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Meetings
of the University of
Dayton Math Club
Application forms (.pdf,
.doc)for Pi Mu Epsilon, the national
honor society in mathematics.
In 2007-08, Math Club will meet on alternate
(roughly speaking) Thursdays at 7:15 p.m. in SC 301.
Students interested in mathematics are invited to
attend the meetings. You need not be a math major to attend.
Meetings are for networking with other students interested in
mathematics and faculty members. Meetings also provide an
opportunity to learn a little bit about mathematical topics not
necessarily covered in the math major curriculum.
Coming up:
-
Thursday November 29:
- Dr. Adam Parker, who teaches in the Department of
Mathematics and Computer Science at Wittenberg University in
Springfield, Ohio, will present a talk entitled "MORE THAN
MEETS THE EYE – An Introduction to Moduli Spaces." In
this talk, he will show us some of the hidden structure of a
Mobius band that we may never have seen before, and perhaps
change the way that we think about geometric objects in
general. (We are all familiar with some of the
interesting properties of a Mobius band like what happens
when you count its edges or cut it down the center.)
Dr. Adam Parker grew up near Akron, Ohio and was an
undergraduate at the University of Michigan, majoring in
mathematics and psychology. He earned his Ph.D. degree from
the University of Texas in 2005 with a thesis in algebraic
geometry. Dr. Parker is the recipient of 2007 Omicron Delta
Kappa Teaching Award at Wittenberg University.
- New Math
Horizons are here! With, guess what? An article on
Euler!! Guess by whom?! Yes, Dr. Dunham (who
gave the Schraut Lecture on Undergraduate Math Day)!!!
Come to the meeting to get yours.
-
The 67th Annual Putnam Competition, Saturday
December 1:
- Nineteen students have signed up to participate this
year. SC 323, 9:50 a.m. until 6 p.m. Free lunch.
-
MAA's MathTube Contest
- Deadline December 7, 2007.
- This contest "calls for creative videos that show the
entertaining side of mathematics in a style similar to that
of other such videos found on the popular website
YouTube."
- If you are interested, please let
Dr. Higgins know.
Previously:
- To register your team(s) for the
High School Mathematics Contest on Saturday, March 1, 2008, please
click
here.
Dr. Ginny Keen (new faculty member in our department)
discussed some principles of counting, and how to make
counting meaningful to young children. She showed some
student-created children’s books that emphasized various
aspects of counting. About 20 people attended.
-
Math Club Pictures for the Yearbook!
Please come to KU Ballroom on Tuesday, October 23 at 7:30
p.m. for yearbook pictures. All "members" of the
MathClub are welcome.
-
Preparation for Undergraduate Mathematics Day -- Thursday
and Friday, November 1 and 2, 2007:
THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP YOU GAVE US! THE DAY WAS A
HUGE SUCCESS!! Watch for sign-up sheets to help set up for the big day.
We'll need help preparing conference folders, moving tables
for registration, moving refrigerators and coffee pots,
putting up signs for various rooms in the Science Center,
and moderating sessions.
-
Saturday November 3, 2007
Thursday October 4, 2007:
About a dozen students, one alumna and three faculty members
attended this meeting.
- We distributed
Math Horizons (Sept 07 issue) to each student present. We
have some more -- send email to Dr. Higgins if you want to get
one. We request that when the new issues show up, you bring
these in and we will give these to students who haven't read
them and you can have a new issue.
- We distributed posters for
Undergraduate Mathematics Day. If you want a really cool
poster of your own, send Dr. Higgins an email message. Remember
to sign up for Undergraduate Math Day -- registration is
required, free, and open now.
- Ruth Hinde (math alumna, 2005) spoke to us about
volunteering immediately after graduation. She is an Assistant
Coordinator for the Marianist Volunteer Program, and can be
reached at rhinde@sm-usa.org.
- Professor Higgins talked about the Putnam Competition
(Saturday 1 December 2007). This is the
handout she provided. When
applying for a job or for graduate schools, it is nice to be
able to distinguish oneself from the many others who will be
applying. Showing a serious time and energy commitment to one's
discipline beyond the mere requirements is a good way of doing
so. Giving a talk at a math conference (like Undergraduate math
Day -- see two bullets above) is one such outlet, participating
in the Putnam Competition is another. You must register to take
the Putnam -- send Dr. Higgins email at
Aparna.Higgins@notes.udayton.edu.
- Professors Art Busch and Maher Qumsiyeh led us through a few
competition-style problems to see how we might tackle them and
to re-assure us that we don't need to have a lot of mathematics
background to get far on several problems. We just need to be
willing to play with a few examples and gain some insight.
Sunday September 23, 2007:
Math Club Picnic, Orchardly Park, Oakwood.
About fifteen students and eight faculty members (and some
spouses and children) attended the Math Club Picnic. It was a
beautiful day. In addition to good food and Cornhole and Frisbee
games, we had a scare when an errant Frisbee almost knocked out
Danielle Carleton while she was on the swings. The picnic served to
let faculty and students get to know each other a little more than
does the classroom setting.
Thursday September 13, 2007:
Erin Shafer, junior, internship at Wright Patterson Air
Force Base
About twenty people attended the meeting. We worked on a couple
fun math brainteasers while we socialized and ate pizza. Danielle
Carleton (President) talked about some of our future events, such as
the Math Club Picnic (Sunday September 23), and Undergraduate
Mathematics Day (Saturday November 1). We also passed out a sign up
sheet for those interested in participating in some volunteer
tutoring. Erin Shafer spoke to us about her internship at Wright
Patterson Air Force Base. She discussed how and when to apply, and
what math courses helped her in her work. She also talked about her
work in statistical analysis.
Thursday August 30, 2007:
David Aaby, junior, REU at San Diego State University
About thirty people attended this first meeting. We opened with
a brainteaser, while folks got something to eat and drink -- pizza
and pop, cake and candy. David Aaby told us a little about Research
Experiences for Undergraduates -- what they are, how and when to
apply for them, and then described a little of the mathematical
biology project he worked on at the San Diego State University. He
gave us a peek at category theory and phylogeny. We are interested
in hearing from you what you would like to see the Math Club do.
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