Lucien F. Petit

What’s your favorite class? Why?

Abstract Algebra with Sweta Suryanarayan. It’s so fun getting an introduction to abstract structures that underscore all of higher mathematics, and Sweta is an excellent guide to the world of groups, rings, and fields. Math, to keep it short, is the study of abstraction, and this class really allows you to dig into that. It could be very hard at times (Galois theory still makes my head hurt), but was incredibly rewarding, and I feel so lucky that I got to take at such a great place with such a great instructor.

What made you want to come to Lewis & Clark?

I got to talk with the people in my departments before applying, and they all seemed so kind and intelligent. Portland is also such a cool city, you can’t find things like the Roadside Attraction, Laurelhurst Thursdays, or the Ley-Line Confluence anywhere else. Also, it gets talked about a lot, but it really is worth mentioning how incredibly beautiful the Lewis & Clark campus is.

What do you like or find most interesting about your major?

Getting to study mathematics is like if they made a major about having fun and solving puzzles. It’s so cool to be given an assignment to prove that something must be true. It’s also a way of thinking about the world that is so unique, and I feel really lucky to have access to it.

What do you like or find most interesting about your minor?

The most interesting thing to me about philosophy is getting to explore ideas in their most abstract sense. The field of philosophy exists in my mind as an additional layer on top of everything that we care about. We can study language as an art, or we can study what makes language an art, what language is, what art is, why we care about language at all, and so on. Studying philosophy means getting to explore all of those (super interesting!) questions.

Tell us about your support systems and social outlets on campus: people, activities, clubs, res halls, etc.

A social life is very important to me, and I have many friends, both inside my department and outside.

What advice do you have for incoming students?

Have fun with your General Education requirements! I would never have taken some of my favorite classes on campus without having to satisfy gen-eds. There are some really great options out there, and you should make sure to have fun while you satisfy them.

How did your financial aid package influence your decision to attend Lewis & Clark?

I’m very grateful to the financial aid office. My financial aid package made Lewis & Clark way more affordable. Without it, I would not be at L&C today.

What’s one of the best spots on campus?

There’s a bench between the math building and the Albany Quadrangle that nobody’s ever sitting on, and I don’t understand why. It’s a great spot to read between classes when it’s nice out, and it’s secluded and comfortable. More people need to be talking about that bench.

How did you decide on your major?

I took Liz Stanhope’s Linear Algebra class in the spring of my first year, which was taught via a guided discovery method. Getting to explore these abstract structures and chase results out of them for ourselves, motivated by the great questions the professor asked us, was so fun. After that, I was sold on the concept of abstraction and the best way to study, that is, of course, mathematics.

Have you had the opportunity to do research with a professor? If so, please describe the project and the experience.

I got to do research with Andy Fry, the summer after my junior year, before turning it into an honors thesis the next fall. We studied the moduli space M0, Gamma of abstract tropical curves (for those who have had some math, metric leaf-labeled trees of valence three satisfying some additional stability requirements based on the given graph Gamma).
I was able to characterize what psi-classes (certain algebraic invariants of the space) looked like in these spaces, proving two theorems about their structure. The experience was absolutely incredible, and it was so fun working with Dr. Fry and doing what I love all summer. Every morning, I would arrive at the math department and struggle through some papers with him until lunchtime, where I would continue working by myself. It was difficult and exhausting, but it was incredibly rewarding. I hope to continue with mathematics research someday.

Mathematics Philosophy