Subject Policy Statement - MATHEMATICS
A. Purpose and Program Description
The Libraries seek to support research and teaching in the Mathematics Department. The Collection supports the needs of the educational programmes at both undergraduate and the postgraduate levels leading to the BSc and research-based MPhil and PhD degrees. The courses offered by the Department includes study related to calculus and algebra which could further be specialized in three streams: (1) Mathematics (2) Computational Mathematics and Operations Research and (3) Mathematics, Economics and Finance.
Research Focus
Research in the Department includes various fields of study related to its wide application. The two main focuses are (1) Operations Research which includes heuristics (combinatorial optimization & graph problems), logistics (supply chain, data mining & scientific computation) and heuristics (queuing models, IT communication and financial models) and (2) Numerical Mathematics and Applied Analysis includes signal and image analysis, mathematical and computational biology, numerical approximation and system & control theory.
Multi-disciplinary treatment of subjects
The courses are those specialized in Computational sciences, Bioinformatics and engineering mathematics.
User Groups
Primary users are faculty members, undergraduates and postgraduates major in the subject. The collection also serves scientists and students in other fields in the traditional applications of mathematics to the physical sciences and, more recently to technological application and engineering e.g. Computer Sciences, Physics, Statistics and Actuarial Sciences and Business & Finance Departments.
B. General Selection Guidelines (See Classed Analysis)
Overall, the Libraries' existing collection and acquisitions commitment, based upon available resources, and its collection goal for the subject areas are at the Research level.
C. Specific Delimitations
- Formats collected: Extensive variety of formats are collected. We collect monographs, annuals, reference tools, scholarly series, periodicals, CD-ROMs and other electronic tools, and videocassettes extensively ; textbooks and dissertations (other than HKU dissertations), selectively.
- Imprint Dates Collected: We collect current publications extensively, and earlier materials, selectively.We collect current publications extensively, and earlier materials selectively.
- Chronological Focus: Contemporary. No limit to coverage in terms of intellectual content but emphasis is on collecting most recent materials.
- Languages Collected: We collect English language materials extensively and non-English language materials selectively, with translations into English are preferred.
- Place of Publication: We collect extensively materials from North American, European and United Kingdom and other materials selectively.