Mathematical Sciences Courses

Graduate Special Topics Courses

MA 590: Special Topics: Introduction to Scientific Machine Learning: Practice & Theory - Professor Zhongqiang Zhang

Fall 2025
Learn deep learning techniques for computational science and engineering. This course covers theory and hands-on Python/JAX applications, including: Universal Approximation Theory, Stochastic Gradient Descent, Stability of Regression, Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs)
Key Skills: Apply scientific machine learning techniques., Troubleshoot computational simulations. Use Python and JAX for deep learning.
Who Should Enroll? Graduate students in computational science and machine learning. Undergraduates: Contact the instructor
Prerequisites: Numerical methods and programming experience (any language)
Assessment: Midterm & Final Projects
Advance your computational skills! Contact Professor Zhang at zzhang7@wpi.edu for details

MA 590: Special Topics: Differential Geometry and Lie Groups - Professor Mayer Humi

Spring 2026

Differential Geometry is an exciting and elegant discipline which has a central role in many areas of Science and Engineering. Closely related to this topic is the theory Lie groups and Symmetry which provide powerful tools to reduce the complexity of many problems into a tractable form. The course shall explore concrete applications of this theory to General Relativity and solutions of nonlinear differential equations. Special emphasis will placed on Lie groups that has a major role in applications: the Rotation, Galilee, Lorentz, Poincare and de-Sitter groups. The goal of this course is to provide students with a solid introduction to these subjects of higher mathematics and some of its concrete applications. By the end of this course students should be able to apply this knowledge to solve problems that they may encounter in their professional career.

Undergraduate Special Topics Courses

MA 4891: Topics in Mathematics: Introduction to Stochastic Processes - Professor Gu Wang

C Term 2026

Learn foundational tools for modeling stochastic systems

MA 4892: Topics in Actuarial Mathematics - Professor Stephan Sturm

D Term 2026

Beyond the Basics: Exploring Advanced Actuarial Tools for
Real-World Risk Management. Topics covered in this course would vary from one offering to the next. The purpose of this course will be to introduce actuarial topics that typically arise in
the professional actuarial organization’s curriculum beyond the point where aspiring actuaries are still in college. Topics might include ratemaking, estimation of unpaid claims, equity linked insurance products, simulation, or stochastic modeling of insurance products. Recommended background: Could vary by the specific topics being covered, but would typically include an introduction to the theory of interest and an introduction to actuarial mathematics (MA 2211 and MA 3212 or equivalent).