system thus may be treated algebraically within
the representation theory of these infinite dimensional Lie algebras. Thesis topics in
this area involve studying such representations of the Virasoro and Kac-Moody algebras
that are most commonly used in physics.

iii) Lie superalgebras and supersymmetry. Supersymmetry is a basic principle that ensures
that the fundamental laws of physics are the same for bosons and for fermions. It has
permeated many areas of pure mathematics in recent years, leading to deep results
such as the Seiberg-Witten theory and mirror symmetry. The algebraic perspective
of supersymmetry is the theory of Lie superalgebras, which came to existence in the
late 1970s, and is still actively studied today. We shall develop the structure and
representations of Lie superalgebras such as the general linear superalgebra and its
subalgebras.

iv) Quantum field theory and gravity. Quantum field theory is the conceptual framework for
formulating fundamental laws of physics and answering questions about the structure of
the physical world. It provides the mathematical means for studying quantum systems of
infinitely many degrees of freedom, and making definite predictions that can be tested
at experimental facilities like the LHC at CERN. A very active area is the development
of a quantum theory of gravity, which is necessary for understanding the structure of
spacetime at the Planck scale. Thesis topics in this area involve the study of proposals
of quantum theories of gravity using noncommutative generalisations of Riemannian
geometry.

5.2 Computational Algebra Research Group

Professor John Cannon – Carslaw 618
i) Computational Number Theory. For example:

• Primality testing and factorization,

• Constructive algebraic number theory,
• Computation of Galois groups.

ii) Computational Group Theory. For example:

• Algorithmic methods for finitely presented groups,

• Algorithmic methods for permutation groups,
• Computational representation theory,
• Constructive invariant theory.

iii) Computational Differential Algebra. For example:

26 CHAPTER 5. SAMPLE ESSAY TOPICS

• The Risch algorithm for indefinite integration.

5.3 Geometry, Topology and Analysis Research Group

A/Prof Dmitry Badziahin — Carslaw 634
I do research in the area of Diophantine approximation, a branch of analytic number theory.
At its core, it investigates, how well are real numbers (or some other objects) approximated
by rationals. Possible topics for essays include:

• Winning sets and their applications to Diophantine approximation. Winning sets

were firstly invented by Schmidt in 1960’s. They have a surprising property: despite
of being very small (basically, of zero Lebesgue measure), any countable intersection
of winning sets is still winning and hence is uncountable. It appears that many sets
of numbers or points in R𝑛 sharing certain approximational properties are winning.
Projects on this topic will involve the study of the classical Schmidt winning sets and
their analogues. Then it will end up with checking a winning property for some set
from the area of Diophantine approximation.

• Approximational properties of Mahler numbers. Within this topic we will start with
the study of continued fractions in the space of Laurent series. Then we will move to
Mahler functions — the class of functions which satisfy certain functional equations.
We will see that in many cases their continued fraction can be computed by some
recurrent formulae. Finally we will investigate, based on that information, how well
can values of Mahler functions be approximated by rational numbers.

• Modern factorisation algorithms. This topic stays a bit outside of my current research
but it may be interesting for some students. We will consider one of the fastest
modern factorisation algorithms: elliptic curve method or number field sieve. We
investigate their computational complexity, their strengths and weaknesses.

Dr Emma Carberry – Carslaw 723

My primary research areas are differential geometry and integrable systems, although
I also use methods from complex algebraic geometry in my work. I have listed some
specific areas below in which I would be happy to supervise an essay but this list is far
from exhaustive; if you have other geometric interests please feel free to contact me for
further ideas.
i) Curves and their Jacobians. Algebraic curves (smooth algebraic curves are also called
compact Riemann surfaces) and line bundles on them are utilised in many areas of
mathematics. A project here could go in many directions, a good basic reference is
Philip Griffiths’ book “An Introduction to Algebraic Curves”.
ii) Spectral Curves and Integrable Systems. There is an important class of differential
equations that can be written in a particularly simple form, called Lax form. For example,
the equations describing a minimal surface in a compact Lie group or symmetric space
 5.3. GEOMETRY, TOPOLOGY AND ANALYSIS RESEARCH GROUP 27

can be written in this form, as can equations governing Higgs bundles. It is a beautiful
fact that solutions to such differential equations on the complex plane (satisfying a
finiteness condition) are in one-to-one correspondence with purely algebro-geometric
data, consisting of an algebraic curve and a line bundle. The curve is called a spectral
curve, and this correspondence gives one powerful new tools with which to attack the
original geometric problem. This project is geometric/algebraic in flavour, although the
problem originates with a differential equation.
References include Philip Griffiths’ article “Linearising flows and a cohomological
interpretation of Lax equations” American Journal of mathematics, 107 (1985), no
6, 1445–1484 (1986). and the section by Hitchin in the book “Integrable Systems –
Twistors, Loop Groups, and Riemann Surfaces” by Hitchin, Segal and Ward. This area
has wide applications in both differential geometry and mathematical physics.
iii) Calibrations. The notion of a calibrated geometry was introduced in a seminal paper
by Harvey and Lawson. In these geometries, one studies special submanifolds that are
globally area minimising (this is much stronger than the local condition that characterises
minimal surfaces). The first non-classical example is special Lagrangian geometry,
which plays an important part in mirror symmetry and is currently a hot research area.
One can also use the octonions to define three more calibrated geometries, termed
exceptional geometries due to their relationship with exceptional Lie groups. This area
requires some background in differential geometry, such as that provided by MATH
3968.
iv) Quaternionic Holomorphic Geometry.
When studying the geometry of surfaces, one usually works locally as there are few
global tools available. A couple of years ago it was observed that surfaces in 𝑆 4 could be
studied more globally, using quaternionic analogs of standard complex analytic results.
The quaternions enter the picture since 𝑆 4 is isomorphic to the quaternionic projective
line, and one can use these tools to study surfaces in R3 simply by embedding R3 in
𝑆 4 . This new theory is being used to study conformal immersions of surfaces, and in
particular to attack the Willmore conjecture. A good reference is the book “Conformal
geometry of surfaces in 𝑆 4 and quaternions” by Burstall, Ferus,Leschke, Pedit and
Pinkall, available online at front.math.ucdavis.edu.
v) Minimal Surfaces. Physically, minimal surfaces model soap films: they locally solve
the problem of finding the least area surface with a given boundary. They have
been extensively studied and have a rich theory, with many interesting examples
and generalisations. They are an active area of current research. There are various
possibilities here for a project; ranging from the very explicit (some of the most exciting
research here involves finding new examples), to the more theoretical. David Hoffman’s
expository article “The computer-aided discovery of new embedded minimal surfaces”
in The Mathematical Intelligencer 9 no. 3 (1987), and Robert Osserman’s book A Survey
of Minimal Surfaces are good places in which to get a feel for this area.

A/Prof Alexander Fish – Carslaw 712

I am doing research in two fields – additive combinatorics and algebraic methods in wireless
communication. I will be happy to supervise an honours thesis in any related topic. Some
28 CHAPTER 5. SAMPLE ESSAY TOPICS

of the possible topics include:

i) Polynomial method in arithmetic combinatorics

Description: In the last decade it was a surge of breakthroughs in the problems on
finding a maximal (or minimal) cardinality of a subset A of 𝐹𝑞𝑛 which necessarily
avoids a certain structure (or contains a lot of structure). It started with a breakthrough
work of Dvir in 2008 on the Kakeya problem in vector spaces over finite fields
(Finding a good lower bound on cardinality of a set A in 𝐹𝑞𝑛 which contains a line in
every direction) and includes the work of Croot-Lev-Pach-Ellenberg-Gijswijt capes
bounds and Guth-Katz resolution of Erdos distance problem in the plane. The project
will combine studying this new exciting tool (the polynomial method) and working
on some new problems which should be amenable to the method.

ii) Resolution of Erdos conjecture for 3-term arithmetic conjectures

Description: In 2020 it was huge breakthrough in additive combinatorics. Bloom and
Sisask posted a preprint on arxiv (https://arxiv.org/pdf/2007.03528.pdf) proves the
first non-trivial case of the famous Erdos conjecture: Any set 𝑎 1 < 𝑎 2 < 𝑎 3 < . . .
in the positive integers satisfying that the sum of reciprocals diverges contains an
arithmetic progression of any finite length. Bloom and Sisask proved the conjecture
for three term arithmetic progressions. The conjecture of Erdos can be thought as a
generalisation of famous Szemeredi’s theorem which states that any set A of integers
of positive density contains arbitrary long (finite) arithmetic progressions. The case
for three term arithmetic progressions was proved by Roth and called Roth theorem.
In the project you will study the work of Bloom and Sisask. A necessary background
is Measure theory and we will study exciting methods of Harmonic Analysis.

iii) Ergodic theory in Combinatorial Number Theory

Description: You will study basics of Ergodic Theory, and subsequently, the work of
Furstenberg on Szemeredi theorem (every set of integers of positive density contains
arbitrary long arithmetic progressions) and if time will permit the Green-Tao theorem
that primes contain arbitrary long arithmetic progressions.

iv) Additive Combinatorics and Freiman Theorem

Description: This project will focus on one of the most important theorems of
additive combinatorics - Freiman theorem. It roughly says that if a finite set of
integers A has small doubling, i.e. the number of elements in A+A is bounded by a
constant times the number of elements in A (constant is independent of A), then A
has a structure similar to the structure of arithmetic progression. If time will permit
the thesis will include the modern generalisation of Freiman’s theorem, namely, the
theorem of Breiilard-Green-Tao on approximate groups (which are non-commutative
generalisations of sets with small doubling).

A/Prof James Parkinson – Carslaw 614

A/Prof Parkinson will not be available for supervision in 2023.
 5.3. GEOMETRY, TOPOLOGY AND ANALYSIS RESEARCH GROUP 29

Professor Laurentiu Paunescu – Carslaw 721

I am interested in the applications of singularity theory to differential equations, and in
using the combinatorics of Toric Modifications in investigating the equisingularity problem.
My main research interests are:
i) Singularities of complex and real analytic functions.
ii) Stratified Morse theory.
iii) Toric resolution of singularities.

A/Prof Milena Radnovic – Carslaw 624

I would be happy to supervise honours students working on topics related to geometry,
algebraic geometry, elliptic functions, and complex analysis. Interested students are
encouraged to come and discuss with me possible directions of their honours work. Some
examples of topics are:
1. Poncelet theorem and beyond: Poncelet theorem is one of the deepest and most
important results of classical geometry. If two ellipses are given in the plane, and
a polygon inscribed in one of them and circumscribed about the other one, then
the Poncelet theorem states that there are infinitely many such polygons and all of
them have equal number of sides. The interest in Poncelet theorem revived in the
recent decades, and numerous generalisations and connections within various areas
of mathematics were discovered. The work on this topic will include study of some
of those connections, and maybe you will find some new ones, too!
2. Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries: In this topic, you will discover the richness
of geometric world, how geometry is founded, and why different geometries, such as
Euclidean, spheric, hyperbolic, and finite geometries, exist. You may explore how
and if well-known facts from Euclidean geometry transfer to those various settings,
how our knowledge and understanding of geometry developed through history, and
how that influenced science and philosophy.
3. Mathematical billiards: Everyone knows about the game of billiards, but have you
ever played billiard on a triangular or elliptic desk? In this topic, you will explore
how the geometry of the desk crucially determines the trajectories of the billiard ball.
4. Elliptic curves and elliptic functions: They originate in algebraic geometry and
complex analysis, and have many beautiful applications within mathematics. For
example, do you know that the famous Fermat’s last theorem, formulated in 17th
century, was proved at the end of 20th century using elliptic curves? They also
appear in solving geometry problems, such as the Poncelet theorem, in the soliton
theory, etc. In this topic, will explore elliptic curves and elliptic functions, some of
their applications, and/or history.

A/Prof Anne Thomas – Carslaw 716

A/Prof Thomas will be unavailable for supervision in 2023.
30 CHAPTER 5. SAMPLE ESSAY TOPICS

Professor Stephan Tillmann – Carslaw 710

I am available to supervise projects in geometry and topology, with an emphasis on low-
dimensional objects, such as knots, surfaces, 3-dimensional and 4-dimensional spaces. I
tend to use algebraic or combinatorial techniques, as well as synthetic geometric arguments.
One of the aims of my research is to understand the structure of low-dimensional spaces
and to obtain new invariants of these spaces.
Specific projects will be designed depending on your interests and experience. The aim of
a thesis topics could be to understand a beautiful piece of theory; produce new examples;
design or implement new algorithms to compute invariants; work out a discretisation of a
smooth theory.

Dr Haotian Wu – Quad L4, 45

My research area is geometric analysis, which employs analytic tools such as partial
differential equations to study problems in geometry and topology. I have worked on
geometric flows such as Ricci flow and mean curvature flow, (moduli) space of Riemannian
metrics, and geometry problems that arise in mathematical general relativity.

I look forward to supervising honours student(s). You honours essay topic could include:

i) Existence of “nice” metrics. A fundamental question in differential geometry is

that if a given a manifold 𝑀 carries a “nice” Riemannian metric. For example,
an 𝑛-sphere quipped with the standard round sphere is nice in the sense that its
curvatures are all the same positive constant. Two research topics in this direction
are:

• Ricci flow1: Here one deforms a metric 𝑔 by 𝜕𝑡 𝑔 = −2Ric(𝑔), where Ric(𝑔) is

the Ricci curvature of 𝑔. Ricci flow is an efficient way to deform the metric into
a “nice” one known as the Einstein metric. However, Ricci flow is nonlinear
and tends to develop singularities in finite time, and singularity analysis poses
a fundamental problem in the theory.
• Yamabe problem: Here one seeks the existence of metric with constant scalar
curvature in a given conformal class on a given manifold, e.g. the round metric
on an 𝑛-sphere. This question can be formulated as an elliptic PDE, or can be
approached by parabolic methods.

ii) (Moduli) space of metrics. Given a manifold 𝑀, denote by M the space of all
Riemannian metrics on 𝑀. Then we can study the properties of the space M. For
example, is there a tangent space to M at a point (i.e. a metric)? If so, what is
it? Or, is the space M path-connected? What about its higher homotopy groups?
If two metrics 𝑔, 𝑔0 are diffeomorphic, then (𝑀, 𝑔) and (𝑀, 𝑔0) are geometrically
indistinguishable. Thus, denote by 𝔇 the space of all diffeormphisms of 𝑀, we also
study the moduli space M/𝔇.
1Ricci flow has been successful in proving Thurston’s Geometrisation Conjecture of three manifolds and
the Poincaré Conjecture, one of the “million-dollar maths problems”.
 5.3. GEOMETRY, TOPOLOGY AND ANALYSIS RESEARCH GROUP 31

iii) Zoo of submanifolds. Classical differential geometry studies curves and surfaces
which are submanifolds of the flat Euclidean R3 (cf. MATH3968). One can generalise
to other ambient space (𝑀, 𝑔) and study submanifolds of special properties such as
minimal (zero mean curvature) and constant mean curvature (CMC) submanifolds.
For example, Which CMC submanifolds exist in a given (𝑀, 𝑔)? How many are
there? Can we classify them? In this context, one can also study mean curvature
flow.
iv) Mathematical general relativity. The space-time of our universe is studied using
Riemannian geometry (space) and Lorentzian geometry (space-time) and contains
many fascinating topics. To name a few: the mathematics of black holes is related
to that of minimal surfaces in a space-time; the Positive Mass Theorem and its
connection to scalar curvature; the Riemannian Penrose Inequality can be proved
using the inverse mean curvature flow.

If you have other topics related to geometry, topology, or analysis in mind, please do not
hesitate to email me so we could discuss the possibilities.

A/Prof Zhou Zhang – Carslaw 620

My primary research interest lies in differential geometry. Techniques from the theories
of partial differential equation and several complex variables are frequently called for.
The problems being considered often have strong algebraic geometry background. In the
following, a few topics suitable for an honours essay are listed. If you already have your
own topic(s) in mind, I’ll be more than happy to discuss with you and provide suggestions
if you wish.
i) Futaki Invariant. The goal is to look at some basic facts regarding this very important
invariant in the study of Einstein metric. The understanding and justification of definition
itself would already serve as a good way to introduce basics in complex differential
geometry.
ii) Ricci Flow and Maximum Principle. Ricci flow and the complex version of it, Kähler-
Ricci flow are topics of great interest in the recent years. Maximum Principle is,
in principle, a very simple-minded tool in the study of differential equations. We
could focus on Hamilton’s Tensor Maximum Principle and provide some taste of how
something so intuitive can go such a long way. In this topic, we would start with some
introduction to Riemannian geometry if needed.
iii) Introduction to Algebraic Curves. Here I am using the title of the book by Griffiths.
It provides a few very good topics to work on for beginners in algebraic geometry,
for example, the Riemann-Roch Theorem in Chapter III. The discussion of these low
dimensional objects naturally serves as a motivation in the study for general dimension.
iv) De Rham Theorem and Hodge Theorem. This topic serves as an introduction to
differential geometry for manifolds. For the most part, we could follow the nice textbook
“Foundations of differentiable manifolds and Lie groups” by Warner, and add some more
in the Kähler setting, if time allows, where things come together in a very nice way.
32 CHAPTER 5. SAMPLE ESSAY TOPICS

v) Characteristic Classes. Here I am using the title of the famous book by Milnor. From
one point of view, it provides a topological (and intuitive) way to describe objects of
great interests in differential geometry.

5.4 Non-Linear Analysis Research Group

A/Prof Florica Cîrstea – Carslaw 719
My main research interests concern nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs). In this
area there are many important topics that can be treated using various modern approaches.
I would be happy to supervise such topics from the theory of both linear and nonlinear
PDEs. Some specific projects are provided below, but students are encouraged to negotiate
the topic for a best match.
i) The theory of linear PDEs relies on functional analysis and relatively easy energy
estimates to prove the existence of weak solutions to various linear equations. The
proper setting for the study of many linear and nonlinear PDEs via energy methods
is provided by the so-called Sobolev spaces. If we require the solutions of a given
PDE to be very regular, we would usually have a very hard time to find them. A more
profitable approach is to consider the issue of existence of solutions separately from the
smoothness (or regularity) problems. The idea is to introduce a new concept of solution
(weak solution) that does not have too much smoothness so that we could establish its
existence, uniqueness and continuous dependence of the given data. Various PDEs
could be treated in this way and this is, possibly, the best we can do in many cases. For
others, we could hope to prove that our weak solution becomes smooth enough to be
deemed as a classical solution. This leads to the issue of regularity of weak solutions,
which relies on many intricate estimates.
Possible topics. Investigating the solvability of uniformly elliptic, second-order PDEs,
subject to prescribed boundary conditions using two essentially different techniques:
energy methods within Sobolev spaces and maximum principle methods. The energy
methods can be expanded to a variety of linear PDEs characterising evolutions in
time. This broadens the class of PDEs to include the heat equation and more general
second-order parabolic PDEs, as well as the wave equation (and general second-order
hyperbolic PDE).

ii) The theory of nonlinear PDEs is far less unified in its approach compared with the
linear one. Variational methods provide one of the most useful and accessible of the
approaches for nonlinear PDEs. Other techniques are also available for nonlinear elliptic
and parabolic PDEs such as the monotonicity and fixed-points methods, as well as other
devices involving the maximum principle. The study of such techniques would make
interesting essay topics.

A/Prof Daniel Daners – Carslaw 715

Areas of interest:
i) Partial differential equations (linear or nonlinear).
 5.4. NON-LINEAR ANALYSIS RESEARCH GROUP 33

ii) Ordinary differential equations (linear or nonlinear).

iii) Bifurcation theory.

iv) Analytic semigroup theory and abstract evolution equations. (This is a theory of
“ordinary differential equations” in infinite dimensional spaces with applications to
partial differential equations.)
Please see me to negotiate a topic of your interest or for suggestions for specific projects
related to the above areas.

Prof Eduardo Altmann – Carslaw 523

Monte Carlo methods in triangulation problems
The goal of this project is to investigate how Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods can be
used to optimise triangulations of manifolds with a range of different applications in mind.
After reviewing the known results for simple configurations (in low dimensions), we will
focus on computational methods to efficiently find triangulations with good properties.
Within a Monte Carlo framework, we will investigate the efficiency of different proposal
steps such as moves that merge and subdivide triangles or flip edges (so-called bistellar
moves). This project involves programming, it lies in the intersection between Applied and
Pure mathematics, and will be co-supervised by Prof Eduardo Altmann and Dr. Jonathan
Spreer.
Related work:
[1] Aste, Gramatica, and Di Matteo,
"Random and Frozen States in Complex Triangulations." Philosophical Magazine, 92:1-3,
246-254, (201) DOI: 10.1080/14786435.2011.613861
[2] Björner and Lutz,
"Simplicial manifolds, bistellar flips and a 16-vertex triangulation of the Poincaré homology
3-sphere", Experiment. Math. Volume 9, Issue 2 (2000), 275-289.

Prof Ben Goldys – Carslaw 709

Project 1:
Strict topologies and nonlinear semigroups on spaces of continuous functions The aim
of this project is to study applications of the topological measure theory to analysis of
nonlinear partial differential equations in spaces of continuous functions. First, we will
consider some classes of linear operators in such spaces, including some differential
operators. It turns out, that even in the linear case the norm topology is not suitable for
the analysis of solutions and associated semigroups of linear operators. We will learn
that certain natural topologies, weaker than the norm topology, are ideally suited for this
purpose. In the next step we will use this machinery to study viscosity solutions to a large
class of nonlinear PDEs.
The topic of this project is closely related to recent developments in the theory of nonlinear
Markov semigroups and associated nonlinear Markov processes. However, knowledge of
stochastic analysis is not needed for this project.
34 CHAPTER 5. SAMPLE ESSAY TOPICS

The project will require tools from functional analysis and theory of measures on topological
spaces, especially on locally convex spaces. This is mainly a learning project, but some
new dvelopments will be also possible.
Our starting point will be the paper:
Michael Röckner and Max Nendel:
Upper envelopes of families of Feller semigroups and viscosity solutions to a class of
nonlinear Cauchy problems, https://arxiv.org/pdf/1906.04430.pdf

Project 2: Renormalisation and invariant measures for wave equations Some fundamental
equations of quantum field theory and statistical physics require a special procedure known
as renormalisation. A rigorous theory of renormalisation developed in mathematics requires
arguments from algebra, measure theory and analysis. In this project we will apply the
renormalisation procedure to certain nonlinear wave equations of mathematical physics.
Our aim will be to show that such equations have well defined solutions if the initial
condition belongs to the support of an invariant measure. We will start with studying the
paper
Oh, Tadahiro and Thomann, Laurent: Invariant Gibbs measures for the 2-d defocusing
nonlinear wave equations. Ann. Fac. Sci. Toulouse Math. (6) 29 (2020), no. 1, 1-26
 Extraordinaire comme les mathématiques vous aident à
vous connaître.
Samuel Beckett, Molloy

Chapter 6

The Talk

6.1 General remarks

Before the essay is submitted at the end of Second Semester, each student gives a talk
on their essay project. The talks will usually take place about the mid-semester break os
student’s final semester.
The aim of the talk is to provide training in the explanation to others of the purpose and
nature of a project, within definite time limits; twenty minutes for each talk, plus five
minutes for questions.
All members of the Department, Fourth Year and postgraduate students are invited to the
Fourth Year talks.
The talk is worth 5% of your essay mark.

6.2 Preparing the talk

The purpose of your talk is to convey to your fellow students (and the academic staff) what
you are working on. They probably know very little about your essay topic; this comment
may also apply to the academic staff. Do not make the talk too long or ambitious. Aim
to convey the essence of your project to the audience rather than trying to impress the
audience; after all, it is unlikely that you can cover the whole of your project in 20 minutes!.
The key to giving a successful mathematical talk is: “Keep it simple!” One idea, illustrated
by one or two examples, is enough for a good talk. A special case often conveys more than
a general, all-encompassing theorem. For example, to give the flavour of general fields, a
detailed study of a simple, but unfamiliar field, such as GF(9), might be appropriate.
Keep in mind that the audience is swept along with you and that they cannot go back
to earlier stages of your talk like when they are reading an article. You are not giving a
lecture, so although some definitions may be appropriate, lengthy technical proofs should
be avoided. It is also not a good idea to over-develop the theory at the expense of examples:
a well-chosen example is worth ten thousand theorems. Finally, try and relate your content
to other areas of mathematics or applications; this can make the talk much more interesting
for the general audience.

35
36 CHAPTER 6. THE TALK

You should aim your talk at a general mathematical audience and avoid directing it at the
odd specialist in your topic in the audience. Thus a good talk is judged by one criterion:
you have given the audience, especially your fellow fourth year students, a good idea of
your project and its significance.
Discuss the talk with your supervisor.
Having chosen the topic for your talk, prepare a written outline. Some people write their
talk out in full, while others prefer to use only a written outline and allow improvisations.
As it is probably your first talk of this kind, it is advisable to do a full dress rehearsal the
previous evening; so find a blackboard or a projector and go through the complete talk.
This will help you in judging the timing of your talk properly: it takes much longer to
say things than you probably realise. If you can, find a sympathetic listener to give you
feedback. Your listener does not have to be mathematically literate: a good talk is almost
as much about theatre and presentation as it is about mathematics.

6.3 Slide Talks

Decide if the use of Beamer, PowerPoint or an overhead projector is appropriate. This
allows preparation of complicated figures or tables ahead of time, or the inclusion of
photocopies of published material in your exposition. Beware, however, that although the
speaker can by this means pass a vast amount of information before the eyes of the audience
very quickly, the audience will probably not take it all in. It is important either to write
clearly and in large letters and to refer explicitly to each line (say by gradually revealing
line-by-line) or, in the case of a diagram or complicated formula, to allow your audience
time to absorb its detail.
If you are going to use LATEX to create slides then the use of the Beamer package is
recommended.
 Life is good for only two things, discovering mathematics
and teaching mathematics.
Siméon Poisson

Chapter 7

Your Future and Mathematics

As a fourth year student you are a member of the mathematics department and you should
take advantage of the facilities it offers. The University of Sydney has one of the top
mathematics research departments in the country, and it ranks very highly internationally
in several areas. There are also a number of prominent international (short and long
term) visitors to the department who give seminar talks within the department. It pays to
keep an eye on scnews (the School’s web based bulletin board), for upcoming seminar
announcements.
The academic staff, the many postdocs and the visitors to the department are all usually
very happy to talk mathematics talk with interested students: all you have to do is find the
courage to ask!
Fourth year students are also very welcome to join the staff and postgraduates in the use of
the tea room; this can be a good place to meet other people in the department.

7.1 Seminars
Students are welcome to any seminar run in the Department. For a schedule of upcoming
seminars, see scnews and the seminar websites that are linked to from the main school
webpage.

7.2 After fourth year, what then?

Recent graduates have found employment in a wide variety of occupations: computer
related jobs, teaching (University or School), positions in insurance and finance. To find
out more about where maths can take you:

https://sydney.edu.au/careers/
http://www.amsi.org.au
http://www.austms.org.au/Jobs

Here we shall just outline briefly the postgraduate degree options. For more information
consult the departments web pages.

37
38 CHAPTER 7. YOUR FUTURE AND MATHEMATICS

7.3 Higher degrees

A result of II-2 or better is the minimum requirement for entry into a higher degree at
Sydney. However it should be noted that one should not normally contemplate continuing
without a result of at least II-1. Anyone intending to undertake a higher degree should
consult with the Mathematics Postgraduate Coordinator (Dr Pengyi Yang), as soon as
possible. The usual practice is to enrol for an M.Sc. in the first instance and later to convert
to a Ph.D. if it is desired to continue.
Information on scholarships for postgraduate study can be found at
http://www.maths.usyd.edu.au/maths/u/PG/.

7.4 Scholarships and other support

Scholarships, prizes and travel grants are available both for study at Sydney and for study
elsewhere. Full details can be found in the University Calendar and from the Scholarships
Office (Administration Building). Intending applicants should obtain application forms
from the Scholarships Office as soon as possible. The closing dates for some scholarships
can be as early as September.
If you are considering further study at an Australian University, you should apply for an
Australian Postgraduate Research Award (even for an M.Sc. by coursework). For study at a
university in Britain or Canada, apply for a University of Sydney travelling Scholarship
and also apply to the chosen university for employment as a Graduate Assistant.

7.5 Further study in another subject

As mentioned in the introduction to this booklet, it is quite possible to do Fourth Year Pure
Mathematics and then continue with a higher degree in another subject. Within Australia,
prerequisites vary from university to university and department to department, and for those
intending to follow this path it is advisable to consult with the department concerned to
determine an appropriate choice of fourth year topics. If you are intending to continue with
postgraduate studies in another field outside Australia, do check prerequisites. Provided
you have done third year courses in the subject at Sydney, you will probably not encounter
significant problems over prerequisites.
 It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are
infinitely the most important.
Sherlock Holmes, A Case of Identity

Appendix A

Instructions on Preparing the

Manuscript

Essays must be typed using LATEX (or TEX), or a commercial word processing program
such as word. Amongst professional mathematicians LATEX has become the standard; it
produces better quality output than any word processing programs program—at least when
it comes to mathematics. The downside to LATEX is that it takes some time to learn.
The fourth year coordinator will give an introduction to using TEX and LATEX before the
beginning of second semester. For those wishing to use LATEX Prof Mathas has written a
LATEX class file that takes care of the basic layout of the essay; for information, as well as
some basic tips on how to use LATEX, see http://www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/mathas/
courses/pm4/.
See http://www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/SMS/texintheschool.html for links to
TEX and LATEX documentation available on the School’s website. The LATEX package
amsmath and BiBTeX are perhaps the most important. (Note that Prof Mathas’ class file
preloads the amsmath package, which is essential for adequately typesetting mathematics
in a LATEX document. BiBTeX is used for automatically including a bibliography in a LATEX
document.)
If you decide not to use this LATEX class file, then your document must nevertheless satisfy
the following requirements.
1. A margin of at least 2.5cm must be left at the top, bottom, left- and right-hand side of
each page. The margin is determined by the last letter or character in the longest line on
the page.

2. All pages must be numbered (in a consistent way), except for the title page.

3. Avoid excessive use of footnotes. They are rarely necessary in mathematics.

4. Diagrams should be created using appropriate software; check with your supervisor
first if you intend to use hand drawn diagrams.

5. Theorems, Propositions, and such like, should be labelled consistently throughout the
document.

6. The font size must be 12pt.

39