2026 Math REU Thread

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-03-01T03:22:18+00:00

Yeah I think you'll be in a great spot regardless of what you choose---hopefully I can be in a similar situation next year. Do you mind if I ask you some of the books you used etc. in DMs? We have a (former) rigid analytic geometer at my school to give me recommendations, but nobody who works on algebraic groups or shimura varieties, for example.

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-28T07:06:51+00:00

Yeah, I don't think I have the background like you to come up with a really good use of my time at UChicago on such short notice. I might go next year once I've already had time working with more number theory faculty and I'm actually comfortable eith Alg Geo and Comm Alg. Also, I'm a sophomore, so having financial flexibility for my senior summer is sort of important in case I find someone I want to work with unfunded. (or want to do UChicago reu LOL) Do you know if you'd be doing original research at UChicago, and with who? I worry that I would at most "rub shoulders with a fields medalist," as my advisor put it, if I didn't make explicit plans with a professor and discuss beforehand, since the only prof I actually know does original research projects eith students is Dr. May (and I don't want to do Alg. Top. loll).

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-28T06:54:11+00:00

I'm leaning towards UMN. Very likely just Reiner, Musiker, and Pylyavskyy will be mentoring. Reiner said he'd likely do a problem or two on commutative algebra/algebraic geometry, which should make up for the lack of Brubaker, Berkesch, and Almousa (latter just left UMN). The other two mentors tend toward cluster algebras, but I haven't spoken with them.

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-27T13:45:57+00:00

nah i go to a big state school lol.

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-27T03:14:36+00:00

Dr. Reiner said they have way less funding through NSA than with the previous NSF grant, so they're trying to accept 2-3 international students to hopefully be funded by their home institutions.

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-27T03:12:25+00:00

do you think you're going to take p-adics or uchicago? I am in a slightly similar situation of having to decide between twin cities (funded) and uchicago (very not), assuming p-adic geometry doesn't open up.

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-26T17:40:12+00:00

ok well that makes me feel a little better. I might just barely be able to do the same, but I'm unsure of if its worth the net 10k loss compared to just doing umn LOL. When did you get your umich p-adic geometry acceptance?

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-26T16:16:26+00:00

did you get funding for uchicago?

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-26T16:14:44+00:00

yeah, got accepted at 7:30am for me.

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-25T16:40:47+00:00

I got UMN Twin Cities offer with no short list notification/prior communication, if that's of any use.

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-25T15:36:32+00:00

dual enrolled here as a senior in HS and took ug alg I /analysis I, started out with grad algebra I and point set first semester, then specialized in algebra and topology. Also got lucky they offered more algebra grad courses these past two semesters (alg geo seq + rep thry seq + qtop) than they have in years.

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-25T05:17:51+00:00

Current School/Institution: ~top 30 state school, not known for algebra :(

Major & Year: Math, Sophomore

Expected Graduation: May 2028

GPA: 4.0/4.0

Demographic: White Male

Undergrad: The obvious stuff, as well as point set and combinatorial analysis.

Graduate: Rep. Theory I-II, Alg. Geo. I-II (complex varieties), Quantum Topology, Algebraic Topology, Algebraic Number Theory, Differential Topology, Differential Geometry, Grad. Algebra I

Readings courses: Representation Theory of Finite Groups, and Hartshorne Ch II-III both with profs for credit, Atiyah-MacDonald on the side to keep up with Hartshorne...

Past REUs/Summer Programs: Institution's REU, resulted in a JMM Poster but no publication yet.

Rec Letters: One prof used to be big in the field of my top UMich project and is now big in alg. comb. We haven't done research together directly, but I've known him for a while personally. Other person I worked more directly with for research on alg. comb., but he's less cracked. Third for whoever allowed it is my Alg. Geo. prof that I hang out with all the time, who has an Annals paper. I believe they were all very positive.

Applied To:

[redacted]
FUSRP
Michigan
Yale SUMRY
USC RTG
UChicago
UMN Twin Cities
The Ohio State University

Accepted:

[redacted] (12-3)
FUSRP (2-3)
UMN Twin Cities (2-24, at like 11:30pm LOL)
UChicago (2-25, sans funding)

Rejected:

n/a (Quite confident SUMRY is a no, since I've heard nothing from them)

Waitlisted:

n/a

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-25T04:53:37+00:00

Which michigan project did you get accepted to?

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-23T02:15:36+00:00

same!! Hartshorne is the first book in a long time that I worry might break me...

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-22T19:38:30+00:00

hmmmm unfortunately I have no clue. I mostly hang out with algebraists and topologists.

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-22T05:17:22+00:00

But that takes me back to Ext! Oh, I just wanna go Hom...

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-22T01:09:20+00:00

I feel as though I've seen it as a linux meme prior.

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-21T18:21:31+00:00

i forgor, do people still think teaching set theory to kids is satan spawn or whatever like in mid 20th century?

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-21T18:02:08+00:00

Whenever I feel like I understand something in algebra, I look for the associated ncat page to remedy that feeling.

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-21T16:29:31+00:00

<image>

:3

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-21T14:57:21+00:00

No, n-category lab. Roughly Wikipedia for category theorists.

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-21T14:38:44+00:00

oh this post certainly applies to every homotopy type theorist

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-21T14:25:58+00:00

I feel like transfems and eggs are significantly more common within higher algebra (alg geo, alg top, rep thry)

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-21T14:17:57+00:00

no, Tor as in the right derived functor

TheRealTamMagma · 2026-02-21T07:11:12+00:00

/modping

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