The Ross Mathematics Program is an intensive eight-week residential summer camp for high school students interested in number theory. The program is currently run by Dr. Daniel Shapiro and is based out of the Ohio State University.
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History
The Ross Program was founded and named after Professor Arnold Ross, who created the program at University of Notre Dame in 1957. The central goal of the Ross Program has always been to instruct and encourage bright young students in the art of abstract thinking and to inspire them to discover for themselves that abstract ideas are valuable and important. The program's motto became: "Think deeply of simple things."
Program Overview
First year students are typically expected to work at their own pace through rigorous problem sets. There are 32 Number Theory sets in all, out of which 24 is considered the "jewel." Set 24 contains the notorious Quadratic Reciprocity proofs. Completing up to this number of sets allows first year students to compete to become Junior Counselors as second year students in the program.
Ordinarily, second year students return to finish all the sets as either Junior Counselors or Second-Years. Third Year students are either JC's or Counselors depending on their age, and expertise. The schedule includes problem seminars and daily morning lectures. There are optional seminars on such topics as group theory and geometry. Guest speakers are invited to give lectures or short courses during the summer in a variety of mathematical topics. All counselors are college students or college-bound and have at least two years of experience at the program.
The Ross Legacy and Alumni
The program has incubated many great mathematicians, and a few alumni have created programs of their own. Such programs include PROMYS at Boston University (Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists), and the Texas State University Honors Summer Math Camp at Texas State University. Notable alumni include Robert Coleman, Brian Conrad, Karl Rubin, Glenn Stevens, and Jacob Lurie. In 2001 and 2007 Ross Reunions were held at Ohio State and every Ross Alum is invited.
The former was used to commemorate the founder, Arnold Ross, and gain funds to keep the program running.
The latter was held in the summer of 2007, as the Fiftieth Anniversary of the program. Several guest lectures were held, encompassing lectures on Math, Meteorology, Economics, Graphics, and not surprisingly, Number Theory.
Also, during the Reunion, a family tree of the current counselors was made, and showed that everyone was part of Tom Roby's extended "Ross Family."
External links
| The Ohio State University |
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