I've done research with a number of undergraduate students in the past. My undergrad mentees tend to have experience with coding or abstract algebra, or ideally both. More precisely, students that do research with me tend to at minimum have at least one of the following backgrounds:
Very strong coder, limited abstract algebra experience (e.g. currently taking Math 100/103 sequence), willing to learn about high performance computations
Strong coder, finished at least one abstract algebra sequence (e.g. Math 100), willing to do a reading course in Atiyah-MacDonald before really diving into research
Finished a year-long course in algebraic geometry, willing to learn how to code
If you are a UCSD undergrad, and you meet or exceed one of these, especially (2) or (3), then I likely can find a research project for you. However, I might be too busy to mentor another student (sadly, this is somewhat likely, but feel free to ask though).
If you don't feel like you have the necessary background, but you're still interested in research, I'd encourage you to consider doing a reading course. I often do reading courses, and others in the department do as well. In particular, I often do reading courses on Atiyah-MacDonald, which is quite foundational for my computational research.
Spring 2021 - RTG Reading Course - Commutative Algebra
Spring 2022 - RTG Reading Course - Atiyah-MacDonald (intense)
Summer 2022 - Hartshorne Prep
Spring 2023 - Atiyah-MacDonald
Spring 2024 - Atiyah-MacDonald (intense)
Fall 2024 - Algebraic Topology
If you are a student at UCSD doing a reading course or undergraduate research project with me and you have financial need, or if you want to do one of these things but are worried about the fact that such commitments are not normally paid, please come talk to me. Chances are we can still work something out.