Mathematics Commons^™

Bridging Biological Systems With Social Behavior, Conservation, Decision Making, And Well-Being Through Hybrid Mathematical Modeling, Maggie Renee Sullens

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Mathematics

This dissertation defense presentation highlights the power of hybrid mathematical modeling and addresses crucial issues such as:

1️. The Impact of Industry Collapse on Community Mental Health: A Complex Contagion ODE Model.

2️. Budget Allocation and Illegal Fishing: A Game Theoretic Model.

3️. Reactive Scope Model with an Energy Budget and Multiple Mediators: An ODE Model

The overarching theme of Hybrid Mathematical Modeling beautifully captures the essence of this work, demonstrating its potential to unravel ecological issues while addressing the intricate interactions between humans and the environment.

Examining The Effectiveness Of Using Point-Of-View Video Modeling On Mathematics Improvement In Students With Learning Disabilities In Saudi Arabia, Tirad Alsaluli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Video Modeling (VM) is one of the most widely used approaches by researchers to improve many skills, such as academic skills in students with Learning Disabilities (LD; Boon et al., 2020). As the incidence rate of individuals with LD in Saudi Arabia increase (Almedlij & Rubinstein-Ávila, 2018), the need for evidence-based math interventions focused on the math development of individuals with LD also increases. Although VM is recognized as an Evidence-based Practice (EBPs), a limited number of studies have implemented VM as an intervention to improve mathematic skills. Implementing VM as a math intervention strategy would explore its effects on …

#Disruptjmm: Online Social Justice Advocacy And Community Building In Mathematics, Rachel Roca, Carrie Diaz Eaton, Drew Lewis, Joseph Hibdon, Stefanie Marshall

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In 2019, \#DisruptJMM, a Twitter hashtag, began circulating after an Inclusion/Exclusion blog by Dr. Piper H pointing to the need to make commonplace conversations about human suffering in the Joint Mathematics Meetings (JMM). While the \#DisruptJMM hashtag has been used since 2019, the vast majority of use was in the JMM 2020 meetings. Twitter hashtags are used by activists to push forward conversations, join communities around a single idea, and create change. In this article, we draw on frameworks from community building seen in other equity and inclusion advocacy hashtags such as \#GirlsLikeUs [7] to qualitatively code and analyze tweets …

Using Game Theory To Model Tripolar Deterrence And Escalation Dynamics, Grace Farson

Honors Theses

The study investigated how game theory can been utilized to model multipolar escalation dynamics between Russia, China, and the United States. In addition, the study focused on analyzing various parameters that affected potential conflict outcomes to further new deterrence thought in a tripolar environment.

A preliminary game theoretic model was created to model and analyze escalation dynamics. The model was built upon framework presented by Zagare and Kilgour in their work ‘Perfect Deterrence’. The model is based on assumptions and rules set prior to game play. The model was then analyzed based upon these assumptions using a form of mathematical …

Towards Pedagogy Supporting Ethics In Modelling, Marie Oldfield

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Education for concepts such as ethics and societal responsibility that are critical in building robust and applicable mathematical and statistical models do currently exist in isolation but have not been incorporated into the mainstream curricula at the school or university level. This is partially due to the split between fields (such as mathematics, statistics, and computer science) in an educational setting but also the speed with which education is able to keep up with industry and its requirements. I argue that principles and frameworks of socially responsible modelling should begin at school level and that this would mean that ethics …

The Effects Of Stem And Non-Stem Mathematics Corequisite Courses On Student Success At Public Institutions In West Virginia, Vanessa S. Keadle

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study explored the differences in student success outcomes between students enrolled in non-STEM and STEM corequisite mathematics courses at 18 postsecondary institutions across five academic years in West Virginia, using de-identified student data. The researcher analyzed this extant data to determine if student characteristics were predictors of success, as defined as passing the mathematics corequisite course, retention to the next semester, and earning a GPA of 2.0 or higher. The researcher also conducted analyses to understand if the differences in those outcomes between STEM and non-STEM courses were significant. This study identified statistically significant gaps in success for students …

Participatory Action Research: Undergraduate Researchers Engaging Secondary Students In Social Justice Mathematics, Isabelle Miller, Alexis Grimes, Camryn Adkison

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

An Exploration Of Manipulatives In Math Education, Jade Monte

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Pre-existing literature has shown that the education system needs to re-evaluate mathematical teaching practices in a manner that can boost students’ confidence in mathematics. Thus, the research is to investigate the use of manipulatives in reducing students’ anxiety by increasing their learning experience and engagement in mathematics. Furthermore, the purpose of this thesis is to explain the interconnectedness of math manipulatives, student engagement, and problem-solving. An in-depth literature review is conducted, which contains definitions, important benefits and methodologies of manipulatives, as well as the teacher’s role regarding these three terms. When manipulatives, student engagement, and problem-solving are in harmony, students …

Prediction Of Individual Income: A Machine Learning Approach, Michael Matkowski

Honors Projects in Economics

The use of machine learning models to improve prediction problems and handle increasingly large datasets is a rising trend in economics. Prediction plays a particularly important role in applied economics because it provides critical insights to assess market outcomes. This study builds on previous literature to showcase the relative power of these modelling methodologies in economics through the prediction of income. This research utilizes data from the Current Population Survey from 2017 – 2020, containing 467,811 observations and 264 variables. 2017-2018 data served as training data for the models and 2019-2020 served as data for the two testing sets. The …

Applied Topology Ams 528, Harrison Dekker

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

The Beautiful Math Of Everything And You Included, E. Ozie

The STEAM Journal

This a reflection on how there is beautiful math to everything. An author's interpretation of matrices and mechanics in its relationship to someone's identity.

Factors Impacting Students’ Perceptions Of Mathematics, Amber Souza

Honors Program Theses and Projects

I want to be able to present math in a positive light to all of my future students, regardless of race, gender, and math background. However, for teachers as a whole to be able to take this important step, they must first develop a deeper understanding of why math is a sore spot for many students.

The Decline Of The Mid-Range Jump Shot In Basketball: A Study Of The Impact Of Data Analytics On Shooting Habits In The Nba, Shawn Kilcoyne

Honors Projects in Mathematics

The purpose of this thesis paper is to investigate the strategic shift away from the mid-range jump shot in basketball over the past decade. This paper will cover the rationale for the decline of the mid-range, as well as the general impact of data analytics on the way the game of basketball is played at the professional level. Following a review of the existing literature relating to the use of analytics in the NBA, this paper will analyze the differences in shooting habits between two seven-season periods. Data visualization tools, including boxplots, statistical trends, and distribution plots, will be used …

The Perceptions And Experiences Of Math Anxiety, Bradley Baas

Education | Master's Theses

Math anxiety has the potential to negatively impact a student’s knowledge and awareness of themselves. This anxiety leaves students with feelings of incapability in learning math because of their existing beliefs they received in their early years in their educations. The purpose of this research was to better understand the development of middle school eighth grade students and their teachers’ math anxiety while also exploring the obstacles that anxiety creates preventing and/or inhibiting teachers from teaching the required standardized lessons. My research shows that without a trusting relationship between the teacher and student, students experience a decline in mathematics performance …

Communicating In Crisis Situations, Rick Gorvett, Chris Morse, Julie Volkman

Communication Faculty Journal Articles

Communicating technical information, especially in a crisis situation and particularly when the audience does not share the technical background, is a challenge that actuaries frequently face. This essay describes the dynamics and issues involved in crisis communications and provides some recommendations for actuaries confronting such a situation.

Understanding The Impact Of Peer-Led Workshops On Student Learning, Afolabi Ibitoye, Nadia Kennedy, Armando Cosme

Publications and Research

As students we often wonder why some subjects are easy to understand and requires not much effort in terms of re-reading the material, for us to grasp what it entails. One subject seems to remain elusive and uneasy for a vast majority of learners at all levels of education; that subject is Mathematics, it is one subject that most learners finds difficult even after doubling the amount of time spent on studying the material. My intention is to explore ways to make Mathematics easier for other students using feedback from students enrolled in NSF mathematics peer leading workshops, and use …

The Situatedness Of Mathematics In Motherhood And Academia, Jennifer Schenk Sacco, Jill Shahverdian

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

The authors, a mathematician and a political scientist, examine mathematics, motherhood, and academia, and argue that feminist epistemology is necessary to explain the intersection. Relying on the principles of feminist epistemology laid out by philosophers Naomi Scheman and Marianne Janack, the authors consider how work, the concept of time, teaching, arts and crafts, and decision-making all reveal the situatedness of knowing and using mathematics.

Under The Influence, Leonardo Cavicchio

Honors Projects in Mathematics

The purpose of this Honors Capstone entitled Under the Influence is to assess the validity of claims concerning the possible influence of roommates on one another, concerning alcohol on college campuses. This will be done by examining data collected in a prior study conducted over a two-year period. This analysis will focus on how alcohol consumption changes in correlation with the personality factors of roommates over an extended period of time. This secondary analysis of de-identified data will focus on primary and secondary subquestions. The primary question that will be addressed with the data set collected from the University of …

The Value Of A Win: Analysis Of Playoff Structures, Matthew Orsi

Honors Projects in Mathematics

The purpose of this Senior Capstone project is to analyze the distinctions between existing playoff systems. In particular, we are looking to analyze the differences between the standard single-elimination tournament (which the NCAA has used since the inception of the tournament) and other potential options: double-elimination and multiple game series. Popular sports such as Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association all use multiple game series for their playoffs. This project will use probability theory and simulation to determine the likelihood of different seeds winning a championship as well as the expected number of victories by seed in each …

Introductory And Intermediate Algebra Mth 100x, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Applied Calculus Mth 103x, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Finite Math Mth 107, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

What Is The True Cost To Stay In The Hospital?, Samantha Alicandro

Honors Projects in Mathematics

Currently, the unfortunate reality that receiving diverse health procedures can be extremely expensive is widely acknowledged and woefully accepted. However, have you inquired or been curious about the specific factors that influence the cost per day expensed by a hospital? Through examination, investigation, and evaluation operating SAS Enterprise Guide, SAS Enterprise Miner and Tableau I have attempted to arrive at a conclusion for this very question. Utilizing a 1.5 million row data set provided by Rhode Island, for the years 2003-2013, I analyzed the assorted elements conceivably bearing impact on the cost per day at a hospital. Regressions, decision trees, …

Does Academic Performance Predict Workplace Productivity?, Jodie-Gaye Hunter

Honors Projects in Economics

This research examines if college GPA affects productivity and compensation in the workplace. It uses data collected from a survey of approximately 23,000 Bryant University graduates in different stages of their career. About 10 percent of the alumni surveyed completed the survey. The econometric model used in this study allows estimating the effect of GPA on income after controlling for various demographic and socioeconomic variables, including education, major, occupation, gender, among others. The empirical work provides evidence that GPA has a positive and statistically significant impact on workplace productivity for females, but GPA seems to be a weaker predictor of …

Contribution And Citation Impact Of Panjab University In Mathematics Research During 2005-14, Madhu Bansal, Jivesh Bansal, Harinder Singh Saini, B M. Gupta

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper analyzes 230 research publications of the Panjab University in mathematics during ten years (2005-14), as covered in Scopus International database. The study quantifies publication data in various aspects of performance, such as the publication growth, research impact and quality, national and international collaboration, contribution and impact of authors, major areas of research, preferred channels of research communications and characteristics of higher cited papers. The findings reveal that Panjab University total publications in mathematics has increased at an annual average growth rate of 17.15% and registered an average citation impact per paper of 2.92 and impact factor per paper …

Possible Bias In Asset Valuations: An Application Of The Fraud Risk Triangle To Divorce Cases, Jennifer Tomasetti

Honors Projects in Accounting

No abstract provided.

Mathematical Modeling Of Trending Topics On Twitter, Jonathan S. Skaza

Honors Projects in Mathematics

Created in 2006, Twitter is an online social networking service in which users share and read 140-character messages called Tweets. The site has approximately 288 million monthly active users who produce about 500 million Tweets per day. This study applies dynamical and statistical modeling strategies to quantify the spread of information on Twitter. Parameter estimates for the rates of infection and recovery are obtained using Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods. The methodological strategy employed is an extension of techniques traditionally used in an epidemiological and biomedical context (particularly in the spread of infectious disease). This study, which addresses …

Comparison Of Linear Functions In Middle Grades Textbooks From Singapore And The United States, Linda D. Fowler

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many U.S. students do not perform well on mathematics assessments with respect to algebra topics such as linear functions, a building-block for other functions. Poor achievement of U.S. middle school students in this topic is a problem.

U.S. eighth graders have had average mathematics scores on international comparison tests such as Third International Mathematics Science Study, later known as Trends in Mathematics and Science Study, (TIMSS)-1995, -99, -03, while Singapore students have had highest average scores. U.S. eighth grade average mathematics scores improved on TIMMS-2007 and held steady onTIMMS-2011. Results from national assessments, PISA 2009 and 2012 and National Assessment …

On Sign-Solvable Linear Systems And Their Applications In Economics, Eric Hanson

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Sign-solvable linear systems are part of a branch of mathematics called qualitative matrix theory. Qualitative matrix theory is a development of matrix theory based on the sign (¡; 0; +) of the entries of a matrix. Sign-solvable linear systems are useful in analyzing situations in which quantitative data is unknown or had to measure, but qualitative information is known. These situations arise frequently in a variety of disciplines outside of mathematics, including economics and biology. The applications of sign-solvable linear systems in economics are documented and the development of new examples is formalized mathematically. Additionally, recent mathematical developments about sign-solvable …

Fearless Friday: Kirsten Crear, Kirsten Crear

SURGE

Even in her last semester here at Gettysburg, Kirsten Crear ’14 is fearlessly working to make changes for the future of the campus community. This semester, Kirsten introduced a STEMinists club on campus that will give female students who are STEM (an acronym for Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics) majors the opportunity to come together and create a community, share and discuss the difficulties they face as women in their fields of study, and support and mentor each other as they prepare to enter their fields.

Kirsten is passionate, driven, and determined, taking the initiative to bring this group of women together on campus …