(From left) Dr Amartya Goswami (University of Johannesburg) with Danielle Kleyn and Kerry Porrill, both of Stellenbosch University
The success of the NITheCS Internship Programme is best illustrated by spontaneous comments and feedback from those involved in it. NITheCS was therefore delighted to receive an email from Dr Amartya Goswami (University of Johannesburg), who hosted two students as part of the NITheCS Internship Programme. The participants were assisted to achieve remarkable research successes, including being published in scientific journals.
Dr Goswami wrote:
‘I am sure you will be pleased to hear of an instance that vividly illustrates the extraordinary success of the NITheCS Internship Programme:
In November 2023, two students from Stellenbosch University – Ms Kerry Porrill (2nd year) and Ms Danielle Kleyn (3rd year) visited me as part of the NITheCS Internship initiative. Initially, I intended to assign them some routine exercises in Ring Theory. However, I quickly realised that they were far too advanced for such tasks. I therefore set aside my original plan and proposed that we work on a research problem.
To my utter surprise, within just one week, a substantial number of highly non-trivial results were proved. These developments subsequently (and quite naturally) culminated in a research paper. While the process of writing and submitting the paper took some time, the essential mathematics was almost entirely completed during that one week of their visit. Yesterday, I received official confirmation of the paper’s acceptance in the Journal of Algebra and its Applications. The title of the paper is: “On Structures of the Ring of Arithmetical Functions: Prime Ideals and Beyond.”
I believe it is an exceedingly rare event in South Africa for undergraduate students, particularly those in their second and third years, to produce publishable research in a reputable journal in pure mathematics.
The NITheCS Internship Programme provides aspiring mathematicians with the invaluable opportunity to engage with research-level mathematics early in their academic journey. In the South African context, such an initiative is both profoundly beneficial and urgently needed.
I thank you sincerely for conceiving and initiating this remarkable programme. I am now fully convinced of its enduring value and success.’
NITheCS congratulates Ms Porrill and Ms Kleyn on their achievement. The Institute is grateful for such feedback and the work our Associates do as part of the Internship Programme. We hope the participants will continue to experience its positive effects on their work and careers.