Mathematics Commons^™

Parts Of The Whole : Cognition, Schemas, And Quantitative Reasoning, Dorothy Wallace

Numeracy

Based loosely on ideas of Jean Piaget and Richard Skemp, this Parts of the Whole column considers the construction of knowledge in mathematics and quantitative reasoning. Examples are chosen that illustrate an important cognitive difference between quantitative numeracy and classical mathematics, and which illuminate the particular choices instructors must make in order to teach either or both of these.

Four Popular Books On Consumer Debt: A Context For Quantitative Literacy, Andrew J. Miller

Numeracy

The topics of credit cards, mortgages, subprime lending, and fringe banking are rich sources of problems and discussions for classes focused on quantitative literacy. In this theme book review, we look at four recent books on the consumer debt industry: Credit Card Nation, by Robert Manning; Maxed Out, by James Scurlock; Collateral Damaged, by Charles Geisst; and Broke, USA, by Gary Rivlin. Credit Card Nation takes a scholarly look at the history of credit in America with a focus on the genesis and growth of the credit card industry up to the turn of the 20th century. Maxed Out also …

2011-2012 Unlv Mcnair Journal, Cyndy Anang, Sajar Camara, Pamela Cornejo, Carla Antonieta Farcello, Ilse Anahi Garcia, Natiera Magnuson, William L. Mccurdy, Lorena Munoz, Maxym V. Myroshnychenko, Ricardo Rios, Theodore Waldeck, Barbara Wallen, Ana Zuniga, Brenda M. Aguilar, Tiffany Alexandra Alvarez, Daniel N. Erosa, Paige C. Espinosa, Carla Antonieta Farcello, Julienne Jochel Paraiso, Nathaniel Derek Phillipps, Carmen Vallin, Jacent N. Wamala, Ernesto Zamora-Ramos

McNair Journal

Journal articles based on research conducted by undergraduate students in the McNair Scholars Program

Table of Contents

Biography of Dr. Ronald E. McNair

Statements:

Dr. Neal J. Smatresk, UNLV President

Dr. Juanita P. Fain, Vice President of Student Affairs

Dr. William W. Sullivan, Associate Vice President for Retention and Outreach

Mr. Keith Rogers, Deputy Executive Director of the Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach

McNair Scholars Institute Staff

Mathematics In The Age Of Technology: There Is A Place For Technology In The Mathematics Classroom, Helen Crompton

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

In today’s world of ubiquitous computing there are a number of technologies available to K-12 educators for teaching and learning mathematics. However, Koehler and Mishra (2008) have described how teaching and learning with such technologies presents a “wicked problem,” as it can involve a number of variables, independent of each other and contextually bound, that need to be brought together. This article highlights the advantages technology offers for mathematics education and looks at some of the reasons behind the poor uptake, such as teacher beliefs and lack of training. A number of solutions are offered to address these issues, including …

On The Betti Number Of Differential Modules, Justin Devries

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Let R = k[x₁, ..., x_n] with k a field. A multi-graded differential R-module is a multi-graded R-module D with an endomorphism d such that d² = 0. This dissertation establishes a lower bound on the rank of such a differential module when the underlying R-module is free. We define the Betti number of a differential module and use it to show that when the homology ker d/im d of D is non-zero and finite dimensional over k then there is an inequality rank_R D ≥ 2ⁿ. This …

Kernel-Based Interior-Point Methods For Cartesian P*(Κ)-Linear Complementarity Problems Over Symmetric Cones, Goran Lesaja

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

We present an interior point method for Cartesian P*(k)-Linear Complementarity Problems over Symmetric Cones (SCLCPs). The Cartesian P*(k)-SCLCPs have been recently introduced as the generalization of the more commonly known and more widely used monotone SCLCPs. The IPM is based on the barrier functions that are defined by a large class of univariate functions called eligible kernel function which have recently been successfully used to design new IPMs for various optimization problems. Eligible barrier (kernel) functions are used in calculating the Nesterov-Todd search directions and the default step-size which leads to a very good complexity results for the method. For …

Prospective Teachers' Use Of Representations In Solving Statistical Tasks With Dynamic Statistical Software, Hollylynne Lee, Shannon O. Driskell, Suzanne R. Harper, Keith R. Leatham, Gladis Kersaint, Robin L. Angotti

Mathematics Faculty Publications

This study examined a random stratified sample (n=62) of prospective teachers' work across eight institutions on three tasks that utilized dynamic statistical software. Our work was guided by considering how teachers may utilize their statistical knowledge and technological statistical knowledge to engage in cycles of investigation. Although teachers did not tend to take full advantage of dynamic linking capabilities, they utilized a large variety of graphical representations and often added statistical measures or other augmentations to graphs as part of their analysis.

Personal And Professional Numeracy: A Unit For Pre-Service Teachers At The University Of Tasmania, Jane M. Watson

Numeracy

This paper addresses issues associated with the development of a unit preparing pre-service teachers to be quantitatively literate in three respects. These issues surround (i) the need to be aware of numeracy demands across the curriculum, (ii) the need to model numerate behavior in all interactions of teachers, and (iii) the need to be able to interpret and use system data provided from local and national testing programs. The context for the unit described is Australia, where a national testing program for literacy and numeracy requires teachers to analyze extensive data on their students, a national curriculum requires teachers of …

The Wright Message, 2011-2012, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Mathematics.

The Wright Message

Inside this issue:

-- Dear Department Alumni and Friends
-- Around Wright Hall
-- New College
-- Programs Revision
-- Math ≠ 800
-- Baumler Mathematics Education Scholarship
-- Two Retire
-- Putnam Exam
-- Math Ed Lab - Then and now
-- 2011 - 2012 Tenure-Stream Faculty
-- Making an Impact
-- The Question
-- Spotlight on Undergraduates
-- Projects and Grants
-- P.S.M. Program in Industrial Mathematics
-- Actuarial Science Alumni
-- Department of Mathematics Contribution Form
-- Department of Mathematics Funds

A Statistical Analysis Of The Factors Affecting University Endowments, Lisa M. Stoecken

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this study was to discover which, if any, institutional characteristics had a significant impact upon a university's endowment size. This study further explored whether the success of a university's athletic program had an impact on endowment size. The results from the study indicated two variables, operating revenues and student selectivity, were significant at a 99 percent confidence level; and, two additional variables, appropriations and a binary research university variable, were significant at a 95 percent confidence level. The results indicated that an additional one million dollars in total operating revenues and appropriations would decrease the endowment size …

Review Of Sex, Drugs And Body Counts: The Politics Of Numbers In Global Crime And Conflict, Edited By Peter Andreas And Kelly M. Greenhill, Aaron G. Montgomery

Numeracy

Andreas, Peter, and Greenhill, Kelly M. (Eds.). Sex, Drugs, and Body Counts: The Politics of Numbers in Global Crime and Conflict, (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2010). 287 pp. ISBN 978-0-8014-4861-4 (cloth); ISBN 978-0-8014-7618-1 (pbk).

The ten scholarly papers in Sex, Drugs and Body Counts explore the generation and propagation of numbers that drive policy decisions in the U.S. government regarding human trafficking, drug trade, and armed conflict (including the war on terror). Each of these papers, written by different authors, provides an illuminating insight into how some of the numbers we hear or read in the news are derived. …

Go Figure: Calculus Students' Use Of Figures And Graphs In Technical Report Writing, Thomas J. Pfaff, Michael Rogers, Ali Erkan, Jason G. Hamilton

Numeracy

Understanding how to read and use graphs to communicate scientific and mathematical information is critical for STEM majors, as well as an important part of quantitative literacy. Our study suggests that first-semester calculus students do not know how to use graphs in a technical report without explicit instruction. Although not a surprising result, it leaves us wondering about when such skills are developed, and if calculus I is a place to start. Our work is now exploring the potential benefit on students' use of graphs by having them formally evaluate other students' reports.

Reflections On The Tenth Anniversary Of Mathematics And Democracy, Lynn Arthur Steen, Bernard L. Madison

Numeracy

Two independent reflections by early proponents of quantitative literacy connect today's numeracy initiative with its origin in concern about school tests, its impact on students today, and the challenges of democracy. Even as interest in QL grows in many places, evidence of need also grows. Moreover, well-meaning programs with other goals—especially at the K-12 level—often channel education in directions that fail to advance numeracy. Examples show that both students and teachers are enthusiastic when offered QL opportunities, but that individual beliefs and public decisions often belie the goals of QL.

Calculus, Biology And Medicine: A Case Study In Quantitative Literacy For Science Students, Kim Rheinlander, Dorothy Wallace

Numeracy

This paper describes a course designed to enhance the numeracy of biology and pre-medical students. The course introduces students with the background of one semester of calculus to systems of nonlinear ordinary differential equations as they appear in the mathematical biology literature. Evaluation of the course showed increased enjoyment and confidence in doing mathematics, and an increased appreciation of the utility of mathematics to science. Students who complete this course are better able to read the research literature in mathematical biology and carry out research problems of their own.

Metaphors, Metonymies, Modes And Linear Algebra, Persis Samanta Beaven

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The analysis focused on the presence of different thinking modes, metonymies, and metaphors found on the interview responses to questions related to linear independence, span, and spanning sets of four students taking their first linear algebra course at the college level. The findings provide insight of how first year linear algebra students move from one thinking mode to another and what kind of metonymies and metaphors are used to construct new knowledge. The main purpose of this research was to document and determine the main characteristics that categorize the four students' reasoning.

On Weighted Distributions And Mean Advantage Over Inferiors Functions, Broderick O. Oluyede, Norou Diawara

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

In this note, some fundamental results including relationship be-tween weighted distribution functions and mean advantage over inferi-ors functions are established. Ordering of reliability and/or distribution functions via mean advantage over inferiors functions and related func-tions for parent and weighted reliability functions are presented. Some applications and examples are given.

Unified Analysis Of Kernel-Based Interior-Point Methods For P *(Κ)-Lcp, Goran Lesaja, C. Roos

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

We present an interior-point method for the P∗(κ)-linear complementarity problem (LCP) that is based on barrier functions which are defined by a large class of univariate functions called eligible kernel functions. This class is fairly general and includes the classical logarithmic function and the self-regular functions, as well as many non-self-regular functions as special cases. We provide a unified analysis of the method and give a general scheme on how to calculate the iteration bounds for the entire class. We also calculate the iteration bounds of both long-step and short-step versions of the method for several …

Core Compactness And Diagonality In Spaces Of Open Sets, Francis Jordan, Frédéric D. Mynard

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

We investigate when the space OX of open subsets of a topological space X endowed with the Scott topology is core compact. Such conditions turn out to be related to infraconsonance of X, which in turn is characterized in terms of coincidence of the Scott topology of OX × OX with the product of the Scott topologies of OX at (X,X). On the other hand, we characterize diagonality of OX endowed with the Scott convergence and show that this space can be diagonal without being pretopological. New examples are provided to clarify the relationship between pretopologicity, topologicity and diagonality of …

Spreadsheets Across The Curriculum, 3: Finding A List Of Mathematical Skills For Quantitative Literacy Empirically, H L. Vacher, Emily Lardner

Numeracy

What mathematical topics do educators committed to teaching mathematics in context choose for their students when given the opportunity to develop an educational resource explicitly to teach mathematics in context? This paper examines the choices made for the 55 modules by 40 authors in the General Collection of the Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum (SSAC) library. About half of the modules were made by authors from natural science, and about 60% of the other modules were by authors from mathematics. The modules are tagged with terms of a search vocabulary developed for the browse page of the collection. The four terms …

Long Path Lemma Concerning Connectivity And Independence Number, Shinya Fujita, Alexander Halperin, Colton Magnant

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

We show that, in a k-connected graph G of order n with α(G)=α, between any pair of vertices, there exists a path P joining them with

|P|≥min{n,(k−1)(n−k)/α +k}.

This implies that, for any edge e∈E(G), there is a cycle containing e of length at least

min{n,(k−1)(n−k)/α +k}.

Moreover, we generalize our result as follows: for any choice S of s≤k vertices in G, there exists a tree T whose set of leaves is S with

|T|≥min{n,(k−s+1)(n−k)/α +k}.

Independence Number And Disjoint Theta Graphs, Shinya Fujita, Colton Magnant

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The goal of this paper is to find vertex disjoint even cycles in graphs. For this purpose, define a θ-graph to be a pair of vertices u,v with three internally disjoint paths joining u to v. Given an independence number α and a fixed integer k, the results contained in this paper provide sharp bounds on the order f(k,α) of a graph with independence number α(G)≤α which contains no k disjoint θ-graphs. Since every θ-graph contains an even cycle, these results provide k disjoint even cycles in graphs of order at least f(k,α)+1. We also discuss the relationship between this …

Meander Graphs And Frobenius Seaweed Lie Algebras, Colton Magnant, Vincent E. Coll, Anthony Giaquinto

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The index of a seaweed Lie algebra can be computed from its associated meander graph. We examine this graph in several ways with a goal of determining families of Frobenius (index zero) seaweed algebras. Our analysis gives two new families of Frobenius seaweed algebras as well as elementary proofs of known families of such Lie algebras.

On An Identity Of Gessel And Stanton And The New Little Göllnitz Identities, Carla D. Savage, Andrew Sills

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

We show that an identity of Gessel and Stanton [I. Gessel, D. Stanton, Applications of q-Lagrange inversion to basic hypergeometric series, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 277 (1983) 197, Eq. (7.24)] can be viewed as a symmetric version of a recent analytic variation of the little Göllnitz identities. This is significant, since the Göllnitz–Gordon identities are considered the usual symmetric counterpart to little Göllnitz theorems. Is it possible, then, that the Gessel–Stanton identity is part of an infinite family of identities like those of Göllnitz–Gordon?

Toward this end, we derive partners and generalizations of the Gessel–Stanton identity. We show that …

Hybrid Proofs Of The Q-Binomial Theorem And Other Identities, Dennis Eichhorn, James Mclaughlin, Andrew Sills

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

We give "hybrid" proofs of the q-binomial theorem and other identities. The proofs are "hybrid" in the sense that we use partition arguments to prove a restricted version of the theorem, and then use analytic methods (in the form of the Identity Theorem) to prove the full version.

We prove three somewhat unusual summation formulae, and use these to give hybrid proofs of a number of identities due to Ramanujan.

Finally, we use these new summation formulae to give new partition interpretations of the Rogers-Ramanujan identities and the Rogers-Selberg identities.

Providing Preservice Teachers With Worthwhile Field-Based Experiences In Mathematics, Glenn Nelson

Faculty Work

Providing preservice teachers with worthwhile field-based experiences is recognized as an important component in their development as good teachers. Because mathematics instruction in general has moved from a teacher-directed, procedurally-focused process to a more student-centered, conceptually-oriented approach, preservice mathematics education classes – especially methods courses - should reflect this shift as well. Field-based opportunities can be instances for preservice teachers to personally experience such a shift to real-world relevance.

Middle School Mathematics Students' Perspectives On The Study Of Mathematics, Christy H. Vaughn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study addressed the perceptions toward the study of mathematics by middle school students who had formerly been in a remedial mathematics program. The purpose of the study was to explore the past experiences of nine students in order to determine what is needed for them to feel successful in mathematics. The conceptual framework of the study was grounded in philosophies of motivation, including achievement goal theory, self-worth theory, self-efficacy theory, expectancy-value theory, and attribution theory. The study used a phenomenological research design to answer the key research question, which focused upon the experiences of students and the meaning …

Enhancing The Teaching And Learning Of Computational Estimation In Year 6, Paula Mildenhall

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

There have been repeated calls for computational estimation to have a more prominent position in mathematics teaching and learning but there is still little evidence that quality time is being spent on this topic. Estimating numerical quantities is a useful skill for people to be able to use in their everyday lives in order to meet their personal needs. It is also accepted that number sense is an important component of mathematics learning (McIntosh, Reys, Reys, Bana, & Farrell, 1997; Paterson, 2004) and that computational estimation is an important part of number sense (Edwards, 1984; Markovits & Sowder, 1988; Schoen, …

Rademacher-Type Formulas For Restricted Partition And Overpartition Functions, Andrew Sills

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

A collection of Hardy-Ramanujan-Rademacher type formulas for restricted partition and overpartition functions is presented, framed by several biographical anecdotes.

The Cohomology Of Modules Over A Complete Intersection Ring, Jesse Burke

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

We investigate the cohomology of modules over commutative complete intersection rings. The first main result is that if M is an arbitrary module over a complete intersection ring R, and if one even self-extension module of M vanishes then M has finite projective dimension. The second main result gives a new proof of the fact that the support variety of a Cohen-Macaulay module whose completion is indecomposable is projectively connected.

Teaching Research: Encouraging Discoveries, Francis E. Su

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

What does it take to turn a learner into a discoverer? Or to turn a teacher into a co-adventurer? A handful of experiences—from teaching a middle-school math class to doing research with undergraduates—have changed the way that I would answer these questions. Some of the lessons I’ve learned have surprised me.