The Mathematics Department and the Applied Mathematics Program at The University of Arizona provide an environment in the mathematical sciences that offers breadth and excellence in both research and innovative teaching activities. Their excellence, innovation, interdisciplinary research, and encouragement of the interaction of faculty and students at all levels has been recognized by the National Science Foundation with the award of a Vertical Integration of Graduate Research and Education (VIGRE) grant in the Fall of 1999. This generous support from the NSF will provide fellowship support for approximately 18 graduate students in both the Mathematics and Applied Mathematics PhD programs, allowing them to shorten the time needed to earn their degrees and preparing them for a broad range of career opportunities. Four new postdoctoral positions will be created by combining support from the NSF grant with support from the Mathematics Department and Applied Mathematics Program. Undergraduate research opportunities will be expanded and financial support will be available to the undergraduates who participate.
The Graduate Student Colloquium was created and instituted by Barbara A. Shipman in 1993. Barbara, who graduated with a Ph.D in Mathematics in 1995, started a tradition from which all of us graduate students still benefit today.
The Graduate Colloquium gives graduate students both an opportunity to develop the skills of publicly presenting mathematics and the chance to become acquainted with the research interests of fellow graduate students.
The Spring of 1999 was a wonderful semester for the Graduate Colloquium. Topics ranged from moduli spaces and Hamiltonian mechanics to medical imaging and the mathematics education program. Both the size of our audience and the eagerness to be in the list of future speakers increased substantially.
Organizing the Graduate Colloquium has been a rewarding experience. Thanks to all for perpetuating this worthwhile tradition.
Here are the Spring 1999 Colloquium speakers:
Robert Beals, Jennifer Christian-Smith, Jeff Cunningham, Jialing Dai, Jeff
Edmunds, Susan Hammond-Marshall, Minhyong Kim, Seog Young Kim, Robert Lakatos,
Andre Lehovich, Martha Maiers, Angel Pineda, and Patrick Shipman.
(For a complete list of talks, see the Graduate Colloquium Webpage.)
Jack Jackson II, "Splitting in Finite Metacyclic
Groups";
advisor: Larry Grove.
Employer: Westark College, Fort Smith, AR;
position: Instructor.
Scott Sakamoto, "The Cranmer Abacus: Its Use in
Teaching Mathematics to
Students with Visual Impairments"; advisor: Steve
Willoughby.
Employer:
Chapman University, Orange, CA; positon: Senior Lecturer.
Matthew Kruse, "Smooth, Cusped, and Discontinuous
Traveling Waves in the
Fluid Resonance Equation"; advisor: Moysey Brio.
Employer: Rincon
Research Corporation, Tucson, AZ; position: Research Mathematician.
Gregory Gillis, "Design Considerations in Compositie
Conductors: an
Exposition of Percolation Theory"; advisor: David
Gay.
Employer:
Southern Utah University; position: Assistant Professor.
Olga Simek, "Heat Trace Asymptotics for Domains with
Singular Boundaries";
advisor: Leonid Friedlander.
Employer: Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory, Computer Application Organization; position: Computer
Scientist.
| Ph.D. Graduate | Term | Title of Dissertation | Advisor(s) | Present Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green, Kris H. | 1994-1999 | Gravitational Aspects of Tachyon Domain Walls | W. John Cocke (Astronomy) | Professor: St. John Fischer College |
| King, Aaron Alan | 1993-1999 | Hamiltonian Limits and Subharmonic Resonance in Models of Population Fluctuations | William Schaffer (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) | Flinn Postdoc at The University of Arizona |
| Liu, Li | 1994-1999 | Hierarchical Structures in Fully Developed Turbulence | Shen-Su She (Mathematics) | |
| Abbey, Craig Kendall | 1991-1998 | Assessment of Reconstructed Images | Harrison Barrett (Radiology) | Research Scientist: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center |
| Ph.D. Graduate | Term | Title of Dissertation | Advisor(s) | Present Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyde, Craig Lee | 1993-1998 | "The Use of Complex Time Singularity Analysis in Dynamical Systems" | Michael Tabor (Applied Mathematics) | |
| Komarova, Natalia | 1993-1998 | "Essays on Nonlinear Waves: Patterns Under Water; Pulse Propagation Though Random Media" | Alan Newell (Mathematics) | Mathematics Institute: Warwick University Princeton in 1999-00 updated: 6/28/99 |
| Ph.D. Graduate | Term | Title of Dissertation | Advisor(s) | Present Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson, Kevin | 1992-1998 | "Probabilistic and Statistical Analysis of Growth and Division in Bacillus subtilis" | Joseph Watkins:(Mathematics) | Postdoctoral Member, Institute for Mathematics and its Applications, Minnesota |
| Garcia-Alvarado Martin Gildardo | 1991-1998 | "Competitive Dynamics in Size-Structured Populations with Reproductive Delays" | Jim Cushing:(Mathematics) | Universidad de Sonora |
| Haller, Karl | 1992-1998 | "Ground State Properties of the Neutral Two-Dimensional Falicov-Kimball Model" | Thomas Kennedy:(Mathematics) | Mathematics Department, University of Virginia: updated: 5/5/99 |
| Rado, Anita | 1993-1998 | "Mathematical Models of Ionic Diffusion in Olfactory Glomeruli" | Timothy Secomb (Physiology) Leslie Tolbert (Neurobiology) |
Flinn Foundation Postdoc: University of Arizona |
It may not be Oscars Night, but nonetheless we offer a retrospective glance at the year's Math Movies--another of the Department's attempts to show students that mathematics exists outside of the classroom.
Our Fall series began with Breaking the Code, a dramatization of the life and death of Alan Turing. This was the original BBC version, generously provided by Patrick Grim of SUNY at Stony Brook, which differed slightly from the PBS version we had previously shown. N is a Number, the excellent MAA documentary on Paul Erdös, followed, and then a rerun of the Nova program, The Proof, recounting Andrew Wiles' cracking of Fermat's Last Theorem. Two films on topology, Not Knot and Outside In completed the semester.
Spring began with the excellent expository film Chaos, Fractals, and Dynamics, by Robert Devaney of Boston University. Then, for a change, we showed our first real reel films (such a pleasure to the eye after videos) in a long time: Donald in Mathmagic Land, Flatland [based on the book, Flatland, by Edwin Abbott], and Infinite Acres. The season closed with one of the six segments of the PBS series Life by the Numbers, entitled Patterns of Nature, shown in conjunction with Mathematics Awareness Week.
With the exception of Donald, all these films and videos are available here on campus, either in the library's media collection or in private collections of the faculty of the Mathematics Department.
On Saturday, December 5, 1998, seven undergraduates ushered in the festive season by spending six hours puzzling over the 12 problems posed on the MAA's 59th William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition. Our thanks to Todd Thompson, Steve Steinke, Max Shkarayev, Patrick Shipman, Mark Lyon, Carolyn Lanser and David Coughlin for upholding the honor of the U of A. Thanks also to Robert Beals and John Leonard for invigilating the exam.
Three of our contestants, Steven Steinke, Max Shkarayev, and Todd Thompson, placed in the top 50% of the entrants--no mean feat, considering that these 2,581 entrants are outstanding undergraduate mathematics students from across the country and Canada.
Two of the contest puzzles are appended, for the sharpening of your witte.
Problem A3
Let f be a real function on the real line with continuous third derivative. Prove that there exists a point a such that
f(a). f '(a) . f ''(a) . f '''(a) < 0
Problem B5
Let N be the positive integer with 1998 decimal digits, all of them 1; that is:
N = 1111...1 [1998 digits] .
Find the thousandth digit after the decimal point of N1/2.
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The following is a summary of activities for the Undergraduate Committee of the Department of Mathematics for the fall semester of 1998. Minutes for past UGC meetings can be found at the UGC website (http://math.arizona.edu/~ugc/).
LOWER DIVISION COURSES
Course renumbering for 100 level courses . A memo listing the proposed changes was distributed early November to all mathematics faculty, all University advisors, the Undergraduate Council, and Michael Gottfredson (University Vice President for Undergraduate Education). There being no objections, changes were submitted December 15 to the Curriculum Office. The Department will disseminate information about the changes to all state high schools, universities, and community colleges.
AP calculus/differential equations sequence . For the last couple of years, the Department has been experimenting with a calculus/differential equations sequence for students entering with Advanced Placement calculus experience. The following descriptions for permanent courses were submitted to the Curriculum Office.
MATH 250A Calculus and Differential Equations I (3) I Integral calculus with applications, techniques of integration, solving first order differential equations using separation of variables, introduction to autonomous first order differential equations. The sequence 250A-250B substitutes for the pair of courses 129-254 or the pair 129-355; however, 250A alone does not substitute for 129. P, a score of 4 or 5 on the Calculus AB advanced Placement Exam or by permission of the instructor. Credit allowed for only one of the following courses: MATH 250A or MATH 129.
MATH 250B Calculus and Differential Equations II (3) II First order differential equations and modeling, approximations and series, second order differential equations, linear and nonlinear autonomous systems. The sequence 250A-250B substitutes for the pair of courses 129-254 or the pair 129-355; however, 250B alone does not substitute for 254 or 355. P, MATH 250A. Credit allowed for only one of the following courses: MATH 250B or MATH 254 or MATH 355.
Changes related to the statistics courses Math 160 and Math 263 . The Statistics Committee made several recommendations regarding Math 160 and 263. The UGC approved the following.
Presently, entry into Math 160 or 263 is not contingent on Math Readiness Tests results. The policy beginning the fall of 1999 will be:
For entry to Math 160 and 263, a student's score on the Math Readiness Test should be at the same level as that now used for entry into Math 119 and 123.
New course descriptions for Math 160 and 263:
MATH 160 Basic Statistics (3)Organizing data: displaying distributions, measures of center, measures of spread, scatter plots, correlation, regression and their interpretation. Design of experiments: simple random samples and their sampling distribution, models from probability, normal distributions, and normal approximations. Statistical inference: confidence intervals and hypothesis testing, t procedures and chi- square tests. Not intended for those who plan further studies in statistics. Credit allowed for only one of 160 and 263. P, 121 or an acceptable score on the Math Readiness Test.
MATH 263 Introduction to Statistics and Biostatistics (3) Organizing data: distributions, measures of center and spread, scatter plots, nonlinear models and transformations, correlation, regression. Design of experiments: models from probability, discrete and continuous random variables, normal distributions, sampling distributions, the central limit theorem. Statistical inference: confidence intervals and test of significance, t procedures, inference for count data, two-way tables and chi-square procedures, inference for regression, analysis of variance. Credit allowed for only one of 160 and 263. P, 121 or an acceptable score on the Math Readiness Test.
An optional one-unit course for students enrolled in Math 160 or 263 will be offered this spring on an experimental basis:
MATH 199 (section 2) Basic Statistics Computation (1) Computing using statistical software --- activities chosen to match material in Math 160 and 263. C, Math 160 or 263.
(This course would allow students to do statistics-based projects once a week using statistical software.)
Scores on the AP Statistics exams: A score of 4 or 5 will give a student
credit for Math 263. A score of 3 will give credit for 160. (The
Statistics Committee will continue to review and monitor this policy.)
Business courses experiment . The UGC established a sub-committee to monitor and evaluate the results of the business courses experiment being undertaken throughout the year.
Winter session courses. The UGC recommended that the Department not offer courses during winter session because it is not possible to cover adequately the course content of its semester courses.
UPPER DIVISION COURSES; THE MATH MAJOR
New numbers and course descriptions for Math 422A, 422B, and 424. A memo proposing changes was distributed to the faculty on December 8. Hearing no objections, the changes were submitted to the Curriculum Office on December 15.
A request to remove Math 215 as prerequisite to 355 was rejected .
Summer courses. The UGC recommended that this summer the Department offer the same lower division courses as last summer plus the following: Math 243, 323, 413, and 424. These four courses would be offered as 10 week courses.
Outstanding Senior Award. The UGC nominated Weldon Gilcrease for the College of Science's Outstanding Senior Award for winter commencement.
The following is a summary of the major activities of the Mathematics Department's Undergraduate Committee (UGC) during the spring semester of 1999. All UGC minutes and other supporting documents are available in the Math Center. Most are also accessible to you on the UGC website (http://math.arizona.edu/~ugc/).
Those that aren't yet on the website will be later this summer.
LOWER DIVISION COURSES
Review of Fall-back Course (MATH 120s). In its meeting of February 16, Kate McGivney reported on the first offering of the calculus fall-back course (Math 120s) in the fall of 1998. See the minutes of 2/16/99 for her report. In its meeting of April 27, the Committee voted to offer the program in the fall of 1999 in basically the form it was offered during the fall of 1998. More substantial changes in the program could be considered next year with more experience and data.
Review of Pilot of Super-Supervisor Program. In the spring of 1998, the UGC presented to the faculty its plan for a Super-Supervisor program. (See the minutes of 1/27/98 and 2/17/98 for discussions of the plan.) This was first piloted in the fall of 1998, and continued in the spring of 1999, by Deborah Hughes Hallett and David Lovelock. Hughes Hallett was in charge of seven Math 223 TA's in the fall and nine Math 125B and Math 223 TA's in the spring. Lovelock was in charge of four TA's in the fall and four in the spring, all teaching Math 123. Both reported to the UGC on their experiences with the program at the March 23 meeting. In the meeting of April 2, the UGC recommended that the program be continued and that, if possible, the same person should be both Super-Supervisor and course coordinator.
Survey of Instructors' Opinions Related to Common Finals in MATH 124, 125B, and 223.
Four years ago faculty in the Department voted to have common finals in Math 124, 125B and 223. In order to determine faculty opinion on how this program was working, the UGC appointed a subcommittee to create a questionnaire and survey the faculty. The survey was administered during March, the results tabulated, and a summary report written and submitted to the UGC at its May 4 meeting. A copy of the report can be found in the Math Center and, soon, as an attachment to the UGC's May 4 minutes at the UGC website.
Advanced Placement scores. The University Learning Center requested departmental review of credit allowed for Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate, and College Level Examination Programs (CLEP). The University currently awards credit for the calculus AP tests according to the following scheme: for a score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus Test AB a student gets credit for Math 125 (new number for first semester calculus); for a score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus Test BC a student receives credit for Math 125 and Math 129 (new number for second semester calculus); for a score of 2 or for an AB sub-score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus Test BC a students gets credit for Math 125. The UGC voted to make no changes in the AP scheme for next year but recommended gathering more data and revisiting the issue next year. See the minutes of February 3 and April 2 for discussions of these issues. See Chris Mikel in the Math Center for current policy on the International Baccalaureate and CLEP programs.
UPPER DIVISION COURSES; THE MATH MAJOR
Review of Math Major Sequences. In 1996-7, the UGC focused attention on certain math- major, year-long sequences (415a-b, 425-426, 422a-485, 464-466/468) in order to stabilize their content, drum up customers and maintain quality control. Specific faculty members were asked to oversee/teach the sequences for the ensuing two years. During the 1997-98 academic year the Committee heard reports on MATH 422a-485 and MATH 425-426. (See the minutes of 3/3/98 and 4/21/98 for these reports.) This year we heard reports on the probability/statistics sequence and the algebra sequence from Tom Kennedy and Warren May, respectively. Written reports are attached to the minutes of 3/5/99 and 4/27/99.
Outstanding Senior Award. The UGC nominated Patrick Shipman for the College of Science's Outstanding Senior Award for spring commencement. The Committee also decided to give Departmental Awards for Excellence to graduating seniors Evan Deaubl and Carolyn Lanser. The latter awards were publicly presented in May at the Mathematics Department's reception for graduating seniors.
Math Major Scholarship Awards. The UGC distributed over
$8000 in scholarship money to undergraduate math majors.
Policy on Graduating with a GPA < 2.0. The deans of the colleges of Science, Humanities and SBS have agreed to the following policy:
If the advisor supports a student's request to graduate with less than a 2.0 GPA in the major, then the advisor should: (1) consult with the Department Head about the student's situation, and if the Head approves the major GPA, (2) forward the student's degree check to the dean's office for final approval.
The Undergraduate Committee added to this policy statement the following:
The general policy of the Mathematics Department is that the 2.0 major GPA requirement not be waived.
During the 1998-99 academic year, the Co-Op Program has six participants, five from Tucson area high schools and one from Pima Community College. The group consists of
May 1999
New Co-ops for 1999-2000:
The Entry Level Mathematics Colloquium, now in its fifth year of operation, is sponsored by the Entry Level Committee and is presented jointly with the Mathematics Instruction Colloquium. Its purpose is to present mathematical topics that are of interest to, and understandable by, those teaching our 100 and 200 level courses.
In 1998-99 the Entry Level Mathematics Colloquium presented a series of eight talks by entry level faculty members, co-op faculty, and regular faculty members. The programs included reports on interdisciplinary work, topics from computer science and number theory, and some mathematical history. Several of the talks featured live computer demonstrations. Speakers and topics included the following.
The entire series of talks was well-received, with an average attendance of over twenty people at each presentation.
We are pleased to introduce the second Teaching Post-Doc class in the department--Cinnamon Hillyard and Diann Porter.
May 1999
New Post-Docs for 1999-2000:
A four-year project to involve Sunnyside parents in the mathematical learning of their children's classrooms will get underway in August 1999. A partnership between Sunnyside Unified School District and the Department of Mathematics at the University of Arizona will develop programs and materials to attract parents/caretakers of children of all grade levels and make them active supporters of a system that promotes good mathematical learning for their children. These programs and materials will help them become aware of what is happening in their children's classrooms; offer them occasions to take on leadership roles in working with teachers, administrators, and other parents; and provide them opportunities for in-depth experiences with school mathematics and the processes used in teaching and learning it. An initial core of committed parents and teachers will participate in the development of these programs and materials and lead in the recruitment of additional parents and teachers. The programs, materials, and the momentum of this growing group will provide the means for strong district parent-teacher relationships and long-lasting involvement of parents in their children's mathematics education. The project with Sunnyside will be part of a larger effort which will involve three additional partnerships in the southwest --- between school district consortia and institutions of higher education. Funding for MAPPS --- pending at this time --- is anticipated from the National Science Foundation.
The goal of the project is to create at Sunnyside a community of parents that
The following activities are being planned for the 1999-2000 academic year:
Principal investigators for the project are David Gay and Marta Civil of the U of A Mathematics Department. For more information contact Georgine Speranzo at 621-6882 or by e-mail at speranzo@math.arizona.edu.
Please see the Math Awareness Month 1999 website.
Please follow this link for information on the 1998 workshop.
Past colloquiums for this period are archived at [THIS MISSING LINK].
Past colloquiums for this period are archived at [THIS MISSING LINK].
Past colloquiums for this period are archived at [THIS MISSING LINK].
Past colloquiums for this period are archived at [THIS MISSING LINK].
The Department of Mathematics Staff mission is to provide services to faculty and students in order to meet academic and professional standards as set forth by University and Department policies. This year has been another busy, event-filled year for the 20 staff members in the Department. Freshman enrollment was up so there were more students to be helped. Recruitment for faculty, visitors and graduate students and research projects continued at a high level, and the evolution of University and Federal policies seriously increased the complexity and accountability of all business transactions.
Bernadette Thomas and Brooke Zang were the Department representatives to the College of Science Staff Advisory Council and the Committee for Staff Recognition. They also planned and organized the College of Science Staff Appreciation Luncheon held in April and hosted by the College to recognize all staff for their significant contributions to the College.
This year's Department's Staff Recognition Award honored the contributions and dedication of Jerrie Bieberstein. Nominee's included Georgine Speranzo, Bernadette Thomas, Narquita Wright, Brooke Zang, Julie Zehring, and a team nomination for Jerrie Bieberstein and Carole Anderson.
Department career staff anniversaries at the University of Arizona included: Jerri Bieberstein -- 10 years, Deborah Gaines -- 25 years, and Sandy Sutton -- 10 years.
The Third Annual Ice Breaker Party given by the McCallum's was a resounding success finishing the keg for the second year in a row. The Derelict of the Year Award went to Grey Eyink. Rosario (formerly Garcia) Molina had a beautiful baby boy.
New additions to the staff included Georgine Speranzo in the Undergraduate/Algebra Office and Rosemary Montijo in the Business Office. Zora Mlejnkova transferred to the Department computer staff under the direction of Bob Condon, Coordinator for Academic and Research Computing. Jose Torres left the computing staff to pursue other interests. Changes in title included Deborah Gaines to Business Manager, Bernadette Thomas to Administrative Secretary, and Faye Villalobos to Operations Manager
The end of the academic year does not complete the year's activities for the staff since the summer is filled with summer session classes, camps, and outreach activities, but well-deserved vacations within that time will undoubtedly refresh the staff for the upcoming, last year of the millennium.