Mathematics

Imagine yourself at the board presenting solutions to problems and sharing your results as your classmates ask pertinent questions. Together the class learns to read, write, explore and communicate mathematics with confidence.

At Exeter, math classes are student-centered. Teachers don’t lecture and don’t feed students information. You will discover ideas on your own by working with one another through unique, interweaving problem sets developed by Exeter teachers.

The Harkness table has proved to be the ideal arena for this approach. Students dig into the material before class, then sort through their work together at the table, bouncing ideas off one another and often winding up in a very different place from where they began.

The way we introduce and scaffold our unique curriculum creates a gateway for developing fundamental problem-solving skills. Our technique moves students toward deeper thinking and stronger understanding that can lead to lifelong enjoyment of mathematical challenges.

How you'll explore math at Exeter

You’re allowed to enter the mathematical thinking in any way that makes the most sense to you as a student. There’s not a particular right way to achieve a correct answer. … We can really meet students where they are mathematically instead of pushing students to fit into some pre-determined structure.
Panama Geer, chair of the Department of Mathematics

Academy Building

You’ll discuss mathematics around a Harkness table, using advanced technology and plenty of board space for presenting problems.

Theme-Based Curriculum

Our problem sets focus on recurring strands, each of which grows in sophistication as your skills and knowledge increase and broaden.

Math That Sticks

We use problem sets, not textbooks. See the 3,700+ problems in our core curriculum, updated each year by Exeter math faculty.

The Exeter Mathematics Journey

It is our intention that you experience our mathematics program at a level and pace commensurate with your background and with your mathematical interests. We aim to have your journey through Exeter mathematics reflect that through the following course structure.

Transition Courses

Typically, you will start your Exeter career in a one- or two-term transition course, the purpose of which is to acclimate you to Exeter’s mathematics curriculum, working with other new students around our Harkness tables.

This will afford you the opportunity to: engage collaboratively with your fellow new students in exploring our problem sets; wean you away from using a standard textbook, so that you can discover ideas and techniques without being told what to do; learn to teach, and be taught by, your peers on a daily basis.

Core Curriculum

Following this immersion, you will be placed into one of our core sequential courses, merging with other students, some new — like you — some with previous PEA experience.

These courses cover the material of typical high school courses, as well as numerous extensions, ranging from Math 1 (Algebra 1 and 2) through Math 4 and 5 (Calculus).

The focus of these core courses is on themes (such as optimization or modeling), developed through the exploration of specific topics (area of triangles, circular trigonometry, etc.). As in the transition courses, you will continually broaden your repertoire of mathematical ideas and theorems, learning and growing by solving problems and interacting with your classmates. Further, since nearly all of our core courses are offered every term, we have the flexibility to find exactly the right placement for you.

Beyond the Core

Once you have completed Math 3 (precalculus), you can choose from a wide array of elective courses beyond the core curriculum. The Math 4-level elective classes explore statistics, modeling, discrete mathematics and the history of mathematics.

If you complete the calculus curriculum, you may then take higher-level electives, including multivariable calculus, linear algebra and other college-level subject material, varying from year to year.

Examples include number theory, abstract algebra and game theory. Any of these elective courses may be taken simultaneously with core courses in calculus, and you may also take more than one elective at a time.

Featured Courses

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MAT410

Introduction to Calculus

Amid a rich interplay of pre-calculus concepts, the study of calculus officially begins.

MAT700

Foundations of Abstract Mathematics

This course constitutes a bridge between calculus and theoretical, proof-based courses such as real analysis, abstract algebra and set theory.

MAT40J

Mathematics of Social Justice

Covers mathematical methods needed to analyze impacts of public policy with a particular emphasis on identifying undesirable outcomes such as discrimination, systematic bias and inequity.

See All Mathematics Courses

Instructor in Mathematics

Chair of the Department of Mathematics

Instructor in Mathematics

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Alex in the Desert

We use problem sets, not textbooks. See just one the 3,700+ problems in our core curriculum, updated each year by Exeter math faculty

Exeter Stories

Kevin Cong '22 wins gold at International Math Olympiad

In math classes, and even in Math Club, we solve problems collaboratively. Oftentimes we might come to class not having the solution to one of the homework problems, but together as a class we'll put the pieces together and eventually get to the solution. Harkness is a really important part of my math classes.
Neil Chowdhury '22

Exeter’s custom-made math curriculum fosters understanding through problem-solving

Math at work, the Harkness way – Math instructor Laura Marshall decodes Exeter's distinctive math program.

I don’t really think about whether this is a hard problem or an easy problem. I think about attacking it holistically.
Jack Lieu '20

Math is all fun and games in Instructor of Mathematics Jeff Ibbotson's class. Learn more about the MAT690: Selected Topics in Mathematics course.