Without student engagement, a graduate seminar is at risk of becoming a "course filler".  A healthy and productive seminar is lively and interactive.  The interdisciplinary nature of this seminar  provides all participants an opportunity for engagement.

All participants should learn something valuable during each quarter of the seminar.  Ensuring that we meet this goal requires a group effort and definite goals.  All students must write up at least one summary of at least one idea that relates to the focus of the seminar.  It does not matter how simple or how trivial the idea appears to be. 

Requirements for an A

1. Attend meetings.

2. Learn something that relates to any idea that we discuss during the quarter. 

3. Write up a short note that you could use to teach early career graduate students about the material you learn.  This ensures that you will make a contribution to mathematics each quarter.  It also allows  me the chance to help you improve your teaching, mathematical exposition, and proof writing.  I am happy to help you with this if you are so inclined.

4. Present your work.  Presentations will likely take place during an extra seminar meeting.  We will arrange the extra meeting towards the end of the quarter.

Requirements for a B

Do 1, 2, and either 3 or 4.

Explanation

Do not let this work dissuade you from attending the seminar!

You are free to do all work in collaboration. Early career graduate students may wish to write something that connects to the courses and exams for which they are preparing.  I will help you with this.  It is critical to learn how to find synergies in your academic activities.  Since it takes a long time to learn how to do this, it is best to start as early as possible.