Mathematics Commons^™

Block Designs, Lucien Poulin, Daniela Genova

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Block designs are a type of combinatorial structures that can be used to model many different types of problems ranging from experimental design to computer software testing. They can be used to construct schemes that ensure complete optimization and efficiency of the given experiment. We focus mainly on Steiner and Kirkman triple systems, as well as, on different ways for constructing block designs. Well known results in combinatorics such as Fisher’s inequality and Kirkman’s schoolgirl problem are also discussed.

Predator-Prey Model With Herding Behavior And Hunting Quota, Randy Lee, Mahbubar Rahman Phd

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

The Lotka-Volterra predator-prey model is widely studied and used in many disciplines such as biology, ecology and economics. It is used to describe the growth and coexistence of two interacting populations. The model consists of a pair of first-order nonlinear differential equations. In this paper, we studied steady states, stability of steady states, existence of limit cycles, and bifurcation behavior of the predator-prey model by modifying the existing model with hunting quota. We also illustrated our results with numerical simulations.

Tournaments And A Fibonacci Link, Michael Long, Daniela Genova

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Round robin tournaments are a type of directed graphs with applications to athletic competitions and transportation logistics. The presentation begins with a brief series of informative theorems and properties of directed graphs, which are imperative to our understanding of the properties that make directed graphs (and, subsequently, round robin tournaments) uniquely interesting. We then present a number of results about the properties of tournaments (defined as a complete directed graph), including transitivity–a relatively uncommon property used to determine domination in a round robin tournament–and connectivity, which can most often be seen in determining means of transportation between any two locations. …

Embedding Graphs On Surfaces And Graph Minors, Tracy Leung, Mya Salas, Dylan Wilson

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

A planar graph is a graph that can be drawn in such a way in the plane, so that no edges cross each other. In other words, it is a graph that can be embedded in the plane. We discuss the conditions that make a graph embeddable on a sphere with k handles. Then, using vertex deletions and edge contractions, which produce graph minors, we examine if a graph is minimally nonembeddable on a surface. To conclude, we discuss an important result, that the set of minimally nonembeddable graphs on a surface is finite.

Simulation Environment For Object Manipulation With Soft Robots In Shared Autonomy, Devin Hunter, Fabio Stroppa, Allison Okamura

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

The robots of today have grown to be of much more significant use than their predecessors. Robots are now being used in industries outside of the factory setting which can be seen primarily in the medical, transportation, and social fields. With robots taking on all of these new roles within our society, the establishment of robust human-robot collaboration is crucial in order for robots to be able to successfully complete desired tasks without becoming a hinderance to nearby humans. We explored this concept by implementing a shared-autonomy algorithm named MBSA (Motion Based Smart Assistance) to a soft robot simulation and …

Collaboration (Reacting To The Past/Math/History/Writing), James Hayashi

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

This is an assignment for a Freshman level course in the College of Natural Science. By the end students will have an understanding of valid research, collaboration and communication skills. Faculty that chooses to use this assignment will be preparing students for an active learning environment, and understanding a “Big Idea”, valid research, technology and communication skills.

Faculty should give an example of what is valid research. As students are completing this assignment mini deadlines (check-ins) shall be set. With the check-ins for this assignment focus on how the group will communicate the check point and the collaboration.

The focus …

Reflection On Use Of The "Reacting To The Past" Pedagogy In A History Of Mathematics Course, Davida Fischman

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

This brief report provides a reflection on the use of the "Reacting to the Past" (RTTP) pedagogy in a History of Mathematics classroom. The conclusion is drawn that the RTTP pedagogy is very successful in engaging students in active learning, and appropriate games may be utilized to help students learn about the role of mathematics in historical developments as well as in society today.

Σ-Ary, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Mathematics Department

Math Department Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Patterns, Symmetries, And Mathematical Structures In The Arts, Sarah C. Deloach

Honors College Theses

Mathematics is a discipline of academia that can be found everywhere in the world around us. Mathematicians and scientists are not the only people who need to be proficient in numbers. Those involved in social sciences and even the arts can benefit from a background in math. In fact, connections between mathematics and various forms of art have been discovered since as early as the fourth century BC. In this thesis we will study such connections and related concepts in mathematics, dances, and music.

Mathematical Analysis Of The Duck Migration To Louisiana, Brandon Garcia

Mathematics Senior Capstone Papers

The purpose of this project is to research the relationship between duck migration and weather patterns, more specifically trying to determine if the rainfall and temperature in a given year affects the migration patterns of ducks. Duck hunters and conservation- ists alike have observed an overall decrease in the duck population in Louisiana over the past 70 years. Though some years have seen an increase, the population has not recovered to the level from the 1950s. These observations have led to many questions about what have happened to the ducks or where have the ducks gone. Using differ- ent forms …

University Scholar Series: Tatiana Shubin, Tatiana Shubin

University Scholar Series

Moving in Circles: the Beauty and Joy of Mathematics for Everyone

Tatiana Shubin joined the faculty of San Jose State University in 1985 after earning her Ph.D. in Math­ematics from University of California, Santa Barbara. In 1998, she founded San Jose Math Circle and the Bay Area Math Adventures. In 2006, Shubin became a co-founder of the first Math Teachers' Circle in the US. This circle proved to be a seed which germinated to produce the entire Math Teachers' Circle Network. She launched the Navajo Nation Math Circles project in 2012, became a co-founder and co-director of the Alliance of …

Spirit-Wise Math: Two Examples From A Collection Of Mathaphors, Sarah Voss

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

This article consists of two examples of loosely spiritual insights drawn from mathematics, both of which are from a work-in-progress -- a collection of mathematical metaphors.

Modifying Skyrim’S Ai, Aaron Dodds

Whittier Scholars Program

This paper describes the process by which the author attempted to make the video game Skyrim’s Artificial Intelligence feel more realistic and human-like. The author describes how the Artificial Intelligence is implemented in Skyrim, and the various ways in which it can be used. The author describes how they went about changing the AI in the game using quests and Package Stacks to modify the actors. The author also describes how code is used in the game as scripts and how it can be used to work in conjunction with the Package Stacks to modify the AI of the actors.

Σ-Ary, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Mathematics Department

Math Department Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Remarks On Legendrian Self-Linking, Chris Beasley, Brendan Mclellan, Ruoran Zhang

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

The Thurston-Bennequin invariant provides one notion of self-linking for any homologically-trivial Legendrian curve in a contact three-manifold. Here we discuss related analytic notions of self-linking for Legendrian knots in R³. Our definition is based upon reformulation of the elementary Gauss linking integral and is motivated by ideas from supersymmetric gauge theory. We recover the Thurston-Bennequin invariant as a special case.

To Fall In Love With Math, Do This, Susan D'Agostino

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In the viral New York Times essay, “To Fall in Love with Anyone, Do This,” Mandy Len Catron details an experience she and an acquaintance had as they shared responses to psychologist Arthur Aron’s thirty-six questions intended to make participants fall in love. She notes that, “we all have a narrative of ourselves that we offer up to strangers and acquaintances, but Dr. Aron’s questions make it impossible to rely on that narrative.” In this paper, we claim that we also have narratives of our relationship to mathematics that we offer up to ourselves and others. Following, we offer a …

Math Course For Liberal Arts Majors: A Pilot With Embedded Remediation, Eileen B. Perez, Hansun To, Mary Fowler, Linda Larrivee

Numeracy

This study was designed to determine if embedded remediation is significant in accelerating the pathway to completion of a college-level math course for students needing remediation. The project studied the impact on student success in a quantitative literacy course at a Massachusetts four-year state university with remedial material embedded. The course satisfies the university’s general education math requirement for students with liberal arts majors who are not required to complete college algebra or calculus-based courses. The paper begins with a presentation of the issues with remedial mathematics and its impact on students’ graduation and persistence. Next, the paper covers the …

Σ-Ary, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Mathematics Department

Math Department Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Frg: Collaborative Research: Homotopy Renormalization Of Topological Field Theories, Nathan Geer

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

One = Zero, Eric John Gofen

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In this paper, I use Mathematics in addition to the three most pure sciences --- Physics, Chemistry, and Rap --- to prove that 1=0. The argument uses The Ideal Gas Law, Ohm's Law, the Definitions of Power and Velocity in addition to indefinite integrals, simple mathematical operations, and the 99 Problems Law. The intuition-crushing result can be applied to all branches of mathematics and sciences and will likely go down as one of the greatest discoveries of all time.

Disciple, Jessica K. Sklar

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

This is a love poem for mathematics.

Mathematics In The Mind's Eye: Michael Schultheis Paints Poetic And Conceptual Geometries, Patricia Grieve Watkinson

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Michael Schultheis is an established artist and a formally-educated mathematician. In his practice the two disciplines are inextricably linked. His large-scale lyrical paintings at first glance seem to focus on the effects of light and atmospheres, representing cloudscapes or waterscapes in resonant color. Yet moving through these mists are decidedly mathematical references --- drawn geometric shapes and hand-written equations. These are employed by Schultheis to represent the physical world or to express feelings (or both). For example, he may examine the structure of a pine cone or reflect on human relationships or do both at the same time. The resulting …

Integrating Non-Euclidean Geometry Into High School, John Buda

Honors Thesis

The purpose of this project is to provide the framework for integrating the study of non-Euclidean geometry into a high school math class in such a way that both aligns with the Common Core State Standards and makes use of research-based practices to enhance the learning of traditional geometry. Traditionally, Euclidean geometry has been the only strand of geometry taught in high schools, even though mathematicians have developed several other strands. The non-Euclidean geometry that I focus on in this project is what is known as taxicab geometry. With the Common Core Standards for Math Practice pushing students to “model …

Student-Created Test Sheets, Samuel Laderach

Honors Projects

Assessment plays a necessary role in the high school mathematics classroom, and testing is a major part of assessment. Students often struggle with mathematics tests and examinations due to math and test anxiety, a lack of student learning, and insufficient and inefficient student preparation. Practice tests, teacher-created review sheets, and student-created test sheets are ways in which teachers can help increase student performance, while ridding these detrimental factors. Student-created test sheets appear to be the most efficient strategy, and this research study examines the effects of their use in a high school mathematics classroom.

Information Literacy In Class Room, Asitha Kodippili

Chesnutt Fellows Information Literacy Projects

No abstract provided.

Information Literacy And Precalculus Mathematics I, Wu Jing

Chesnutt Fellows Information Literacy Projects

No abstract provided.

My Experience Of Being A Chesnutt Fellow On Information Literacy (Final Report), Asitha Kodippili

Chesnutt Fellows Information Literacy Projects

No abstract provided.

Information Literacy- Math 129 Precalculus Mathematics I Redesign (Final Report), Wu Jing

Chesnutt Fellows Information Literacy Projects

No abstract provided.

Final Report For Chesnutt Library Fellows Information Literacy Program (Final Report), Dong Wang

Chesnutt Fellows Information Literacy Projects

No abstract provided.

Fsu Chesnutt Library Fellows Information Literacy Program Presentation, Dong Wang

Chesnutt Fellows Information Literacy Projects

No abstract provided.