Mathematics Commons^™

On Spectral Theorem, Muyuan Zhang

Honors Theses

There are many instances where the theory of eigenvalues and eigenvectors has its applications. However, Matrix theory, which usually deals with vector spaces with finite dimensions, also has its constraints. Spectral theory, on the other hand, generalizes the ideas of eigenvalues and eigenvectors and applies them to vector spaces with arbitrary dimensions. In the following chapters, we will learn the basics of spectral theory and in particular, we will focus on one of the most important theorems in spectral theory, namely the spectral theorem. There are many different formulations of the spectral theorem and they convey the "same" idea. In …

Parametric Polynomials For Small Galois Groups, Claire Huang

Honors Theses

Galois theory, named after French mathematician Evariste Galois in 19th-century, is an important part of abstract algebra. It brings together many different branches of mathematics by providing connections among fields, polynomials, and groups.

Specifically, Galois theory allows us to attach a finite field extension with a finite group. We call such a group the Galois group of the finite field extension. A typical way to attain a finite field extension to compute the splitting field of some polynomial. So we can always start with a polynomial and find the finite group associate to the field extension on its splitting field. …

Algebraic Number Theory And Simplest Cubic Fields, Jianing Yang

Honors Theses

The motivation behind this paper lies in understanding the meaning of integrality in general number fields. I present some important definitions and results in algebraic number theory, as well as theorems and their proofs on cyclic cubic fields. In particular, I discuss my understanding of Daniel Shanks' paper on the simplest cubic fields and their class numbers.

Extensions Of The Morse-Hedlund Theorem, Eben Blaisdell

Honors Theses

Bi-infinite words are sequences of characters that are infinite forwards and backwards; for example "...ababababab...". The Morse-Hedlund theorem says that a bi-infinite word f repeats itself, in at most n letters, if and only if the number of distinct subwords of length n is at most n. Using the example, "...ababababab...", there are 2 subwords of length 3, namely "aba" and "bab". Since 2 is less than 3, we must have that "...ababababab..." repeats itself after at most 3 letters. In fact it does repeat itself every two letters. …

Launch-Explore-Summarize In High School Calculus, Nate Mattis

Honors Theses

Current research on high school calculus instruction indicates that students often possess a procedural knowledge of differentiation and integration as opposed to a conceptual knowledge (Orton, 1983; Ferrini-Mundy & Graham, 1994). Given the prominence of traditional lecture and textbook-based calculus classes in the United States, students are not always given the opportunity to expand their conceptual knowledge of essential calculus concepts. This project introduces calculus students to a more active and communal method of teaching: Launch-Explore-Summarize (LES) (CMP, n.d.). This methodology places students at the center of their learning and emphasizes inquiry-based thinking during a class. Specifically, two LES lessons …

Statistical Linear Mixed Models For Evaluation Of Training Program In Hand Surgery Chief Residents, Zoe Michelle Ross

Honors Theses

Resident clinics (RCs) are intended to catalyze the achievement of educational milestones through progressively autonomous patient care. However, few studies quantify their effect on competency-based surgical education, and no previous publications focus on hand surgery RCs. This study aims to use statistical theories and knowledge of descriptive statistics and inference statistics, such as confidence intervals, two sample t-tests, correlation and association tests, as well as statistical model building such as analysis of variance with random effects and mixed linear models. We hypothesize that the higher a resident’s training years, the higher the autonomy score (quality of surgery) will be. We …

Sum-Defined Colorings In Graphs, James Hallas

Honors Theses

There have been numerous studies using a variety of methods for the purpose of uniquely distinguishing every two adjacent vertices of a graph. Many of these methods have involved graph colorings. The most studied colorings are proper colorings. A proper coloring of a graph G is an assignment of colors to the vertices of G such that adjacent vertices are assigned distinct colors. The minimum number of colors required in a proper coloring of G is the chromatic number of G. In our work, we introduce a new coloring that induces a (nearly) proper coloring. Two vertices u and …

The Regularity Lemma And Its Applications, Elizabeth Sprangel

Honors Theses

The regularity lemma (also known as Szemerédi's Regularity Lemma) is one of the most powerful tools used in extremal graph theory. In general, the lemma states that every graph has some structure. That is, every graph can be partitioned into a finite number of classes in a way such that the number of edges between any two parts is “regular." This thesis is an introduction to the regularity lemma through its proof and applications. We demonstrate its applications to extremal graph theory, Ramsey theory, and number theory.

War Gaming Applications For Achieving Optimum Acquisition Of Future Space, Karel Marshall

Honors Theses

In 2014, the federal government spent nearly half a trillion dollars on contractor projects. The Department of Defense wants to develop an algorithm to optimize the acquisition of new technologies. This project makes us of game theory, probability and statistics, non-linear programming and mathematical models to model negotiations between governmental agencies and private contractors. If focuses on generating the optimum solution and its corresponding acquisition strategy for different contract types. This project culminates in a collection of MATLAB (MathWorks) programs and the newly developed strategy shows strong convergence to Nash equilibrium values and successful selection of optimum solutions.

Extending Uniqueness Implies Existence Results To Fractional Differential Equations, Tyler Masthay

Honors Theses

In 1967, Andrzej Lasota and Zdzisław Opial proved that under sufficient conditions, uniqueness of solutions for boundary value problems for a second-order ordinary differential equation implies their existence. Lloyd Jackson and Keith Schrader then proved an extension of this result for boundary value problems of third order. In proving the third-order case, this compactness theorem is applied as a key part of the proof. It states that under sufficient conditions, uniform boundedness of a sequence of solutions on a compact domain implies existence of a subsequence which converges uniformly with respect to its zeroth, first, and second derivatives. We present …

Normal Surfaces And 3-Manifold Algorithms, Josh D. Hews

Honors Theses

This survey will develop the theory of normal surfaces as they apply to the S3 recognition algorithm. Sections 2 and 3 provide necessary background on manifold theory. Section 4 presents the theory of normal surfaces in triangulations of 3-manifolds. Section 6 discusses issues related to implementing algorithms based on normal surfaces, as well as an overview of the Regina, a program that implements many 3-manifold algorithms. Finally section 7 presents the proof of the 3-sphere recognition algorithm and discusses how Regina implements the algorithm.

Some Examples Of The Interplay Between Algebra And Topology, Joseph D. Malionek

Honors Theses

This thesis presents several undergraduate and graduate level concepts in the fields of algebraic topology and topological group theory in a manner which requires very little mathematical background of the reader. It uses non-rigorous interpretations of concepts while introducing the reader to the rigorous ideas with which they are associated. In order to give the reader an idea of how the fields of algebra and topology are closely affiliated, the paper goes over five main concepts, the fundamental group, homology, cohomology, Eilenberg-Maclane spaces, and group dimension.

Quantum Groups And Knot Invariants, Greg A. Hamilton

Honors Theses

Knot theory arguably holds claim to the title of the mathematical discipline with the most unusually diverse applications. A knot can be defined topologically as an embedding of S1 in R3. Naturally, two knots are topologically equivalent if one cannot be smoothly deformed into the other. The question of whether two knots are equivalent is highly non-trivial, and so the question of knot invariants used to distinguish knots has occupied knot theorists for over a century. Knot theory has found application in statistical mechanics [1], symbolic logic and set theory [2], quantum fi theory [3], quantum computing [4], etc. …

A Study Of Conductance For A Random, Hierarchically-Structured Material, Daniel Salvador

Honors Theses

I consider a mathematical model for the conductance of a system formed by a hi- erarchical network of random bonds. My simulations show that the net conductance converges to a fixed number γ ≈ 0.35337 when the conductances of the bonds are num- bers selected uniformly at random from the interval (0,1). By linearly approximating the model around γ, I derive a new simplified model which I then study in rigorous mathematical detail. I prove a generalized central limit theorem for the new linearized system.

A New Almost Difference Set Construction, David Clayton

Honors Theses

This paper considers the appearance of almost difference sets in non-abelian groups. While numerous construction methods for these structures are known in abelian groups, little is known about ADSs in the case where the group elements do not commute. This paper presents a construction method for combining abelian difference sets into nonabelian almost difference sets, while also showing that at least one known almost difference set construction can be generalized to the nonabelian case.

Differential Equations Models Of Pathogen-Induced Single- And Multi-Organ Tissue Damage, Fiona Lynch

Honors Theses

The rise of antibiotic resistance has created a significant burden on healthcare systems around the world. Antibiotic resistance arises from the increased use of antibiotic drugs and antimicrobial agents, which kill susceptible bacterial strains, but have little effect on strains that have a mutation allowing them to survive antibiotic treatment, defined as “resistant” strains. With no non-resistant bacteria to compete for resources, the resistant bacteria thrives in this environment, continuing to reproduce and infect the host with an infection that does not respond to traditional antibiotic treatment.

A number of strategies have been proposed to tackle the problem of antibiotic …

Differential Privacy For Growing Databases, Gi Heung (Robin) Kim

Honors Theses

Differential privacy [DMNS06] is a strong definition of database privacy that provides indi- viduals in a database with the guarantee that any particular person’s information has very little effect on the output of any analysis of the overall database. In order for this type of analysis to be practical, it must simultaneously preserve privacy and utility, where utility refers to how well the analysis describes the contents of the database.

An analyst may additionally wish to evaluate how a database’s composition changes over time. Consider a company, for example, that accumulates data from a growing base of customers. This company …

Toward A Scientific Investigation Of Convolutional Neural Networks, Anh Tran

Honors Theses

This thesis does not assume the reader is familiar with artificial neural networks. However, to keep the thesis concise, it assumes the reader is familiar with the standard Machine Learning concepts of training set, validation set, and test set [1]. Their usage is intended to help ensure that the Machine Learning system can generalize its training from input examples used during its training to “similar” kinds of examples never used during its training.

The concept of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is one of the most successful computational concepts today for solving image classification problems. However, CNNs are difficult and …

The Largest Bond In 3-Connected Graphs, Melissa Flynn

Honors Theses

A graph G is connected if given any two vertices, there is a path between them. A bond B is a minimal edge set in G such that G − B has more components than G. We say that a connected graph is dual Hamiltonian if its largest bond has size |E(G)|−|V (G)|+2. In this thesis we verify the conjecture that any simple 3-connected graph G has a largest bond with size at least Ω(nlog32) (Ding, Dziobiak, Wu, 2015 [3]) for a variety of graph classes including planar graphs, complete graphs, ladders, Mo ̈bius ladders and circular ladders, complete bipartite …

Tying The Knot: Applications Of Topology To Chemistry, Tarini S. Hardikar

Honors Theses

Chirality (or handedness) is the property that a structure is “different” from its mirror image. Topology can be used to provide a rigorous framework for the notion of chirality. This project examines various types of chirality and discusses tools to detect chirality in graphs and knots. Notable theorems that are discussed in this work include ones that identify chirality using properties of link polynomials (HOMFLY polynomials), rigid vertex graphs, and knot linking numbers. Various other issues of chirality are explored, and some specially unique structures are discussed. This paper is borne out of reading Dr. Erica Flapan’s book, When Topology …

The Creation Of A Video Review Guide For The Free-Response Section Of The Advanced Placement Calculus Exam, Jeffrey Brown

Honors Theses

The Creation of a Video Review Guide for the Free-Response Section of the Advanced Placement Calculus Exam follows the creation of a resource to help students prepare for the College Board’s Advanced Placement Calculus Exam. This project originated out of the authors personal experiences in preparing for this exam. The goal of the project was to create an accessible resource that reviews content, provides insights into the Advanced Placement exam, and creates successful habits in student responses. This paper, chronologically, details the development of the resource and a reflection on the final product and future uses.

Common Core In Tennessee: An Analysis Of Eighth Grade Mathematics Standards, Hayley Little

Honors Theses

Since their introduction in 2010, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have been a highly controversial topic in educational reform. Though the standards are not a product of the federal government and are not federally mandated, they do represent a push towards national academic standards in America. For states such as Tennessee, educational policies of the past pushed them to lower their academic standards in order to create the illusion of success. Those states are now some of the places that have seen the most change with the adoption of the CCSS. It still remains somewhat unclear, however, which changes …

Applications Of The Sierpiński Triangle To Musical Composition, Samuel C. Dent

Honors Theses

The present paper builds on the idea of composing music via fractals, specifically the Sierpiński Triangle and the Sierpiński Pedal Triangle. The resulting methods are intended to produce not just a series of random notes, but a series that we think pleases the ear. One method utilizes the iterative process of generating the Sierpiński Triangle and Sierpiński Pedal Triangle via matrix operations by applying this process to a geometric configuration of note names. This technique designs the largest components of the musical work first, then creates subsequent layers where each layer adds more detail.

A Fractional Boundary Value Problem, Grant Yost

Honors Theses

We consider a fractional boundary value problem with various boundary conditions. This boundary value problem has two components, one fractional derivative of alpha degree with alpha between n-1 and n, and a fractional derivative of beta degree with beta between 0 and n-2. We prove existence and uniqueness of solutions, and show some examples that were found using a MATLAB simulation.

The Simple Zeros Of The Riemann Zeta-Function, Melissa N. Miller

Honors Theses

There have been many tables of primes produced since antiquity. In 348 BC Plato studied the divisors of the number 5040. In 1202 Fibonacci gave an example with a list of prime numbers up to 100. By the 1770's a table of number factorizations up to two million was constructed. In 1859 Riemann demonstrated that the key to the deeper understanding of the distribution of prime numbers lies in the study of a certain complex-valued function, called the zeta-function. In 1973 Montgomery used explicit formulas to study the pair correlation of the zeros of the zeta-function and their relationship to …

Domain Representability And Topological Completeness, Matthew D. Devilbiss

Honors Theses

Topological completeness properties seek to generalize the definition of complete metric space to the context of topologies. Chapter 1 gives an overview of some of these properties. Chapter 2 introduces domain theory, a field originally intended for use in theoretical computer science. Finally, Chapter 3 examines how this computer-scientific notion can be employed in the study of topological completeness in the form of domain representability. The connections between domain representability and other topological completeness properties are subsequently examined.

Partitioning Groups With Difference Sets, Rebecca Funke

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the use of difference sets to partition algebraic groups. Difference sets are a tool belonging to both group theory and combinatorics that provide symmetric properties that can be map into over mathematical fields such as design theory or coding theory. In my work, I will be taking algebraic groups and partitioning them into a subgroup and multiple McFarland difference sets. This partitioning can then be mapped to an association scheme. This bridge between difference sets and association schemes have important contributions to coding theory.

Real-Time Translation Of American Sign Language Using Wearable Technology, Jackson Taylor

Honors Theses

The goal of this work is to implement a real-time system using wearable technology for translating American Sign Language (ASL) gestures into audible form. This system could be used to facilitate conversations between individuals who do and do not communicate using ASL. We use as our source of input the Myo armband, an affordable commercially-available wearable technology equipped with on-board accelerometer, gyroscope, and electromyography sensors. We investigate the performance of two different classification algorithms in this context: linear discriminant analysis and k-Nearest Neighbors (k-NN) using various distance metrics. Using the k-NN classifier and windowed dynamic time …

Cameron-Liebler Line Classes And Partial Difference Sets, Uthaipon Tantipongipat

Honors Theses

The work consists of three parts. The first is a study of Cameron-Liebler line classes which receive much attention recently. We studied a new construction of infinite family of Cameron-Liebler line classes presented in the paper by Tao Feng, Koji Momihara, and Qing Xiang (rst introduced in 2014), and summarized our attempts to generalize this construction to discover any new Cameron-Liebler line classes or partial difference sets (PDSs) resulting from the Cameron-Liebler line classes. The second is our approach to finding PDS in non-elementary abelian groups. Our attempt eventually led to the same general construction of PDS presented in John …

Nonexistence Of Nonquadratic Kerdock Sets In Six Variables, John Clikeman

Honors Theses

Kerdock sets are maximally sized sets of boolean functions such that the sum of any two functions in the set is bent. This paper modifies the methodology of a paper by Phelps (2015) to the problem of finding Kerdock sets in six variables containing non-quadratic elements. Using a computer search, we demonstrate that no Kerdock sets exist containing non-quadratic six- variable bent functions, and that the largest bent set containing such functions has size 8.