Course manual 2025/2026

Course content

The Master Seminar consists of lectures on a broad range of research topics in Algebra, Geometry and Mathematical Physics. There will be three types of lectures:

by the participating first-year students on the texts mentioned below;
by staff members and PhD students in Amsterdam on topics closely related to their research, and by alumni and others on career possibilities after the masters;
midterm presentations by second-year students on their ongoing master thesis projects.

The students will have the opportunity to suggest topics and speakers to invite at the Master Seminar.

Study materials

Literature

Literature for the first semester to be announced later

Objectives

To learn to read papers or books at a research level.
To organize the material for a seminar talk.
To practice presentation skills for such talk.
To learn to constructively participate in a research seminar.

Teaching methods

Seminar
Self-study

Learning activities

Activity	Hours
Presentatie	56
Self study	112
Total	168	(6 EC x 28 uur)

Attendance

This programme does not have requirements concerning attendance (TER-B).

Additional requirements for this course:

Attendance is compulsory and will be recorded weekly. Absence needs to be communicated to the course coordinators in advance. Students who are late/absent more than 5 times will fail. Attendance will be taken into account in the partial grade for 'active participation' (see Assessment).

Assessment

Item and weight	Details
Final grade

The final grade will be based on the grades for two lectures given by the student (30% for the first and 40% for the second) and active participation (30%) (this includes being on time for each of the sessions).

A re-sit is not possible.

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Weeknummer	Onderwerpen	Studiestof
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32

Owner	Master Mathematics
Coordinator	dr. D. Martinelli
Part of	Master Mathematics, specialization Algebra and Geometry, year 1 Master Mathematics, specialization Analysis and Dynamical Systems, year 1 Master Mathematics, specialization Mathematical Physics, year 1 Master Mathematics, specialization Stochastics , year 1 Master Mathematics, specialisation Discrete Mathematics and Quantum Information, year 1 Double master Mathematics and Physics,

Master Seminar in Algebra, Geometry and Mathematical Physics