Living

Nichols Apartments

Nichols Apartments

The apartments are located on Busch Campus, in Piscataway, NJ. We are in building "25-48". The address of the Nichols Apartments is:

194 Davidson Road
Piscataway, NJ 08854
Busch Campus

WARNING: There are two Davidson Road components on Busch Campus, which meet at right angles. You want the one that intersects Taylor Road and eventually turns into Bevier Road. Click here for a photo which indicates the correct parking lot.

Apartment condition

When you first get into the apartment, you should do a walk through. If you notice any problems, damage or something out of the ordinary, please notify one of the Graduate Coordinators immediately. When the program has finished the University will go through the apartment, and if anything is found broken you will be charged for repair and replacement even if you were not responsible or did not report it. Please be very careful of how you use the apartments.

Lock Out

If you happen to get locked out of your apartment first try calling your roommates. If you cannot get a hold of them in a reasonable amount of time, contact one of the Graduate Coordinators. If you call the Rutgers University police, there will be a charge. RUPD should be your last resort!

Computer Connection in Apartments

There is no wireless internet available in the dorm rooms. You must have an Ethernet card in your computer. We will provide a number of ethernet cords on move-in day. If, after move-in day, you still do not have an ethernet cord, you may request one from one of the Graduate Coordinators or from Walter Morris, DIMACS Computing Manager. These cords must be returned when you move out. Instructions for connecting to ResNet, the network for Rutgers on-campus residences, are included with orientation matrials. Problems with ResNet can be reported and fixed by contacting the Help Desk at 732-445-HELP.

Kitchen Supplies

All of the supplies you have received from DIMACS for the apartments are DIMACS property. At the end of the program, all of the supplies and equipment must be returned to one of the Graduate Coordinators. Please do not leave the supplies in the apartments, and please take care of these kitchen items. Do not abuse, damage, or destroy your pots, pants, etc.

Apartment Passcard & Key

It is very important that you do not lose your apartment key or passcard that has been assigned to you. If a key or passcard is lost and not turned in at the end of the program, you will be charged for replacements. The Housing Department also wants it mentioned that if an apartment key and/or passcard are lost they may have to re-key the entire building for security reasons and may therefore charge you approximately $1000.00 to do so. (That is not a guarantee - hopefully any fines/charges would be less, but we are warned that depending on what is lost, it is possible that you may be fined up to this amount.)

Linen Services

The linens (bedsheets, towels, etc.) provided with your apartment are changed weekly. They will be picked up every Wednesday. If you would like your linens replaced, on Wednesday morning please put all your linens into one of your pillowcases and leave it outside your door by 8AM. The linen service does not have an exact time, so the earlier, the better. If the linen pickup is unsuccessful, you have the option of washing the linens in the apartment's laundry facilities. Because linens are serviced by a third party, it is difficult for us to resolve these issues otherwise.

Laundry Facilities

There is a laundry room/building right next to the apartment building. You may access it using the same swipe card that lets you into your wing of the apartment building. The machine can be operated by quarters or by using your RU Express account, which is linked to your ID card. If you are a Rutgers student, this is already linked to your NetID and you can add money online at the RU Express website. If you are not a Rutgers student, it is possible to add money to your ID card, but you have to visit the Cashier's Office. Change machines are available in this room, in the Busch Campus Center, and in the Busch Campus housing office.

Mail & P.O. Boxes

P.O. Boxes

There is a post office in the Busch Campus Center. In order to receive mail this summer, you should set up a P.O. Box at the Busch Campus Center post office. When asking for a P.O. Box, tell them you are a DIMACS REU participant. This should allow them to give you a box. If they say they cannot, tell them this was approved by Tom Stadthaus, and they can call him and check.

USPS will not deliver to the apartments, and DIMACS cannot receive REU participants' regular USPS mail. (See below for non-USPS & emergency situations.)

UPS, FedEx, etc.

Time-sensitive items (e.g. urgent medication, important documents, passports, etc.) may be mailed to the DIMACS building directly. Please send them to this address:

[Your Name]
c/o DIMACS REU
CoRE Building 4th floor
96 Frelinghuysen Road
Piscataway NJ 08854

Mail sent in this fashion is available for pick-up at Gene's office (CoRE 426). If time or proper handling is an issue, we strongly advise using UPS, FedEx, etc. and not USPS. Courier services deliver directly to CoRE, while USPS delivers to Rutgers central mail facility first.

Campus Maps & Important Locations

Campus map

A campus map is provided with orientation materials. There is also maps.rutgers.edu, an online map based on Google Maps.

Hill Center for the Mathematical Sciences: [MAP]

Computing Research & Education Building (CoRE): [MAP]

Busch Campus Center: [MAP]

Nichols Apartments: [MAP]

Health & Safety

Hurtado Health Center

The primary student health center of the New Brunswick Campuses, Hurtado includes a pharmacy and provides basic medical care to students at Rutgers. REU participants living on campus have access to Hurtado. It is a good idea to call ahead and make an appointment to avoid waiting. If, for any reason, you are not provided treatment at Hurtado, and you require immediate care, please make an appropriate decision to visit an ER or clinic. We can help get you to a medical facility and make sure you receive sufficient medical attention.

Campus Safety

The Rutgers Police (RUPD) provides police services on campus. Rutgers Emergency Services provides other emergency services (e.g. medical services, jumping cars).

RU Connection Card

This card will serve as your identification for the University. You should carry this card with you at all times. It will provide access to facilities like libraries. You will be issued this card at orientation. (See "Laundry Facilities" above for information about how to use this card to pay for laundry.)

Groceries & Food

Shop Rite, Town Center Plaza, Piscataway

1306 Centennial Avenue
Piscataway, NJ 08854
Hours: 6am - Midnight

Stop & Shop, Piscataway

Super Stop & Shop #0897
581 Stelton Road
Piscataway, NJ 08854
Hours: 6:00AM - Midnight
Sun: 6:00AM - 10:00PM

Stop & Shop, Somerset

Super Stop & Shop #0809
940 Easton Avenue
Somerset, NJ 08873
Hours: 6:00 a.m.-Midnight

Stop & Shop, Highland Park

Stop & Shop #0867
424 Raritan Avenue
Hours: 6:00AM - Midnight
Sun: 6:00AM - 10:00PM
Less selection than other Stop & Shop locations, but with a much more extensive selection of Kosher products.

Bravo Supermarket, New Brunswick

275 George Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Hours: 7:30AM - 8:30PM
Sun: 8:00AM - 7:30PM
This grocery store is accessible by campus bus. (The stop is called Rockoff Hall.)

Asian Food Market, Piscataway

1339 Centennial Ave
Piscataway, NJ 08854
Hours: 9:00AM - 8:30PM
Sun: 9:00AM - 8:00PM

H Mart, Edison

1761 Rte 27
Edison, NJ 08817
Hours: 8:00AM - 10:00PM

Walmart

1303 Centennial Ave
Piscataway, NJ 08854
Hours: Not Available (Walmart refuses to advertise its hours and insists they are subject to change at any time.)

Target

5000 Hadley Center Dr
South Plainfield, NJ 07080
Hours: 8:00AM - 10:00PM
Sun: 8:00AM - 9:00PM

Apple Farm Market

900 Easton Ave
Somerset, NJ 08873-1760

George Street Co-op

89 Morris Street
New Brunswick, NJ
Hours: 10:00AM - 8:00PM
Sat: 10:00AM - 7:00PM
Sun: 10:00AM - 6:00PM

Highland Park Farmers Market

Raritan Ave, Between 2nd & 3rd
Highland Park, NJ 08904
Friday 11:00AM - 5:30PM
June 18 - November 19
Be sure to come early - many vendors leave when their stock is depleted, and the selection is best earlier in the day.

Busch Campus Center

While the grocery stores listed above are more suitable for regular groceries, the convenience store and eateries inside the campus center may provide some convenient fast food options. It may not be wise to rely on these facilities: despite their convenience, they offer a limited selection of food and only a small number of other items, at prices that may be less affordable. Additionally, these establishments' hours during the summer are limited.

Work

Library Facilities

The Mathematical Sciences Library

The Math Library is located on the first floor in Hill Center, which is next to CoRE. You will probably have to get your Rutgers ID card activated in person at one of the libraries before you can start checking out books or using the online resources. You may ask a library staff member to do this for you.

Online Research

Online resources: Finding articles for free

As you do your research, it is a good idea to look at papers that have been published in your area of research. There are many ways to access these papers, and your mentors might be able to guide you to some specific resources for your project, but in general, searching Google Scholar or Math ArXiv will provide you with free access to many papers.

Sources for articles by subscription

Another good resource is MathSciNet, which you can access from computers on most networks at Rutgers. You can also access it through your own computer through the library website. In order to this, first search the catalogs for "mathscinet", then click on the electronic access link. It will then ask you for a NetID and password, which non-Rutgers students don't have, in which case you click the option at the side for "Library barcode and PIN login." The PIN is set up when you first have your library card activated (see above). This procedure works for most other scientific collections that require subscriptions.

How to make your website

Accessing the webspace

Access to the reu.dimacs.rutgers.edu server is via SSH or SFTP. In order to access your webspace, log in using the username & password provided to you by DIMACS. If you do not have an FTP program, try FileZilla. Note that DIMACS PCs already have an SFTP program installed - and that's good, since you can't install programs onto those PCs. To connect to the server, open the Site Manager (or equivalent) and input the following settings:

Host: reu.dimacs.rutgers.edu
Port: 22
Protocol: SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol)
Logon Type: Normal
Username: [varies]
Password: [varies]

Most programs can save these settings. But be sure not to save your password on a public computer!

Where to put the website?

There should be a folder that you automatically land in, when you connect to the server. Most FTP programs allow you to drag-and-drop files into this folder (which is a viable place for you to store files releated to your REU work). However, these files would not be accessible to the public. Instead, you must enter (and create, if necessary) a folder called public_html. It is important that this folder have permission drwxr-xr-x or similar. This allows users to read & view the folder's contents.

Creating HTML files

In order to create a website, you should learn to make HTML files. The easiest way to learn is often to hack around with pre-existing files. You may make use of existing templates, or create your own page if you know HTML already.

Template HTML files

Basic Template - a very simple template to get you started if you are looking for a very simple look. This site will not conform to the stricted guidelines for the web, but will still look fine on most/all browsers.

Template 2 - a slightly more elaborate template. This will look a bit more snazzy, but may be harder to work with. This template is also meant to pass HTML4.0 transitional standards, which means it is more likely to work properly on all browsers.

Where to get information about HTML:

Generally, a quick Google search can give you information about whatever HTML content you are trying to figure out. But a good place to get started is the W3 Schools website. It has a good introduction to basic tags and document structure. It is also important to learn how to correctly enter special characters. For example, you can type in something like:

Input	Result
&omega; &le; &int; &gamma;(t) dt &lt; e<sup>12</sup>	ω ≤ ∫ γ(t) dt < e12
une organisation sociale mauvaise qui condamnait le g&eacute;nie &agrave; un &eacute;ternel d&eacute;ni de justice au profit de la m&eacute;diocrit&eacute;	une organisation sociale mauvaise qui condamnait le génie à un éternel déni de justice au profit de la médiocrité
Jaroslav Ne&#353;et&#345;il	Jaroslav Nešetřil

Click for more info:

• math characters
• Czech characters
• Greek characters

For those of you already familiar with basic HTML, try to improve your design and style. To validate your website, try the W3 validator.

What to put in your website

Add some personal details: your name, your home institution, etc. You should describe your project - the basic basic motivation, question, goal, or objective of your summer research work. Then, update the site weekly with a brief summary of the overall progress you've made that week. Did you find some sources and analyze them? Did you run simulations? Did you prove a theorem or make a conjecture? What did you do?

Do NOT post proofs, details, computations, or other substantial parts of your research -- such information should not be disseminated in this fashion.

My website is screwed up when I view it in Internet Explorer, but I did everything right

It happens. Internet Explorer is made with intentions other than conforming to standards in HTML and other web languages. It does not always interpret the correct commands in the way you intend, even though you have done the right thing to get the result you expect. If there is some problem, and it isn't just a funny quirk or misaligned text or something, look online or ask us for help.

Don't go crazy

HTML has alot of interesting things, like the <marquee> tag. Do not use this tag. Ever. Keep your website simple and straightforward - if you want to explore advanced HTML techniques, you can do so without making your website into a horrible 1995 cliché. Your website should be professional. Bear in mind, it is not Myspace or Facebook, so be sure not to upload personal information, private data, etc.

Using LaTeX

Getting Started

Some of you may be using LaTeX to typeset your research results. If you have never used LaTeX before, here is a sample tex file to get started, along with the pdf that it produces. Here is a guide more specifically for math papers (note that this file does contain typos). For a reference to some basic symbols used in LaTeX, read here.

DIMACS & REU Matters

Coexisting at DIMACS

Throughout the REU program, DIMACS will also be sponsoring other workshops and programs. The schedule of workshops is available here on the DIMACS website.

During these programs catered food will be available for the workshop/program participants only. It is very important that you do not help yourself to any of the catering unless otherwise notified. If food is left over after participants have eaten, Gene or one of the Graduate Coordinators will let you know, and you are then welcome to take some food.

Travel Reimbursements

If you have been notified to receive reimbursement for your travel expenses, REU students need to see Stacey Porter (Math REU: Lynn Braun) as soon as you can to go over the procedures for claiming your expenses for reimbursement.

DIMACS Kitchen

If you are using the kitchen, please clean up after yourself! You are certainly welcome to use the facility but it should not fall to others to clean up any mess you may have made. Also, if you have made a pot of coffee late in the day after the staff has left, please make sure you remove the coffee pot from the burners before you leave; burned pots are extremely difficult to clean and can shatter. Please pay special attention to the "Courtesy Rules of the Kitchen" sign posted on the kitchen cabinets.

Math Department Kitchen

The math department does not offer the use of the kitchen to visitors or students. As inconvenient as it may be, please use the DIMACS kitchen facilities only.

Math Department Mail and Copy Room

The department also does not offer the use of the mail and copy room to visitors or students. If you need to have something photocopied, please use the DIMACS facilities in Room 432.

Department People

• DIMACS People
• Math People
• CS People

Printing & Computing

Printing & Copying

A fax machine, a photocopier, and a network printer named "Out" can be found in room 432. The fax machine is to be used for office purposes only. If you need to use the fax machine, please talk to someone in the main office. If you need to receive a fax, the fax machine number is 732-445-5932. There are two photocopiers, a large one and a small one. You may use the small photocopier whenever needed. This room will be open throughout normal office hours. Outside of office hours, the room will be closed, but 4th floor office keys will open the door.

Email & Computers

An email address and temporary password have been assigned to you.It is suggested that you change the current password when you first log in. If you have trouble accessing your DIMACS accounts, please contact Walter Morris. Math students should contact Risa Hynes if experiencing problems with office computers.

Math Department Computers/Printers in Room 601 and 323

Additional computers for your use can be found in the Computer Labs. Your Rutgers ID cards will be programed to give you access to Room 601. Room 323 will only be open during business hours.

Building Access

4th Floor CoRE

Building Hours

The main lobby doors to the CoRE Building unlock at 8:00am and lock at 6:00pm, Monday through Friday. During the weekend the lobby doors remain locked.

DIMACS Office Hours

DIMACS office hours are from 8:30am to 4:30pm. However, sometimes office staff may be in the office earlier or later than these times. DIMACS offices are closed on the weekend. The double doors on the 4th floor are unlocked at 8:00am and locked at 6:00pm, Monday through Friday. During the weekend the double doors remain locked.

DIMACS Passcard & Office Key

You should have already received a passcard and an office key. The passcard is used to get into the CoRE Building and the DIMACS corridors when the main lobby doors or double doors on the 4th floor are locked. The key to your office will also open the DIMACS kitchen and the mail/copy/printer room. Both the passcard and the office key must be returned to one of the Graduate Coordinators at the end of the program. If either or both are not returned, there will be a charge.

Hill Center

Building Hours

The main lobby doors to the Hill Center unlock at 8:00am and lock at 6:00pm, Monday through Friday. During the weekend the lobby doors remain locked.

Math Department Office Hours

Math Department office hours are from 8:30am to 4:30pm. However, offices are closed 12:00pm through 1:00pm, Monday through Friday for lunch, and are also closed on the weekend.

Hill Center Office Key

You should have already received a building key and an office key. The building key will only open the front courtyard door of Hill Center, by the vending machines. It does not open the door close to CoRE, facing the parking lot, and in fact, this key may get stuck or break if you try it there. The building and office keys do not give you access to any of the rooms in CoRE. Both keys must be returned to one of the Graduate Coordinators when you leave. If either or both are not returned, there will be a charge.

Travel

Trains

NJ Transit

Access to New York City, Princeton, and locations between.

Campus buses

Rutgers Parking and Transportation

Main website: here.

Next Bus

You can monitor buses in real time online on Next Bus. Be sure you are looking at the Winter/Spring Break, Summer schedules located toward the bottom of the Rutgers University Routes/Lines list.

Summer Bus Schedules

An explanation of the Summer buses is given on the ParkTran website. Be sure to use the information for summer buses.

Bus Stops

The stop closest to the apartments is called Library of Science and Medicine. The stop closest to CoRE is Hill Center.

Taxi Services

All Brunswick Taxi

732-545-0900

Victory Cabs

732-545-6666

Yellow Cab

732-246-2222

AA Checker

732-545-2300

Carpooling

Students are strongly encouraged to set up carpooling: to share rides to grocery stores, social events, etc. Generally DIMACS does not provide transportation to students in an "on call" fashion, and will only be providing officially the transportation to field trips. Students having difficulty accessing off-campus locations or finding rides can consult with the Graduate Coordinators.

Parking on Campus

Parking Permits

Parkign permits are available for students who will have a car during the REU. These permits are not valid for existing Rutgers students, who should continue to use their parking permit from the year (or purchase one through normal channels) as necessary.

Where to park

Students may park in lot 58C, directly in front of Nichols Apartments, as well as any lot indicated on the parking permit. We recommend, if parking near CoRE is desired, that students park in lot 60B.

Recreation

Local Activities

AMC/Loews Movie Theater

AMC Loews New Brunswick 18
17 Route 1
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
You can get to this cinema by taking the bus to Cook/Douglass campus, and then walking.

Regal Cinemas

Regal Hadley Center 16
1000 Corporate Court
South Plainfield, NJ 07080
This is the closest cinema if you are driving.

Restaurants

Parks & Outdoors

Fitness Facilities

Werblin Gym is just across the DIMACS parking lot and has facilities for racquet sports, basketball, volleyball, swimming, weight lifting, aerobics, and calisthenics.