Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Review: A Short Introduction To De Branges-Rovnyak Spaces, Stephan Ramon Garcia

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

A Note On Practical Approximate Projection Schemes In Signal Space Methods, Xiaoyi Gu, Deanna Needell, Shenyinying Tu

CMC Faculty Publications and Research

Compressive sensing (CS) is a new technology which allows the acquisition of signals directly in compressed form, using far fewer measurements than traditional theory dictates. Recently, many socalled signal space methods have been developed to extend this body of work to signals sparse in arbitrary dictionaries rather than orthonormal bases. In doing so, CS can be utilized in a much broader array of practical settings. Often, such approaches often rely on the ability to optimally project a signal onto a small number of dictionary atoms. Such optimal, or even approximate, projections have been difficult to derive theoretically. Nonetheless, it has …

Convergence Properties Of The Randomized Extended Gauss-Seidel And Kaczmarz Methods, Anna Ma, Deanna Needell, Aaditya Ramdas

CMC Faculty Publications and Research

The Kaczmarz and Gauss-Seidel methods both solve a linear system Xβ=y by iteratively refining the solution estimate. Recent interest in these methods has been sparked by a proof of Strohmer and Vershynin which shows the randomized Kaczmarz method converges linearly in expectation to the solution. Lewis and Leventhal then proved a similar result for the randomized Gauss-Seidel algorithm. However, the behavior of both methods depends heavily on whether the system is under or overdetermined, and whether it is consistent or not. Here we provide a unified theory of both methods, their variants for these different settings, and draw connections between …

Review: The Classical Hom-Yang-Baxter Equation And Hom-Lie Bialgebras, Gizem Karaali

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

On Montel And Montel–Popoviciu Theorems In Several Variables, Asuman Güven Aksoy, Jose M. Almira

CMC Faculty Publications and Research

We present an elementary proof of a general version of Montel’s theorem in several variables which is based on the use of tensor product polynomial interpolation. We also prove a Montel-Popoviciu’s type theorem for functions f:R^d→Rf:Rd→R for d > 1. Furthermore, our proof of this result is also valid for the case d = 1, differing in several points from Popoviciu’s original proof. Finally, we demonstrate that our results are optimal.

Art, Math, And Physics; All About For, Chris Brownell, Steve Pauls

The STEAM Journal

Anish Kapoor’s public sculpture “Cloud Gate” and Frame of Reference.

Guidelines For Good Mathematical Writing, Francis Su

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Communicating mathematics well is an important part of doing mathematics. Many of us know from writing papers or giving talks that communicating effectively not only serves our audience but also clarifies and structures our own thinking. There is an art and elegance to good writing that every writer should strive for. And writing, as a work of art, can bring a person great personal satisfaction.

Within the MAA, we value exposition and mathematical communication. In this column, I’m sharing the advice I give my students to help them write well. There are more extensive treatments (e.g., see Paul Halmos’s How …

Extended Book Review: Really Big Numbers, By Richard Evan Schwartz; The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life Of Paul Erdös, By Deborah Heiligman; The Short Seller, By Elissa Brent Weissman, Gizem Karaali

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

The genre of math lit for children is not huge, but it is growing. My kid loves the early reader books by my friend and colleague Julie Glass (A Dollar for Penny (1998), The Fly On the Ceiling (2000)). I found Izolda Fotiyeva’s Math with Mom (2003) too late for my daughter but will definitely read it with my son. For a neat twist on the traditional alphabet book, I recommend The Technical Alphabet (2014) by the engineer sisters Lavanya and Melissa Jawaharlal. More recently a colleague introduced me to Laura Overdeck’s Bedtime Math series; these will soon join …

The Topology Of Absence, Nora E. Culik

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

“The Topology of Absence” literalizes triangulations, hyperbeloids, and the concept of the limit in the story of “locating” a lost mother. This story, like “The Physicist’s Basement” in the July 2014 issue, is part of a series that worries about competing notions of mathematics, i.e., mathematics as some sort of disembodied configuration or as emergent in the material reality of human life.

Geometry Of Life, Janice Dykacz

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Relationships in life can be expressed through geometric curves

Mathematical Double Dactyls, Tristan Miller

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

No abstract provided.

On Mathematicians' Eccentricity, Robert Haas

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Eccentricity, though not inevitable, happens. Lightheartedly classifying examples, the author traces it back to factors, like creativity and absorption, essential to mathematical success, and recommends an attitude of amused tolerance towards others as well as to ourselves.

A System Of Equations: Mathematics Lessons In Classical Literature, Valery F. Ochkov, Andreas Look

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

The aim of this paper is to showcase a handful of mathematical challenges found in classical literature and to offer possible ways of integrating classical literature in mathematics lessons. We analyze works from a range of authors such as Jules Verne, Anton Chekhov, and others. We also propose ideas for further tasks. Most of the problems can be restated in terms of simple mathematical equations, and they can often be solved without a computer. Nevertheless, we use the computer program Mathcad to solve the problems and to illustrate the solutions to enhance the reader’s mathematical experience.

Mathematics: What Has It To Do With Me?, Man Keung Siu

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Mathematics teachers must have encountered the following question raised by students: “What is the use of mathematics?” Although the value of mathematics is not to be determined solely by its applications, to the general public this is a more important and more convincing facet of the subject. Nevertheless, this also brings up the corresponding query: is this subject being properly used? Does mathematics play a role in moral education?

On Similarities And Differences Between Proving And Problem Solving, Milos Savic

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

A link between proving and problem solving has been established in the literature [5, 21]. In this paper, I discuss similarities and differences between proving and problem solving using the Multidimensional Problem-Solving Framework created by Carlson and Bloom [2] with Livescribepen data from a previous study [13]. I focus on two participants’ proving processes: Dr. G, a topologist, and L, a mathematics graduate student. Many similarities between the framework and the proving processes of Dr. G and L were revealed, but there were also some differences. In addition, there were some distinct differences between the proving actions of the …

Counting The Angels And Devils In Escher's Circle Limit Iv, John Choi, Nicholas Pippenger

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

We derive the rational generating function that enumerates the angels and devils in M. C. Escher's Circle Limit IV according to their combinatorial distance from the six creatures whose feet meet at the center of the disk. This result shows that the base of the exponential rate of growth is 1.582... (the largest root of the polynomial 1 - z^2 - 2z^3 - z^4 + z^6).

Rows Vs. Columns: Randomized Kaczmarz Or Gauss-Seidel For Ridge Regression, Ahmed Hefny, Deanna Needell, Aaditya Ramdas

CMC Faculty Publications and Research

The Kaczmarz and Gauss-Seidel methods aim to solve a linear m × n system Xβ = y by iteratively refining the solution estimate; the former uses random rows of X to update β given the corresponding equations and the latter uses random columns of X to update corresponding coordinates in β. Interest in these methods was recently revitalized by a proof of Strohmer and Vershynin showing linear convergence in expectation for a randomized Kaczmarz method variant (RK), and a similar result for the randomized Gauss-Seidel algorithm (RGS) was later proved by Lewis and Leventhal. Recent work unified the analysis of …

Review: Nevanlinna-Pick Spaces With Hyponormal Multiplication Operators, Stephan Ramon Garcia

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Review: On Symplectic Self-Adjointness Of Hamiltonian Operator Matrices, Stephan Ramon Garcia

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

To The Mathematical Beach, Francis Su

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

What context am I missing that hinders my connection with my students? How often do I take the time to get to know their backgrounds? What are the primary experiences that shaped them, and do those present obstacles or opportunities for learning? And in what ways does the mathematical beach say “open to all” but still feel restricted?

These questions appear unrelated to mathematics, but if we ignore their effects, some of our students will not flourish.

Summer Cleaning: (Digital) Organizing Basics For Mathematicians, Gizem Karaali

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

At the beginning of last summer I wrote about a neat trick to make your summer a productive one. And I heard from some of you who took me up on this suggestion; it seems that this actually works for many people! So, this year, for those who are willing to experiment with new ideas, I have another summer recommendation: Let us clean!

Counting On R-Fibonacci Numbers, Arthur Benjamin, Curtis Heberle

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We prove the r-Fibonacci identities of Howard and Cooper using a combinatorial tiling approach.

Review: On Pairs Of Generalized And Hypergeneralized Projections In A Hilbert Space, Stephan Ramon Garcia

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

A Mathematician's Villanelle, Gizem Karaali

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

My Finite Field, Matthew Schroeder

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

A love poem written in the language of mathematics.

Prisoner's Dilemma, Raymond N. Greenwell

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Abscissas And Ordinates, David Pierce

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In the manner of Apollonius of Perga, but hardly any modern book, we investigate conic sections as such. We thus discover why Apollonius calls a conic section a parabola, an hyperbola, or an ellipse; and we discover the meanings of the terms abscissa and ordinate. In an education that is liberating and not simply indoctrinating, the student of mathematics will learn these things.

The Symbolic And Mathematical Influence Of Diophantus's Arithmetica, Cyrus Hettle

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Though it was written in Greek in a center of ancient Greek learning, Diophantus's Arithmetica is a curious synthesis of Greek, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian mathematics. It was not only one of the first purely number-theoretic and algebraic texts, but the first to use the blend of rhetorical and symbolic exposition known as syncopated mathematics. The text was influential in the development of Arabic algebra and European number theory and notation, and its development of the theory of indeterminate, or Diophantine, equations inspired modern work in both abstract algebra and computer science. We present, in this article, a selection of problems …

Love Games: A Game-Theory Approach To Compatibility, Kerstin Bever, Julie Rowlett

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In this note, we present a compatibility test with a rigorous mathematical foundation in game theory. The test must be taken separately by both partners, making it difficult for either partner alone to control the outcome. To introduce basic notions of game theory we investigate a scene from the film "A Beautiful Mind" based on John Nash's life and Nobel-prize-winning theorem. We recall this result and reveal the mathematics behind our test. Readers may customize and modify the test for more accurate results or to evaluate interpersonal relationships in other settings, not only romantic. Finally, we apply Dyson's and Press's …

On The Persistence And Attrition Of Women In Mathematics, Katrina Piatek-Jimenez

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

The purpose of this study was to investigate what motivates women to choose mathematics as an undergraduate major and to further explore what shapes their future career goals, paying particular attention to their undergraduate experiences and their perceptions of the role of gender in these decisions. A series of semi-structured, individual interviews were conducted with twelve undergraduate women mathematics majors who were attending either a large public university or a small liberal arts college. This study found that strong mathematical identities and enjoyment of mathematics heavily influenced their decisions to major in mathematics. At the career selection stage, these women …