Mathematics Commons^™

Tribute To Gene Chase, Calvin Jongsma

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Gene’s academic work was always one of service to God, his students, and his colleagues, and his intellectual passion was to promote the development of Christian perspectives on various aspects of the field. His contributions to the ACMS have been much appreciated and, God willing, may still bear fruit into the future.

Incorporating Perspectival Elements In A Discrete Mathematics Course, Calvin Jongsma

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Discrete mathematics is a vast field that can be explored along many different paths. Opening with a unit on logic and proof and then taking up some additional core topics (induction, set theory, combinatorics, relations, Boolean algebra, graph theory) allows one to bring in a wealth of relevant material on history, philosophy, axiomatics, and abstraction in very natural ways. This talk looks at how my 2019 textbook on discrete mathematics, focused in this way, came to be, and it highlights the various perspectival elements the book includes.

A Statistical Comparison Of Hebrews To Accepted Pauline And Lukan Corpora, Benjamin Erickson

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Applied

Higher Meanings: A Speaker Series Connecting Mathematics And Religion, Lawrence M. Lesser, Patricia S. Barrientos, Ben Zeidman

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

An innovative grant-funded general adult audiences international speaker series on connections between mathematics and religion yielded six 2021 (now archived) presentations. We share reflections and lessons learned, informed by two sets of surveys.

Using Mathematical Equations To Communicate And Think About Karma, Kien H. Lim, Christopher Yakes

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Two equations are presented in this article to communicate a particular understanding of karma. The first equation relates future experiences to past and present actions. Although the equation uses variables and mathematical symbols such as the integral sign and summation symbol, it reads more like a literal translation of an English sentence. Based on the key idea in the first equation, a second equation is then created to highlight the viability of using math to communicate concepts that are not readily quantifiable. Analyzing such equations can stimulate thinking, enhance understanding of spiritual concepts, raise issues, and uncover tensions between our …

2019 Petersheim Academic Exposition Schedule Of Events, Seton Hall University

Petersheim Academic Exposition

2019 Petersheim Academic Exposition

Mathematics Of The Infinite God In The Works Of Nicholas Of Cusa, Lauren Henderson

Beets Paper Contest

The geometrical analyses of infinity exemplified in the work of Nicholas of Cusa can aid in understanding the complex nature of God’s attributes, specifically the perceived tension between his simplicity and his quality of encompassing and upholding all things.

The Biblical Value Of Pi In Light Of Traditional Judaism, Morris Engelson

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

There are numerous attempts at a solution to the puzzle as to why the Biblical value of pi, as demonstrated by the measurements of King Solomon's pool, is exactly 3 and not a better approximation. This article shows that virtually all such published solutions are deficient because volume-based factors are ignored. Issues respecting the volume of this pool are explained, and some possible solutions of the puzzle are presented.

Revolution In Ideology: Crafting A Holistic Scientific Dialectic, Nathan Neill

Dialogue & Nexus

Ideology drives scientific research far more than is acknowledged. Since science itself is conducted by individuals, each scientist has a biased conception of themselves and their surroundings relative to the rest of the universe, even if it is never explicated. This sense of relation to the greater universe is what defines the ideology of the individual. It is this sense of relation and self that creates the individual, who goes on to investigate the natural world by the scientific method. In this paper I will examine extant scientific ideology, particularly in Western science, and propose changes that could be helpful.

Emphasizing Experience And Refelction During Online Math Hw, Kieran Flahive

Ignatian Pedagogy Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Lies, Statistics, Mathematics And The Truth, Nathan L. Tintle

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Recognizing a key distinction between mathematics and statistics is helpful in understanding how we know if a statement is true."

Posting about deductive and inductive reasoning­­­­­­­­ from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/lies-statistics-mathematics-and-the-truth/

Mathematical Beauty, Mike Janssen

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"With all the brokenness in the world, is the study of the mathematical aspects of Creation worthwhile?"

Posting about ­­­­­­­­the beauty of mathematics from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/mathematical-beauty/

Best Sandbox, Tom Clark

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Mathematics ought to be for everyone, not just for mathematicians, scientists, and engineers. Mathematics is not only about application; it is part of the created world."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­learning about math through creative play from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/the-best-sandbox/

Devotion And Suffering In The Life Of Johannes Kepler, Anthony Jenkins Jr.

Mathematics Class Publications

Various heroes of Christianity have been celebrated by Protestants for centuries. From followers to devout disciples, Christians have recognized certain individuals as being role models. These people have stood as leaders of the faith and spanned from tax collectors, to fishermen, and even to government authorities. Often overlooked, though, were those who made advancements in the sciences, philosophy, mathematics, and other scholarly fields. In certain professions and studies, Protestants were persecuted and forced to deny their beliefs. Some chose to make what they believed as the center of their motivation which would lead to even greater achievements. Of those people, …

Leonardo Fibonacci, Betsy Patterson

Mathematics Class Publications

Leonardo Fibonacci was a mathematician in the late twelfth to mid-thirteenth century. He grew up and was trained in North Africa, where his father worked. His major contributions to mathematics can be found in his books- Liber Abaci, Practica Geometriae, Flos, and Liber Quadrotorum. Little can be found about his Christian faith, but fruits of his faith can be seen through some of his work. As a mathematician, I would like to exemplify Christ in all aspects of my life.

Gottfried W. Leibnez, Brittany Ratliff

Mathematics Class Publications

Gottfried W. Leibniz was a philosopher and mathematician who lived in Germany from 1646 to 1716. He first gained a bachelor's degree in philosophy, then later earned one in law. As his life went on, he made many contributions to the mathematical world. From discovering differential and integral calculus to creating the binary system of arithmetic, Leibniz changed today's world. He worked also with physics, dynamics, and attempted to create a calculating machine. While making these discoveries, he had the privilege of working with many different scholars and mathematicians, namely Weigel, Boineburg, and Huygens. With the help and guidance of …

Galileo Galilei: A Christian Mathematician, Kelsey Harrison

Mathematics Class Publications

Galileo Galilei was born on February 15, 1564 to a famous music theorist. Galileo quickly made his own name known across Europe. He worked tirelessly to not only improve his own mind but, in his eyes, that of the Church’s as well. He made many significant discoveries and contributions to Mathematics, Philosophy, Physics, and Christianity. Even though his work was continually rebutted by the Church, he persevered to defend findings until his death in 1642. This paper examines Galileo’s life and his life’s work. It also looks at how Galileo’s Christian faith encouraged his work, and how his work encouraged …

Christiaan Huygens: The Discovery And Doctrine Of A Mathematician, Anna Norris

Mathematics Class Publications

This paper examines the life of Christiaan Huygens, a Dutch Mathematician born in 1629. Through this examination of his life, I discuss his training, a few of his colleagues, and his major mathematical discoveries. These major discoveries include Saturn's rings, the pendulum clock, and the Wave Theory of Light. The paper then moves into Huygens's faith and the effect that this had on his work. Knowing the faith of this mathematician gives us some insight on his motivations and beliefs behind his work. Through research, I was able to find some information on how his beliefs brought about his theories; …

A Research Of The Life Of Charles Babbage, Luke Dawson

Mathematics Class Publications

If the name of Charles Babbage does not in any way seem familiar, you do not stand alone. Babbage remains one of the most unpopular geniuses in our history, a mastermind of a variety of subjects, including mathematics, engineering, politics, economics, philosophy, and religion. Babbage would create the first "calculating machine," and created blueprints for other machines that could have led to the first modem-day programmable computer in as early has the mid 19th century. However, the story of Charles Babbage is indeed a tragic one: the totality of his projects were not fully completed until the late 20th century, …

Isaac Newton, Hayley Morrison

Mathematics Class Publications

This paper includes a biography over the life, work and religion of Isaac Newton. There is information about his early life and how he got to the different schools that he went to. Also, there is information about the papers he wrote that had major scientific and mathematical discoveries. There is also information on the political aspects of his life and how he got involved in government. Finally, there is a description of his religious views and how they impacted his work.

Wandering Through "Wonderland": Lewis Carroll's Life As A Logician, Author, And Man Of God, Mattie Couch

Mathematics Class Publications

Charles Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, lived his life as a man of God, a skilled logician, and a masterful author. Much can be learned through a study of his life and his successes. Tracing his early years, his studies, and his accomplishments, while recognizing the accolades and admonitions of his contemporaries, reveals much about the influences on Dodgson’s life. To separate his faith from his work is impossible and speaks to the precedence his beliefs held over all of his other ambitions.

Blaise Pascal, Grace Kemp

Mathematics Class Publications

Blaise Pascal was a mathematician with a great impact. He began his mathematical journey from a young age, and, throughout his lifetime, made significant contributions in geometry, probability, philosophy and religion. Toward the end of his short life, Pascal became focused on his faith, which led to a change in his thoughts and has served as an example to Christian mathematicians ever since.

Fancis Bacon, William Travis Beall

Mathematics Class Publications

This paper will give the reader an insight into the life of the mathematician, Francis Bacon. We will start by looking into his early life, leading into what he became famous for in mathematics and who he worked professionally with. Then we will look into the faith life of Francis Bacon and see how he expressed his faith. Then there will be a section about how I could let faith drive my life as a mathematician and I can show it in my work life. The hope to help the reader further understand the impact Francis Bacon had on mathematics …

Bernhard Riemann, Andrew Crook

Mathematics Class Publications

Georg Friedrich Bernhard Riemann, or Bernhard Riemann as he is commonly known, was a devout Lutheran and brilliant mathematician, and was both for all his life. His results are indispensable, providing us with a non-Euclidean geometry, the path to general relativity, and perhaps in time, the key to the problem of the distribution of primes. His faith in God was exemplified both through his mathematics and his home life for as long as he lived, and his example is one to which we may aspire as both mathematicians and simply as Christians.

Building A Community Of Christ In A Mathematics Classroom, Robert Bonner

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

The prevalence of mathematics anxiety and math phobia is an accepted phenomenon in our culture today (Boaler, 2013; Kimball & Smith, 2013). Multiple research studies have been conducted investigating the levels of mathematics anxiety present in both preservice and in-service elementary education teachers (Bekdemir, 2010; Mizala, Martínez, & Martínez, 2015). This article describes how the creation of a learning community within a two-course sequence of mathematics content courses for elementary teachers addressed the fears and anxieties of a cohort of prospective female teachers. The learning community was founded on three perspectives: Palmer’s (1989) community of truth, Paul’s description of the …

Faith Connections In The Math Classroom, Valorie L. Zonnefeld, Ryan G. Zonnefeld

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Looking for ways to make faith connections in your math classroom? The Zonnefelds present a framework, developed in collaboration with local teachers, that synthesizes faith connections, the TfT framework, and Common Core standards.

Fuzzy Logic In Health Care Settings: Moral Math For Value-Laden Choices, Sarah Voss

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

This essay is intended as an example of “moral math”, i.e., ideas culled from mathematics which can positively impact social behavior. Specifically, it combines fuzzy logic with the ethical decisions which hospital staff and others are sometimes forced to make about health care (e.g., euthanasia issues following Hurricane Katrina). The assumption is that such decisions involve value-laden choices which lend themselves to “fuzzy” or “smart” protocols. The article discusses the history of fuzzy logic – what it is, how it is used, and how it might be even better-used as a support basis for making difficult choices …

Critical Thinking And High-Level Discourse In A 1:1 Environment, Ryan G. Zonnefeld, Valorie L. Zonnefeld

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Learn about our experiences co-teaching a K–8 methods course using 1:1 tablets in a high-tech lab. This innovative course included a move away from a textbook to a dynamic research-based curriculum supported by NCTM resources and CCSSM as well as integral utilization of apps, web 2.0 tools, and professional learning networks.

Practical Applications Of An Integrally Christian Approach To Teaching Mathematics, Valorie L. Zonnefeld

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Descriptions of various frameworks and approaches to integrating Christian faith in the mathematics classroom are explored, as well as examples and techniques. In particular, a subject-centered approach is advocated in contrast to the traditional teacher-centered approach or, more recently, the student-centered approach.

Subject-Centered Approach To Integrate Faith And Learning, Valorie L. Zonnefeld

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

No abstract provided.