The program of Basic Mathematics started to enroll postgraduate students in 1979, and was authorized to grant postgraduate degrees independently in 1986. Two years later it was listed among the first batch of key Category I discipline of Yangzhou Normal College. In 1994 it became one among the first batch of key disciplines of Jiangsu Province. In 2003 Basic Mathematics was authorized to grant doctoral degrees while another program Applied Mathematics to grant postgraduate degrees. In 2011 the college was authorized to set secondary level doctoral degrees under the Category I discipline of Mathematics. In 2012 the college established the postdoctoral research station for Mathematics. From 1996 on, Basic Mathematics and also later Mathematics were always listed as a key provincial discipline in different stages of Five-Year Plans.

　　1. Objectives

　　Our goal is to promote overall development of the discipline of Mathematics. By leveraging traditional advantages, focusing on quality improvement and promoting cross-disciplinary studies, we aim to develop Mathematics into a discipline with strengths both in basic studies and cross-disciplinary application that ranks the top within the province and enjoy great influence both at home and abroad. We work to build an internationalized team of scholars who can own strong research ability, have the drive to pursue excellence, follow the latest trend of their disciplines, stay committed to tackling academic problems and yield results with major influence. We will make the best of YZU’s comprehensive layout of disciplines to enable more disciplinary studies in innovative ways and arrive at results with major impacts in order to better serve the development of local economy and society.

　　2. Strengths

　　(1) Research teams in mainstream mathematical subjects such as geometry, algebra and analysis have balanced strengths. They have the ability to advance high-level research. Great importance has been attached to the research in three disciplines with traditional strengths, namely, differential geometry, algebra and functional analysis. The topics of research center around major mathematical problems. Relevant research results rank among the top in the country. Research has been made on hot topics in mathematical physics equations, modern geometry and low-dimensional manifold topologies. Fruitful results have been achieved in the study of symplectic manifolds, Schrödinger flow and geometry methods of differential equation. The algebraic representation method was introduced to the study of Hopf algebra, the method and results of which were applied in the constructing and classifying the problems of Hopf algebra. Through the combination of nonlinear functional analysis, differential equations and optimization, cybernetics, etc., linear differentiation was innovatively applied to many complex control problems. Leading scholars of the three disciplines have conducted long-term cooperation with top international experts in their respective disciplines, and have earned good reputation and influence in relevant fields of their studies.

　　(2) Cross-disciplinary study between mathematics and other disciplines is highlighted. Mathematics is used as a tool to solve problems in other fields such as informatics and life sciences, with fruitful results made. We have established secondary doctoral programs on information computing science and complex systems and held activities like academic salon to promote cross-disciplinary study, integrate resources of disciplines and build a consolidated disciplinary layout. Now we have put in place new mechanisms for cross-disciplinary study respectively between mathematics and life sciences, informatics and engineering. Moreover, we have developed distinctive features in the research of error correction coding and its application in modern communication systems. In terms of neural network dynamics analysis, more than 20 papers in Engineering have been published and highly cited, which can be seen as part of the reason why our Engineering Science can rank among the top 1% disciplines in terms of ESI. Besides, 82% of the YZU’s highly cited papers and 52% of YZU’s cited papers on engineering collected in the ESI database were written by faculty members from this discipline.

　　3. Disciplinary Layout

　　Disciplines include algebra, algebraic coding, partial differential equations, functional analysis, differential geometry, ordinary differential equations and dynamic systems, non-exchange algebraic geometry, complex analysis, and topology.

　　4. Influence

　　After sixty years of development, the college has built a multi-layered platform for talent cultivation and a comprehensive system of disciplines, which are supported by a team of dedicated and excellent teachers. Our teachers have won Jiangsu Science Congress Award in 1978 and five awards for scientific and technological advancement.

　　In recent years, we have been making the utmost of our traditional advantages in Basic Mathematics. We have undertaken a large number of state-level scientific research projects in differential geometry, dynamic systems, partial differential equations, functional analysis, complex networks, biomathematics, representation theory and quantum groups, coding and cryptography. We have also conducted major research projects in the cross-disciplinary study between mathematics and engineering, mathematics and biology. Research results rank among top in the country and have international impacts. The research team led by Prof. Liu Yurong has been committed to the study of nonlinear system dynamics. They have obtained a series of original research results in complex network dynamics, control and filtering of Markov switching systems, which have been recognized by internationally renowned scholars like Prof. Jurgen. Kurths from Potsdam Climate Research Center, Germany who is also Academician of the European Academy of Sciences. Prof. Liu has published more than 80 SCI papers on international authoritative journals such as IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control. His papers have been cited more than 4,200 times according to SCI. In 2014, Prof. Liu was selected as one among the “Highly Cited Scientists” by Thomson Reuters. Besides, Prof. Lin Zhigui cooperated with Professor Du Yihong from Australia. In 2010, he published a paper on SIAM J. Math. Anal, in which paper the dichotomy of population spreading-extinction was proposed for the first time, complementing the classic results drew by Fisher and other scholars in 1937. The article has been cited more than 100 times according to SCI.

　　We uphold high standards of teaching, focus on students’ ability to innovate and constantly improve the quality of teaching. Now we have become an important base in the province for the development of mathematical talents both in undergraduate and graduate levels. Among the first eighteen scholars who received doctoral degrees in China, two graduated from our college. During the Twelfth Five Year Plan, we have 212 postgraduate students and 32 doctoral students. 21 projects have been established for postgraduate students to conduct innovative research. 2 doctoral dissertations written by our students have been rated as “Outstanding” and 6 master theses have been rated as “Outstanding” within the Province. Our postgraduate students have published 4 Category I SCI papers and 29 Category II SCI papers on major academic journals such as J. Funct. Anal., J. Math. Anal.Appl., Appl. Math. Comput. and J. Differential Equations. Students’ employment have been maintained at 100% for successive years.

　　Moreover, we are working with overseas universities to carry out graduate programs. During the Twelfth Five-Year Plan, we had 6 international students for doctoral programs and 9 international students for postgraduate programs. The first student to study in the joint program held in cooperation with the University of Hasselt in Belgium has obtained his doctoral degree. Since 2011, we have been offering a postgraduate program in Mathematics Teaching in cooperation with a university in Indonesia. Up to now, 172 students have joined the program.