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Number Theory: Cornell or Penn State?

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 2:41 pm
by belleal
Hey guys!
I would like to know your opinion... Which school is a better place to study (algebraic) number theory: Cornell or Penn State?
I'm aware of the rankings, in which Cornell is better classified. However, Penn State seems to have a larger and strong number theory group.
Does anybody know the departments? What do you think?
Penn State contacted me offering a UG Fellowship, but I must decide until tomorrow if I'll take it. I don't know how to decide so quickly.
Thanks for the help!

Re: Number Theory: Cornell or Penn State?

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 4:02 pm
by omgmath
http://www.math.cornell.edu/People/Facu ... ishna.html

^ contact this guy and ask for his input (Ravi's a nice guy)

Re: Number Theory: Cornell or Penn State?

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 5:12 pm
by gromov
What rankings are we talking about here? I am unfamiliar with the precise details of the number theory departments at those schools, but a ranking system such as US News puts various kind of algebraic topics in the same bucket, when in reality it is not at all true that a school strong in, say, algebraic geometry is necessarily strong in number theory. Plenty of algebraic geometers have no interest whatsoever in number theory.

You should think about what kinds of topics interest you and see which school has more of that.

Re: Number Theory: Cornell or Penn State?

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 2:20 am
by belleal
Thank you guys!!! :)

I decided to decline the offer. Couldn't choose so quickly....