Other Mathematics Commons^™

Student Understanding Of Function And Success In Calculus, Daniel I. Drlik

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between student success in calculus and student understanding of function. Student understanding of function was measured using two questionnaires, one of which is a modification of an existing measure based on APOS theory. The other I developed with items from the concept image literature. The participants of this study were 116 high school students who were enrolled in a first-year calculus course. The results of the questionnaires were aligned to course exam scores to determine connections between function understanding and rate of success in calculus.

A major …

2-Domination And Annihilation Numbers, Sean C. Patterson

Honors Theses

Using information provided by Ryan Pepper and Ermelinda DeLaVina in their paper On the 2-Domination number and Annihilation Number, I developed a new bound on the 2- domination number of trees. An original bound, γ₂(G) ≤ (n+n₁)/ 2 , had been shown by many other authors. Our goal was to generate a tighter bound in some cases and work towards generating a more general bound on the 2-domination number for all graphs. Throughout the span of this project I generated and proved the bound γ₂(T ) ≤ …

Invariant Basis Number And Basis Types For C*-Algebras, Philip M. Gipson

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

We develop the property of Invariant Basis Number (IBN) in the context of C*-algebras and their Hilbert modules. A complete K-theoretic characterization of C*- algebras with IBN is given. A scheme for classifying C*-algebras which do not have IBN is given and we prove that all such classes are realized. We investigate the invariance of IBN, or lack thereof, under common C*-algebraic construction and perturbation techniques. Finally, applications of Invariant Basis Number to the study of C*-dynamical systems and the classification program are investigated.

Adviser: David Pitts

Bioinformatic Game Theory And Its Application To Cluster Multi-Domain Proteins, Brittney Keel

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The exact evolutionary history of any set of biological sequences is unknown, and all phylogenetic reconstructions are approximations. The problem becomes harder when one must consider a mix of vertical and lateral phylogenetic signals. In this dissertation we propose a game-theoretic approach to clustering biological sequences and analyzing their evolutionary histories. In this context we use the term evolution as a broad descriptor for the entire set of mechanisms driving the inherited characteristics of a population. The key assumption in our development is that evolution tries to accommodate the competing forces of selection, of which the conservation force seeks to …

Revised Model For Antibiotic Resistance In A Hospital, Ruhang Pei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis we modify an existing model for the spread of resistant bacteria in a hospital. The existing model does not account for some of the trends seen in the data found in literature. The new model takes some of these trends into account. For the new model, we examine issues relating to identifiability, sensitivity analysis, parameter estimation, uncertainty analysis, and equilibrium stability.

The Apprentices' Tower Of Hanoi, Cory Bh Ball

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Apprentices' Tower of Hanoi is introduced in this thesis. Several bounds are found in regards to optimal algorithms which solve the puzzle. Graph theoretic properties of the associated state graphs are explored. A brief summary of other Tower of Hanoi variants is also presented.

Manipulating The Mass Distribution Of A Golf Putter, Paul J. Hessler Jr.

Senior Honors Projects

Putting may appear to be the easiest but is actually the most technically challenging part of the game of golf. The ideal putting stroke will remain parallel to its desired trajectory both in the reverse and forward direction when the putter head is within six inches of the ball. Deviation from this concept will cause a cut or sidespin on the ball that will affect the path the ball will travel.

Club design plays a large part in how well a player will be able to achieve a straight back and straight through club head path near impact; specifically the …

The Relationship Between Elementary Teachers' Self-Efficacy For Teaching Mathematics And Their Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching, Meagan Mckinney

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between elementary teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) and their self-efficacy for teaching mathematics. Self-efficacy and MKT are of high importance with implications in regards to quality of instruction and the Common Core State Standards for mathematics. Using the Content Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics (CKT-M) instrument, data for this study were collected from thirty-five elementary school teachers participating in the Improving Teachers’ Monitoring of Learning Grant at the time. The data were concerned with these teachers’ self-efficacy with the pedagogy and content of mathematics using the Self-Efficacy for Teaching Mathematics Instrument (SETMI). Qualitative data were …

Gallai-Ramsey And Vertex Proper Connection Numbers, Emily C. Chizmar

Honors College Theses

Given a complete graph G, we consider two separate scenarios. First, we consider the minimum number N such that every coloring of G using exactly k colors contains either a rainbow triangle or a monochromatic star on t vertices. This number is known for small cases and generalized for larger cases for a fixed k. Second, we introduce the vertex proper connection number of a graph and provide a relationship to the chromatic number of minimally connected subgraphs. Also a notion of total proper connection is introduced and a question is asked about a possible relationship between the total proper …

Solving Ordinary Differential Equations Using Differential Forms And Lie Groups, Richard M. Shumate

Senior Honors Theses

Differential equations have bearing on practically every scientific field. Though they are prevalent in nature, they can be challenging to solve. Most of the work done in differential equations is dependent on the use of many methods to solve particular types of equations. Sophus Lie proposed a modern method of solving ordinary differential equations in the 19th century along with a coordinate free variation of finding the infinitesimal generator by combining the influential work of Élie Cartan among others in the field of differential geometry. The driving idea behind using symmetries to solve differential equations is that there exists a …

Poincaré Disc: Hear The Whole Mind Sing, Laura Moss, John T. Shrontz

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

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

Honors Projects in Accounting

No abstract provided.

Transforming Precalculus Instruction: Evidence-Based Course Design, Wendy M. Smith

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

The UNL Mathematics Department has been focused on transforming precalculus instruction since 2012, with a goal of greater levels of student success. A short-term measure of student success is the passing rate (C or better), which has jumped from an average of 62% (2007-2011) to 80% for the past two falls. A longer-term measure of student success is recruiting and retaining undergraduates to STEM disciplines and careers. In this talk I will share specifics of the reform efforts (the who-what-when-where-why-and-how), and also share preliminary results from the research we have simultaneously been conducting into the reform efforts.

Analysing Systemic Risk Contribution Using A Closed Formula For Conditional Value At Risk Through Copula, Brice Hakwa, Manfred Jäger-Ambrożewicz, Barbara Rüdiger

Communications on Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

Mathematical Formulation Of An Optimal Execution Problem With Uncertain Market Impact, Kensuke Ishitani, Takashi Kato

Communications on Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

On A Nonsymmetric Ornstein-Uhlenbeck Semigroup And Its Generator, Yong Chen

Communications on Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

Existence Of Lévy's Area And Pathwise Integration, Peter Imkeller, David J Prömel

Communications on Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

Branching Particle Systems And Compound Poisson Processes Related To Pólya-Aeppli Distributions, Richard B Paris, Vladimir Vinogradov

Communications on Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

Hitting Times For Bessel Processes, Gerardo Hernández-Del-Valle, Carlos G Pacheco

Communications on Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

Comparing The G-Normal Distribution To Its Classical Counterpart, Erhan Bayraktar, Alexander Munk

Communications on Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.