Chennai Mathematical Institute
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This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (August 2007) |
| Chennai Mathematical Institute | |
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| Established: | 1988 |
| Type: | Research Institution, Educational Institution |
| Director: | Professor C. S. Seshadri |
| Location: | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Website: | http://www.cmi.ac.in |
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Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) is an institute of higher education and research in the fields of mathematics and computer science. It is located in the SIPCOT IT Park, near Chennai in India.
CMI was earlier located in T. Nagar in the heart of Chennai in an office complex. It moved to a new campus in Siruseri in October 2005. A new hostel is constructed and students have moved into the hostel in January 2007.
CMI is now a deemed university.
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[edit] Educational programmes
[edit] Course details
Since 1998, CMI has been offering a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Mathematics and Computer Science. The course is of three years' duration and has 26 subjects, including two in the humanities, two in physics, and the rest in mathematics and computer science. Students, after completion of the B.Sc. degree, usually pursue research in Mathematics or in Theoretical Computer Science, either in India or abroad. Some students also go into industry while others take up subjects such as finance.
In 2003, CMI started offering a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Physics. This is also a three-year course. The first batch for this course passed out in 2006. The course topics are largely in theoretical physics. CMI now has its own physics laboratory and the second Physics batch (passing out in July 2007) are having their third-year lab sessions there. From the academic year 2007-2008, the Physics students will have regular lab courses right from the first year. In the academic year 2005-2006, lab sessions for third-year students were conducted at IIT Madras based on an agreement. In the summer following their first year, physics students go to HBCSE (under TIFR) in Mumbai for practical sessions and in the second year, they go to IGCAR,Kalpakkam.
In 2001, CMI began separate M.Sc. degrees in Mathematics and in Computer Science.
Degrees for the B.Sc. and M.Sc. programmes were earlier offered by MPBOU, the Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University and doctoral degrees were offered by Madras University. Now that CMI is a deemed university, it gives its own degrees. CMI awarded its first official degrees in August 2007.
The batch sizes typically vary from five to fifteen and the overall strength of CMI is about 60–70 students and 30–40 faculty members.
All the CMI programmes are run in conjunction and coordination with programmes at IMSc, a premier institute for research in mathematics, theoretical computer science and theoretical physics, located in Chennai.
[edit] Grading system
Students are awarded a Grade Point on a scale of 0 to 10 in each course. The Cumulative Grade Point Average or CGPA is computed across the courses. The instructor has a lot of flexibility in determining the grade point of a student and may consider factors such as performance in mid-semester and end-semester examinations, submission and quality of assignments, regularity of attendance, and other unofficial factors. All assessment is done internally by the institute.
[edit] Admission criteria
The entrance to each of these courses is based on a nation-wide entrance test. The advertisement for this entrance test appears around the end of February or the beginning of March. The entrance test is held in the end of May and is usually scheduled so as not to clash with major entrance examinations. Results are intimated to students by the end of June.
Students who have passed the Indian National Mathematics Olympiad get direct admission for the B.Sc. (Hons) in Mathematics course, and those who have passed the Indian National Physics Olympiad are offered direct entry to the B.Sc. (Hons) in Physics Course. However, these students are also advised to fill in and send the application form some time in March.
Recently, a policy has been introduced whereby students who pass the Indian National Olympiad in Informatics may be granted admission to the B.Sc. (Hons) Mathematics course. Admission is not guaranteed but is decided on a case-by-case basis by the admissions committee.
[edit] Fee structure and other payments
The tuition fees are nominal and are waived for all students joining CMI. In fact, students are given a stipend to meet part of their monthly expenses. Depending on the performance in the internal examinations, the stipend may be stopped. If the performance is very poor, the fee waiver may be lifted. Students are, however, required to pay hostel fees, security deposits and mess fees.
[edit] Faculty and research
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[edit] The director
The founding director of CMI is Professor C.S.Seshadri Who has worked in the area of algebraic geometry especially moduli problems and algebraic groups.
[edit] Research interests
CMI has a large number of people working in algebraic geometry, representation theory, and Lie groups. The faculty of CMI interacts actively with the faculty of IMSc, a research institute for mathematics, physics, and computer science, located in Tharamani, Chennai.
CMI also has a department in theoretical computer science that, along with the TCS faculty in IMSc, is among the leading research groups in India[citation needed]. Focus in CMI's TCS department is largely on "Theory B": logic, languages and automata.
CMI has a department in Theoretical Physics.
[edit] Other activities
The CMI TCS faculty is actively involved with the Indian Association for Research in Computing Science (IARCS). Two of CMI's faculty members, Madhavan Mukund and Narayan Kumar, lead the Indian team to the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI). They are also responsible for the Indian National Olympiad in Informatics (INOI) and the Training Camp in India. Prof. Madhavan Mukund is also the National Coordinator for the Indian Computing Olympiad.
[edit] Students
[edit] Admission process
CMI's B.Sc. (Hons) Mathematics and Computer Science programme regularly takes in students who have attended the International Mathematical Olympiad Training Camp. In fact, 7 out of the 25 students currently enrolled for the B.Sc. (Hons) Mathematics and Computer Science programme are from an IMOTC background. Out of these, 1 has also gone for the International Mathematical Olympiad. Across years, CMI has admitted around five students who have gone to the International Mathematical Olympiad, including Olympiad four-timers Rishi Raj, Swarnendu Datta, Abhishek Dang, 2-time silver medallist Vipul Naik and one timer Atul Shekhar.
CMI's B.Sc. (Hons) Mathematics and Computer Science programme also takes in students who have attended the International Olympiad in Informatics Training Camp. Partly responsible for this is the fact that CMI instructors Madhavan Mukund and Narayan Kumar are the chief organizers for the IOITC. Currently, 6 out of the 25 students enrolled for the B.Sc. (Hons) Mathematics and Computer Science are from an IOITC background, with 4 of them having gone for the International Olympiad in Informatics. Across years, CMI has admitted 6 students so far who have gone to the International Olympiad in Informatics, including IOI 3-timer Kshitij Bansal and IOI medallist R.Shreevatsa.
CMi recently instituted a policy of direct admission for students qualifying for the International Physics Olympiad Training Camp. So far, only one student from the IPhOTC has enrolled for CMI's programme.
[edit] Arrangements with other institutes
- CMI is a deemed University and can award the degrees directly to the students.
- Previously CMI students received their B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from MPBOU till 2006, and their Ph.D. degrees from Madras University.
- CMI conducts its academic programmes in conjunction with IMSc. In fact, many of CMI's students enroll in courses at IMSc and many of IMSc's students enroll in courses at CMI. A regular shuttle service between the institutes facilitates maximum interaction.
- CMI also has agreements with TIFR (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research) and with the Indian Statistical Institutes in Delhi, Bangalore, and Kolkata for cooperation on the furtherance of mathematical sciences.
- CMI has also had arrangements with IIT Madras for the practical work of physics students. The physics programmes are run in conjunction with IMSc and IGCAR. The physics students spend one summer in HBCSE (under TIFR) in Mumbai and another in IGCAR,Kalpakkam, garnering practical experience.
- CMI has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ecole Normale Superiore in Paris, a leading research institute, especially in mathematics. Under this memorandum, research scholars from the ENS spend a semester in CMI, during which they may also teach elementary courses. In exchange, three B.Sc. Mathematics students, at the end of their third year, go to the ENS for two months. The selection of these students is based on CGPA up to the fourth semester.
- CMI recently entered into a memorandum of understanding with IFMR, the Institute of Financial Management and Research, located in Nungambakkam, Chennai. Students from CMI getting a CGPA of more than 8.50 are offered direct admission to IFMR's one year programme in Financial Mathematics, which is sponsored by ICICI bank. Faculty from CMI are involved in teaching this programme. In exchange, CMI gets its economics teacher from IFMR.
- CMI has had two sponsored research projects with Honeywell Technology Solutions, Bangalore, both in the area of formal verification.
[edit] Funding
CMI's funding comes from both private and government sources.
[edit] Government funding
- DAE: CMI receives support for its teaching programme from the Department of Atomic Energy, through the National Board of Higher Mathematics.
- ISRO: The Indian Space Research Organization also funds CMI substantially.
- DST and DRDO: For some of its specific projects, CMI receives funding from the Department of Science and Technology as well as the Defence Research and Development Organization.
[edit] Private funding
- The Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation (SPIC) was an important founder of CMI during its initial years. In fact, CMI started as the Spic Mathematical Institute.
- Sriram Group of Companies is an important funder and also arranges for other funding for CMI.
- Matrix Laboratories has made a major contribution to the new campus.
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
