Haley Knox Completes NSF Research Experience in Iowa

2017 Aug 9

Haley Knox '18, an Eastern Connecticut State University student from Bristol, recently returned from a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Iowa funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). For the months of June and July, Knox worked on a research project at Iowa State University titled "Ordered Multiplicity Inverse Eigenvalue Problem for Graphs on Six Vertices."

Knox, who majors in mathematics, worked in a group of undergraduate and graduate students on a project in the field of mathematics known as combinatorial matrix theory, which is a mix of linear algebra and graph theory. Among their accomplishments, Knox reports: "We completely solved the ordered multiplicity inverse eigenvalue problem for connected graphs on six vertices, and we made progress in solving the inverse eigenvalue problem for connected graphs on six vertices."

"It was a wonderful experience to live in Ames, IA, for eight weeks!" said Knox. "I enjoyed working in a group, and am grateful to have been able to join a new community in the middle of the country without financial burden. I learned a lot this summer and highly recommend that undergraduates studying mathematics apply for an REU before they graduate."