07/01/2019

Summer Course 2019 brings together diverse accents at IMPA.

The hottest season of the year has arrived, and some prefer sun, beach, sea, and fun. However, the students in the 2019 IMPA Summer Course prefer to use the months of January and February to catch up on their studies or specialize in topics that will help them in postgraduate studies or the job market.

Marina Luz

Coming from different regions of the country and abroad, these young people see IMPA as a gateway to a world of opportunities. This is the case of Marina Luz, 25 years old, from São Gonçalo (RJ). Recently graduated in Administration from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), she wants to work in the financial market, in the area of quantitative funds that uses statistical models to make decisions, and saw in the course's subjects a chance to deepen her knowledge in this area, which she plans to address in her master's degree, which is already in her plans.

"I needed a mathematical foundation to do it, so I picked the relevant subjects — introduction to mathematical economics, Markov chains, and real line analysis."

Joaquim Bermudes

This was more or less the same thought of Joaquim Antônio Costa Bermudes, 22 years old, from São João Nepomuceno (MG). A final-year Economics student at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), he intends to pursue a master's degree in Pure Mathematics at IMPA and came to test his knowledge in the Summer Course. Enrolled in the Real Line Analysis course, he also plans to attend the Introduction to Mathematical Economics classes if he feels he can handle them.

“I’m thinking of doing a master’s degree in Pure Mathematics because the Economics course demands a lot of Mathematics. I saw on a New York professor’s website the subjects he wanted a student to know, and it was the entire Mathematics course. So, my idea is to come here to do a master’s degree and then a doctorate in Mathematical Economics,” he assesses.

Leonardo Lessa

Word-of-mouth recommendations from his classmates at the University of São Paulo (USP) brought Leonardo Almeida Lessa, a 19-year-old from Brasília, to IMPA this summer. A physics undergraduate student, he decided to follow his friends' advice. He secured a scholarship to come to Rio de Janeiro and is amazed by the environment. "IMPA is the best in Brazil, and on top of that, the course is free. I didn't even research other courses because IMPA's reputation spoke louder," he says.

Interestingly, Leonardo states that the opportunity to be among mathematicians, an experience he had never had before, is essential for someone like him who is interested in Mathematical Physics and is doing Scientific Initiation in the area.

“I think it will be a good learning experience. So far it's been great, IMPA is very beautiful. I don't know exactly yet what area I intend to work in. Initially I'm thinking of studying Geophysics, I don't know if this stay here will change my mind. It might,” she confesses.

Marcos Campos

Marcos Willi Campos, 18 years old, has known the institute for a long time. This is because he has competed in several editions of the Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad for Public Schools (OBMEP), a competition in which he has won two gold and three silver medals and which is organized by IMPA.

Despite being quite young, he is in his third year of Economics at the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV). If you're wondering how this is possible, we'll explain. Marcos, a student at a public school in the state of Rio de Janeiro, skipped the second year of high school. His good academic performance and success in academic olympiads caught attention, and he received an invitation to study at FGV. He took the entrance exam, passed, and won a scholarship to attend the course at the age of 16.

With ease, and a touch of shyness, he says that he didn't have major difficulties getting into university while still a teenager. "I think I was prepared in terms of the content, I know how to catch up, I tend to study a lot. I ended up not having any social or learning problems," he says.

"I want to work in economics, in the area of Statistics. I really enjoy Combinatorics and I'm here because I'd like to get to know IMPA better, as I'm interested in a master's degree in Mathematical Economics."

The IMPA Summer Course is just beginning, and registration is still open. Until March 1st, many students passionate about mathematics will be enjoying the warmest season in the institute's classrooms and hallways.