Digital Commons Network^™

Explaining Differences In One Teacher’S Instruction Across Multiple Tracked Fifth-Grade Classes, Corey Webel, Kimberly A. Conner, Christina Sheffel

Faculty Publications

In this article, we describe the case of “Keri,” a fifth-grade teacher who had completed an Elementary Mathematics Specialist (EMS) certification program. Drawn from a larger study investigating the knowledge, beliefs, and practices of EMSs, Keri's case was unique in that she was teaching mathematics to four classes in a departmentalized structure, where students were placed into different classes according to perceived mathematics ability. Observations from the larger study revealed that Keri's instructional practices did not align with her reported beliefs and knowledge. To explore this deviation, we conducted a case study where we observed Keri's instruction across multiple classes …

Developmental Markers Of Genetic Liability To Autism In Parents: A Longitudinal, Multigenerational Study, Molly Losh, Gary E. Martin, Michelle Lee, Jessica Klusek, John Sideris, Sheila Barron, Thomas Wassink

Faculty Publications

Genetic liability to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be expressed in unaffected relatives through subclinical, genetically meaningful traits, or endophenotypes. This study aimed to identify developmental endophenotypes in parents of individuals with ASD by examining parents' childhood academic development over the school-age period. A cohort of 139 parents of individuals with ASD were studied, along with their children with ASD and 28 controls. Parents' childhood records in the domains of language, reading, and math were studied from grades K-12. Results indicated that relatively lower performance and slower development of skills (particularly language related skills), and an uneven rate of development …

Spectrally Similar Incommensurable 3-Manifolds, David Futer, Christian Millichap

Faculty Publications

Reid has asked whether hyperbolic manifolds with the same geodesic length spectrum must be commensurable. Building toward a negative answer to this question, we construct examples of hyperbolic 3–manifolds that share an arbitrarily large portion of the length spectrum but are not commensurable. More precisely, for every n ≫ 0, we construct a pair of incommensurable hyperbolic 3–manifolds N_n and N^µ_n whose volume is approximately n and whose length spectra agree up to length n.

Both N_n and N^µ_n are built by gluing two standard submanifolds along a complicated pseudo-Anosov map, ensuring that …

Mutations And Short Geodesics In Hyperbolic 3-Manifolds, Christian Millichap

Faculty Publications

In this paper, we explicitly construct large classes of incommensurable hyperbolic knot complements with the same volume and the same initial (complex) length spectrum. Furthermore, we show that these knot complements are the only knot complements in their respective commensurability classes by analyzing their cusp shapes.

The knot complements in each class differ by a topological cut-and-paste operation known as mutation. Ruberman has shown that mutations of hyperelliptic surfaces inside hyperbolic 3-manifolds preserve volume. Here, we provide geometric and topological conditions under which such mutations also preserve the initial (complex) length spectrum. This work requires us to analyze when least …

Gender Representation On Journal Editorial Boards In The Mathematical Sciences, Chad M. Topaz, Shilad Sen

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Hidden Symmetries And Commensurability Of 2-Bridge Link Complements, Christian Millichap, William Worden

Faculty Publications

In this paper, we show that any nonarithmetic hyperbolic 2-bridge link complement admits no hidden symmetries. As a corollary, we conclude that a hyperbolic 2-bridge link complement cannot irregularly cover a hyperbolic 3-manifold. By combining this corollary with the work of Boileau and Weidmann, we obtain a characterization of 3-manifolds with nontrivial JSJ-decomposition and rank-two fundamental groups. We also show that the only commensurable hyperbolic 2-bridge link complements are the figure-eight knot complement and the 6²₂ link complement. Our work requires a careful analysis of the tilings of R² that come from lifting the canonical triangulations of …

Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions Of Mathematics Through Drawings, Adam Akerson

Faculty Publications

Research indicates that mathematics anxiety is particularly high in pre-service teachers (Bekdemir, 2010; Gresham, 2007; Hembree, 1990). These future teachers will soon be entering classrooms of their own, responsible for teaching mathematics to young children, who need strong teachers. A 2013 report from The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), found that 42% fourth-graders performed at or above the proficient level in math (NCES, 2013. The purpose of this study was to examine elementary pre-service teacher candidates (PSTCs) perceptions of mathematics, through drawings. Drawings were analyzed before and after a semester-long field experience in a constructivist mathematics environment. The participants …

Growth Conditions For Uniqueness Of Smooth Positive Solutions To An Elliptic Model, Joon Hyuk Kang

Faculty Publications

The uniqueness of positive solution to the elliptic model

∆u + u[a + g(u, v)] = 0 in Ω, ∆v + v[a + h(u, v)] = 0 in Ω, u = v = 0 on ∂Ω,

were investigated.

Factorial Growth Rates For The Number Of Hyperbolic 3-Manifolds Of A Given Volume, Christian Millichap

Faculty Publications

The work of Jørgensen and Thurston shows that there is a finite number N(v) of orientable hyperbolic 3-manifolds with any given volume v. In this paper, we construct examples showing that the number of hyperbolic knot complements with a given volume v can grow at least factorially fast with v. A similar statement holds for closed hyperbolic 3-manifolds, obtained via Dehn surgery. Furthermore, we give explicit estimates for lower bounds of N(v) in terms of v for these examples. These results improve upon the work of Hodgson and Masai, which describes examples that grow exponentially fast with v …

What’S Art Got To Do With Math?, Eric L. Mann

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Computer Aided Geometric Design, Thomas W. Sederberg

Faculty Publications

This semester is the twenty-fourth time I have taught a course at Brigham Young University titled, "Computer Aided Geometric Design." When I first taught such a course in 1983, the field was young enough that no textbook covered everything that I wanted to teach, and so these notes evolved. The field now has matured to the point that several semesters worth of valuable material could be compiled. These notes, admittedly biased towards my own interests, reflect my personal preferences as to which of that material is most beneficial to students in an introductory course. I welcome anyone who has an …

A Sequel To “A Space Topologized By Functions From Omega To Omega”, Tetsuya Ishiu, Akira Iwasa

Faculty Publications

We consider a topological space ⟨𝑋, 𝜏 (ℱ)⟩, where 𝑋 = {𝑝 ∗} ∪ [𝜔 Å~ 𝜔] and ℱ ⊆ 𝜔𝜔. Each point in 𝜔 Å~ 𝜔 is isolated and a neighborhood of 𝑝∗ has the form {𝑝∗}∪{⟨𝑖, 𝑗⟩ : 𝑖 ≥ 𝑛, 𝑗 ≥ 𝑓(𝑖)} for some 𝑛 ∈ 𝜔 and 𝑓 ∈ ℱ. We show that there are subsets ℱ and 𝒢 of 𝜔𝜔 such that ℱ is not bounded, 𝒢 is bounded, yet ⟨𝑋, 𝜏 (ℱ)⟩ and ⟨𝑋, 𝜏 (𝒢)⟩ are homeomorphic. This answers a question of the second author posed in A space topologized by functions …

Cyclic Shifts Of The Van Der Corput Set, Dmitriy Bilyk

Faculty Publications

In 1980, K. Roth showed that the expected value of the L2 discrepancy of the cyclic shifts of the N-point van der Corput set is bounded by a constant multiple of √logN, thus guaranteeing the existence of a shift with asymptotically minimal L2 discrepancy. In the present paper, we construct a specific example of such a shift.

A Space Topologized By Functions From Omega To Omega, Akira Iwasa

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

An Optimal-Order Error Estimate For A Family Of Ellam-Mfem Approximations To Porous Medium Flow, Hong Wang

Faculty Publications

Mathematical models used to describe porous medium flow lead to coupled systems of time-dependent nonlinear partial differential equations, which present serious mathematical and numerical difficulties. Standard methods tend to generate numerical solutions with nonphysical oscillations or numerical dispersion along with spurious grid-orientation effect. The ELLAM-MFEM time-stepping procedure, in which an Eulerian–Lagrangian localized adjoint method (ELLAM) is used to solve the transport equation and a mixed finite element method (MFEM) is used for the pressure equation, simulates porous medium flow accurately even if large spatial grids and time steps are used. In this paper we prove an optimal-order error estimate for …

Uniform Estimates For Eulerian-Lagrangian Methods For Singularly Perturbed Time-Dependent Problems, Hong Wang, Kaixin Wang

Faculty Publications

We prove a priori optimal-order error estimates in a weighted energy norm for several Eulerian–Lagrangian methods for singularly perturbed, time-dependent convection-diffusion equations with full regularity. The estimates depend only on certain Sobolev norms of the initial and right-hand side data, but not on ε or any norm of the true solution, and so hold uniformly with respect to ε. We use the interpolation of spaces and stability estimates to derive an ε-uniform estimate for problems with minimal or intermediate regularity, where the convergence rates are proportional to certain Besov norms of the initial and right-hand side data.

Covering Properties And Cohen Forcing, Akira Iwasa

Faculty Publications

We will show that adding Cohen reals preserves the covering property that every open cover has a σ-P Q refinement and deduce that adding Cohen reals preserves covering properties such as paracompactness, subparacompactness and screenability.

On Strongly Asymptotic L(P) Spaces And Minimality, S J. Dilworth, V Ferenczi, Denka Kutzarova, E Odell

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Creating Mathematics Performance Assessments That Address Multiple Student Levels, Damon L. Bahr

Faculty Publications

In recent times there has been considerable commentary regarding the need to enhance mathematical assessment as evidenced by Numeracy, A Priority for All: Challenges for Australian Schools (2000). This emphasis on assessment is timely because although the mathematical reform movement has produced much-needed improvements in both curriculum and instruction, changes in assessment have not kept pace (Firestone & Schorr. 2004; Morgan, 1998). As Ridgeway (1998, p.2) states, "As an issue of policy, the implementation of standards-based curricula should always be accompanied by the implementation of standards-based assessment. In fact, incremental change in assessment systems will foster concurrent improvement in professional …

A General Theory Of Almost Convex Functions, S J. Dilworth, Ralph Howard, James W. Roberts

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Subspaces Of Ωω That Are Paracompact In Some Forcing Extension, Akira Iwasa

Faculty Publications

We discuss when a subspace of ω_ω is paracompact in some forcing extension.

Pathways To Success In Pre-College Mathematics, Bob Madsen, Ted Hodgson, Carol Ward

Faculty Publications

Like most tribal colleges, Chief Dull Knife College (CDKC, Lame Deer, MT) offers a sequence of pre-college mathematics courses - Basic Mathematics, Introductory Algebra, and Intermediate Algebra - to assist students who lack college-level skills. To enhance student support, CDKC created the Student Learning Center, which is started by instructors and student interns and offers computer work stations.

Adaptive Finite Element Methods For Elliptic Pdes Based On Conforming Centroidal Voronoi-Delaunay Triangulations, Lili Ju, Max Gunzburger, Weidong Zhao

Faculty Publications

A new triangular mesh adaptivity algorithm for elliptic PDEs that combines a posteriori error estimation with centroidal Voronoi–Delaunay tessellations of domains in two dimensions is proposed and tested. The ability of the first ingredient to detect local regions of large error and the ability of the second ingredient to generate superior unstructured grids result in a mesh adaptivity algorithm that has several very desirable features, including the following. Errors are very well equidistributed over the triangles; at all levels of refinement, the triangles remain very well shaped, even if the grid size at any particular refinement level, when viewed globally, …

When A Mechanical Model Goes Nonlinear, Lisa D. Humphreys, P. J. Mckenna

Faculty Publications

This paper had its origin in a curious discovery by the first author in research performed with an undergraduate student. The following odd fact was noticed: when a mechanical model of a suspension bridge (linear near equilibrium but allowed to slacken at large distance in one direction) is shaken with a low-frequency periodic force, several different periodic responses can result, many with high-frequency components.

Outerplanar Crossing Numbers, The Circular Arrangement Problem And Isoperimetric Functions, Eva Czabarka, Ondrej Sykora, Laszlo A. Szekely, Imrich Vrt'o

Faculty Publications

We extend the lower bound in [15] for the outerplanar crossing number (in other terminologies also called convex, circular and one-page book crossing number) to a more general setting. In this setting we can show a better lower bound for the outerplanar crossing number of hypercubes than the best lower bound for the planar crossing number. We exhibit further sequences of graphs, whose outerplanar crossing number exceeds by a factor of log n the planar crossing number of the graph. We study the circular arrangement problem, as a lower bound for the linear arrangement problem, in a general fashion. We …

Every Polynomial-Time 1-Degree Collapses If And Only If P=Pspace, Stephen A. Fenner, Stuart A. Kurtz, James S. Royer

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Every Polynomial-Time 1-Degree Collapses If And Only If P=Pspace, Stephen A. Fenner, Stuart A. Kurtz, James S. Royer

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

An Extension Of Elton's L(1)(N) Theorem To Complex Banach Spaces, S J. Dilworth, Joseph P. Patterson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Development Of Cfl-Free, Explicit Schemes For Multidimensional Advection-Reaction Equations, Hong Wang, Jiangguo Liu

Faculty Publications

We combine an Eulerian–Lagrangian approach and multiresolution analysis to develop unconditionally stable, explicit, multilevel methods for multidimensional linear hyperbolic equations. The derived schemes generate accurate numerical solutions even if large time steps are used. Furthermore, these schemes have the capability of carrying out adaptive compression without introducing mass balance error. Computational results are presented to show the strong potential of the numerical methods developed.

An Ellam Scheme For Multidimensional Advection-Reaction Equations And Its Optimal-Order Error Estimate, Hong Wang, Xiquan Shi, Richard E. Ewing

Faculty Publications

We present an Eulerian-Lagrangian localized adjoint method (ELLAM) scheme for initial-boundary value problems for advection-reaction partial differential equations in multiple space dimensions. The derived numerical scheme is not subject to the Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy condition and generates accurate numerical solutions even if large time steps are used. Moreover, the scheme naturally incorporates boundary conditions into its formulation without any artificial outflow boundary conditions needed, and it conserves mass. An optimal-order error estimate is proved for the scheme. Numerical experiments are performed to verify the theoretical estimate.