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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Engineering Mathematics?The subject is the application of mathematics and computing to problems of modern engineering. At Bristol, we are committed to using mathematics to study real world problems of direct engineering, scientific or industrial relevance. Research interests cover mathematics for tomorrow's technology, ranging from artificial intelligence (including fuzzy logic and computational intelligence) to applied nonlinear mathematics and chaos. How about some examples?Here is a quotation from the book "Game, Set and Math" by the eminent British mathematician and populariser of science Ian Stewart: "...Mathematics is fundamental to our lifestyle. How many people, watching a television program, realise that without mathematics there would be nothing to watch? Mathematics was a crucial ingredient in the discovery of radio waves. It controls the design of electronic circuits that process the signals. When the picture on the screen rolls up into a tube and spins off to reveal another picture, the quantity of mathematics that has come to life as computer graphics is staggering. ...The last few years have witnessed a remarkable re-unification of pure and applied mathematics. Topology is opening up entire new areas of dynamics; the geometry of multi-dimensional ellipsoids is minting money for AT&T; obscure items such as p-adic groups turn up in the design of efficient telephone networks; and the Cantor set describes how your heart works..." Why study Engineering Mathematics?The Engineering Mathematics programmes offer a balance of theory and practice, which is both intellectually stimulating and topical. Learning the craft of applying mathematics to real world problems will not only equip you with technical skills, but will also enhance your ability to make sound judgements on the increasingly important role played by science and technology in the modern world. Industry is well aware of acute skills shortage in various fields including applied mathematics and computing. These shortages are bound to persist in the near future, due to increasing demand from employers in line with European industrial growth. Why are there two `Maths' Departments at Bristol?Short Answer: It is a historical accident. The School of Mathematics is part of the Science Faculty, whereas the Engineering Mathematics Department, original a department of `Theoretical Mechanics' grew out of the Engineering Faculty. But serendipity dictates that historical accidents often lead to strength and new opportunities! Long Answer: The two departments fulfill different roles. Both are research led departments, with complementary research expertise. Both run their own degree programmes and both provide service teaching to other departments; the School of Mathematics in the Science Faculty and the Engineering Mathematics Department in the Engineering Faculty. Physically the departments are distinct. The School of Mathematics maintains its own identity by having its own building on University Walk, whereas Engineering Mathematics is fully integrated with other Engineering Departments in the Queens Building and the Merchant Venturers Building thus enhancing its close links with engineering application. There is strong co-operation between the departments, e.g. in the area of nonlinear systems . The teaching of the two departments was assessed jointly in the most recent Teaching Quality Assessment. Some of the strengths and specialisms of the two departments are given below. School of MathematicsThe School of Mathematics is engaged in a full range of mathematical activity and consists of three groups Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics and Numerical Analysis, and Statistics, and has a staff of about 50. It runs undergraduate degrees (BSc and MSci) in Mathematics, Mathematics with Statistics, Mathematics and Computer Science. Also there are joint honours in Mathematics and Physics, Economics and Mathematics and Philosophy and Mathematics (BA). There is an option of a year abroad in continental Europe. Admissions information is available. Research interests: The Pure Maths group has strengths in algebra, spectral analysis, logic and set theory. The Applied Maths and Numerical Anlysis group has strengths in Fluid mechanics, quantum physics and wave propagation . They have links to the Geology and Geography departments through the Centre for Environmental and Geophysical Flows, to Biology through the Centre for Behavioural Biology. The Statistics Group has strengths in Markov chain Monte Carlo, Projection pursuit, Wavelets, Functional data analysis, Non-parametric regression and Tomography. Engineering Mathematics DepartmentThe department focusses on development and application of the latest mathematics of relevance to current and future technologies. It has two main research groups in artificial intelligence and applied nonlinear mathematics, and a range of other research activities. It has about 25 staff. It runs its own undergraduate degree programmes (MEng) in Engineering Mathematics. In addition it jointly runs degrees in Computer Systems Engineering and Avionics Engineering. Admissions information is available. Research interests :
What is the difference between Applied Mathematics and Engineering Mathematics?There is clearly an overlap between Applied Mathematics and Engineering Mathematics, BUT: Engineering Mathematics can be thought of as Applicable Mathematics - mathematics for problem solving, modelling of systems, and general industrial applications. Applied Mathematics, on the other hand, focuses on the material of Mathematical Physics: the mathematics applied to physical systems - for example: mechanics, fluid dynamics and stochastic modelling in biology. What is the difference between Engineering and Engineering Mathematics?Engineering courses focus on the principles, methods and applications in their particular branch of Engineering (Aeronautical, Mechanical, Electrical/Electronic, Civil or Computing); Engineering Mathematics provides the mathematical foundations for all of these as well as areas of application in Medicine and the Social Sciences. What are the Career prospects for Engineering Mathematics graduates?The payoff of a degree in one of the Department's programmes can be an interesting and rewarding career with good travel opportunities. Recent Engineering Mathematics graduates have found employment in academic research, software engineering, electronic engineering, computer manufacture, chemical industries, as well as in management, accountancy and the voluntary sector. The employers include:
What happened to our Graduates of the last 5 years in the first 6 months since leaving?
What about Sponsorship?Some of the companies listed above have sponsored one or more of our students in the past. However, instead of direct sponsorship, many employers are now moving over to using "A Year in Industry" as a route to finding future employees. They select some of those who have done a year with them for sponsorship and offer others vacation employment. For more information go to the Year in Industry web-site at: http://www.yini.org.uk/ What is the role of Computing in the degree programmes?Computer based tools are a principal stock in trade of all mathematicians working in science, technology, industry and commerce. Engineering Mathematics students must, therefore, learn to get the best out of these tools. Engineering Mathematics is not Computer Science so you will not spend all your time programming and learning about the inner workings of computers. But you will acquire a deep knowledge of the capabilities of computers and how they can support mathematical work. Do we cater for students who are not experienced in computer work?The short answer is a big YES. Students come on the Engineering Mathematics programmes from a very wide variety of different
backgrounds. The computing laboratory is the principal laboratory of the Engineering Mathematician. The emphasis is on computer use. How different are the programmes from other Engineering Mathematics type programmes?Traditional Engineering Mathematics courses focus on Continuum Mechanics - the mathematics needed to model the behaviour of solids, liquids and gases. The Engineering Mathematics programmes at Bristol also specialise in Continuum Mechanics with particular emphasis on Non-Linear Dynamics and Chaos; BUT in addition the programmes specialise in Information Engineering topics such as Artificial Intelligence, Knowledge Engineering and Operations Research. Continuum Mechanics is the mathematical discipline rooted in the ENERGY oriented resources of the Industrial Society. Artificial Intelligence is a key technology for the INFORMATION oriented resources of our Post-Industrial Society. What kind of projects can we do?In the final year of the Engineering Mathematics programmes, students work in pairs or by themselves on a technical research project of their own. The topic is either chosen from a list of suggestions made by members of staff, or is proposed by the student(s). The project is the largest and most important piece of work they do. It is a creative exercise and is usually a very rewarding experience. Listed below are the titles of a selection of recent projects together with short descriptions.
Some Additional Project Titles
Why Four Year Programmes?To ensure that Bristol Engineering Graduates have professional status throughout Europe (where courses are normally at least four years long). How hard are the Programmes?All engineering courses involve a lot of hard work, and these are no exceptions. However, all students who obtain the required entry qualifications should be able to stay the course and graduate, given sufficient motivation. |
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Department of Engineering Mathematics, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UB, UK - Tel: +44 (0)117 331 5718 |
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Last updated:14/04/2008 |