Amanda Beeson

amanda.beeson at williams dot edu


  • research statement.
  • teaching statement.
  • curriculum vitae.
    • Here I am finishing the proof of the existence theorem in
    global class field theory, photo by Joel Dodge.

    Research

    I studied number theory with Professor Harold Stark at UCSD. My dissertation, which I defended in June 2oo9, is titled Groups of Special Units. My primary interest right now is explicit class field theory in the spirit of Hilbert's 12th. The four main branches of my current/future research are:

  • finding the maximal almost abelian extension of an imaginary quadratic base field,
  • further investigating the square root of the Siegel group (after work of Kubert and Lang),
  • finding a basis for S-unit of index class number in the full unit group in cyclotomic fields (after Sinnott) and
  • finding a Z[G]-module in a cyclotomic field that contains the cyclotomic numbers, is of index class number, and has Tate cohomology isomorphic to that of divisors supported at primes above S.

    Teaching

    I am a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Math/Stat Department at Williams College. I am currently teaching modular forms and calculus I. In the Spring I will teach discrete math and calculus II. I taught differential equations at UCSD in the Winter quarter of 2oo9. I taught college algebra at USD in the Fall semester of 2oo8. I taught algebra qualifying exam prep for the month of August 2oo8 and linear algebra for the first Summer session at UCSD. Before that at UCSD, I taught college algebra and TA'd calculus, upper division linear algebra, algebra, number theory, and intro to mathematical reasoning.

    Biographical information

    I was born in Holland and raised in California. I went to school at MIT and then UCSD. I am now living in Western Massachusetts and loving the autumn.

    I like wind in my face and proving things. I get a kick out of clever tricks, wise children, and crackpot theories. I have a deep appreciation for good design, superb grammar, and uncommon verbiage. I always have mellifluous tunes floating out of my speakers. I hope someday to see the aurora borealis.