Family As Vocation; Work As Mission,
2018
Dominican University
Family As Vocation; Work As Mission, Sara B. Quinn, Christina Safranski
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
The terms vocation and mission are often considered synonyms; both meaning work to which one feels called and deeply dedicated. But, for working mothers who feel called and deeply dedicated to both family and work, it can be useful to make a distinction between vocation and mission. Inspired by Catholicism and working for Catholic universities, we explore how the terms vocation and mission have been traditionally defined. The Catholic Church recognizes only four vocations (married life, single life, religious life, and ordained life), while there are countless specific missions that individuals and institutions can carry out. Each of these ideas …
A Letter To My Daughters,
2018
Murray State University
A Letter To My Daughters, Maeve L. Mccarthy
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
This piece is a letter to my two daughters, Susan and Nora, to explain why I am a working mother, why being a mathematician and a woman in science is important to me. I hope they will read it someday and be inspired. I hope they will realize that while the balance between family and work continually shifts, it is possible to have it all.
Calculating Intersections: The Crossroads Of Mathematics And Literature In The Lives Of Mother And Daughter,
2018
University of Richmond
Calculating Intersections: The Crossroads Of Mathematics And Literature In The Lives Of Mother And Daughter, Della Dumbaugh, Hannah Fenster
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
This article tells the stories of how we, Della (mom, mathematician) and Hannah (daughter, writing instructor and bookseller), arrived in our professional settings through the lens of mother and daughter. For us, the intersections of literature and mathematics inspired many of our pivotal moments.
Inquiry Based Learning: A Teaching And Parenting Opportunity,
2018
Dominican University
Inquiry Based Learning: A Teaching And Parenting Opportunity, Aliza Steurer
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
In this paper, I discuss what appears to be a new perspective on inquiry based learning (IBL) by describing its parallels with parenting. IBL is a student-centered learning method involving collaborative work on carefully sequenced exercises, oral and written communication of solutions, and peer review. Students create their own knowledge and present their ideas, and the instructor acts as a facilitator. The parallels between IBL and parenting include a growth mindset, emphasizing process over outcome, learning from mistakes, learning how to get unstuck, and deconstructing tasks. IBL and parenting also involve similar social interactions, such as responding to difficult questions …
The Upside Of Down Syndrome: Math Is My Superpower!,
2018
Simpson College
The Upside Of Down Syndrome: Math Is My Superpower!, Heidi Berger
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
My son Isaac has Down syndrome. He was born in 2015, within a year of me receiving tenure at Simpson College. The experience of being his mother has had a profound effect on me as a mathematician. Having been with him through eleven surgeries over sixteen hospitalizations, I wanted to learn about his medical complexities and, more generally, about coordinated health care for those with chronic illness. To accomplish these goals, I’ve looked to my teaching and research. In the spring of 2016, I designed a sophomore-level mathematical modeling course on the respiratory system. In the summer of 2016, I …
A Math Research Project Inspired By Twin Motherhood,
2018
Valparaiso University
A Math Research Project Inspired By Twin Motherhood, Tiffany N. Kolba
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
The phenomenon of twins, triplets, quadruplets, and other higher order multiples has fascinated humans for centuries and has even captured the attention of mathematicians who have sought to model the probabilities of multiple births. However, there has not been extensive research into the phenomenon of polyovulation, which is one of the biological mechanisms that produces multiple births. In this paper, I describe how my own experience becoming a mother to twins led me on a quest to better understand the scientific processes going on inside my own body and motivated me to conduct research on polyovulation frequencies. An overview of …
The Situatedness Of Mathematics In Motherhood And Academia,
2018
Quinnipiac University
The Situatedness Of Mathematics In Motherhood And Academia, Jennifer Schenk Sacco, Jill Shahverdian
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
The authors, a mathematician and a political scientist, examine mathematics, motherhood, and academia, and argue that feminist epistemology is necessary to explain the intersection. Relying on the principles of feminist epistemology laid out by philosophers Naomi Scheman and Marianne Janack, the authors consider how work, the concept of time, teaching, arts and crafts, and decision-making all reveal the situatedness of knowing and using mathematics.
Math Mamas: Changing The Narrative,
2018
Williams College
Math Mamas: Changing The Narrative, Pamela E. Harris, Becky Hall, Emille Lawrence, Carrie Diaz Eaton
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
No abstract provided.
How To Wear More Than One Hat Well,
2018
Claremont McKenna College
How To Wear More Than One Hat Well, Mark Huber, Gizem Karaali
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
No abstract provided.
Front Matter,
2018
Claremont Colleges
Emilie Du Chatelet Activity,
2018
Pittsburg State University
Emilie Du Chatelet Activity, Cynthia J. Huffman Ph.D.
Open Educational Resources - Math
This activity was originally created for a Women in Mathematics course to provide students with a small taste of some basic mathematics connected to work of Émilie du Châtelet. The activity has the students use some algebra to look at rates of change (velocity and acceleration) of a paraboloid apparatus. It could also be used in other courses, such as history of math, high school or college algebra, and calculus.
Maria Agnesi Activity,
2018
Pittsburg State University
Maria Agnesi Activity, Cynthia J. Huffman Ph.D.
Open Educational Resources - Math
This activity was originally created for a Women in Mathematics course to provide students with a small taste of some basic mathematics connected to the work of Maria Agnesi. The activity has the students look at some of her work in algebra and calculus (optional). It could also be used in other courses, such as history of math, a general education mathematics course, high school or college algebra, and calculus.
Maryam Mirzakhani Riemann Surface Activity,
2018
Pittsburg State University
Maryam Mirzakhani Riemann Surface Activity, Cynthia J. Huffman Ph.D.
Open Educational Resources - Math
This activity was originally created for a Women in Mathematics course to provide students (who may not yet have taken much upper level mathematics) with a small taste of some basic mathematics connected to the work of Maryam Mirzakhani. In this activity, students investigate some Riemann surfaces and one non-example. The activity could also be used in other courses, such as a general education mathematics course, a course for pre-service elementary teachers, or a history of mathematics course.
Ada Byron Lovelace Activity,
2018
Pittsburg State University
Ada Byron Lovelace Activity, Cynthia J. Huffman Ph.D.
Open Educational Resources - Math
This activity was originally created for a Women in Mathematics course to provide students with a small taste of some basic mathematics connected to the work of Lady Ada Byron Lovelace. The activity is based on her work related to the Difference Engine of Charles Babbage, and has students investigate differences of sequences. The activity could also be used in other courses, such as a general education mathematics course, a course for pre-service elementary teachers, or a history of mathematics course.
On The Strong Chromatic Index Of Sparse Graphs,
2018
Emory and Henry College
On The Strong Chromatic Index Of Sparse Graphs, Philip Deorsey, Jennifer Diemunsch, Michael Ferrara, Nathan Graber, Stephen Hartke, Sogol Jahanbekam, Bernard Lidicky, Luke Nelsen, Derrick Stolee, Eric Sullivan
Faculty Publications
The strong chromatic index of a graph G, denoted χ′s(G), is the least number of colors needed to edge-color G so that edges at distance at most two receive distinct colors. The strong list chromatic index, denoted χ′s,ℓ(G), is the least integer k such that if arbitrary lists of size k are assigned to each edge then G can be edge-colored from those lists where edges at distance at most two receive distinct colors.We use the discharging method, the Combinatorial Nullstellensatz, and computation to show that if G is a subcubic planar graph with girth(G)≥41 then χ′s,ℓ(G)≤5, answering a question …
Counting Arithmetical Structures On Paths And Cycles,
2018
University of Kentucky
Counting Arithmetical Structures On Paths And Cycles, Benjamin Braun, Hugo Corrales, Scott Corry, Luis David Garcia Puente, Darren B. Glass, Nathan Kaplan, Jeremy L. Martin, Gregg Musiker, Carlos E. Valencia
Math Faculty Publications
Let G be a finite, connected graph. An arithmetical structure on G is a pair of positive integer vectors d, r such that (diag (d) - A) r=0 , where A is the adjacency matrix of G. We investigate the combinatorics of arithmetical structures on path and cycle graphs, as well as the associated critical groups (the torsion part of the cokernels of the matrices (diag (d) - A)). For paths, we prove that arithmetical structures are enumerated by the Catalan numbers, and we obtain refined enumeration results related to ballot sequences. …
Sophie Germain Activity,
2018
Pittsburg State University
Sophie Germain Activity, Cynthia J. Huffman Ph.D.
Open Educational Resources - Math
This activity was originally created for a Women in Mathematics course to provide students, who may not have had an abstract algebra class, with a small taste of some basic mathematics connected to the work of Sophie Germain on Fermat’s Last Theorem. The activity has the students find all primes less than 100 using the Sieve of Eratosthenes and then determine which of those are Germain primes. The activity could also be used in other courses, such as a general education mathematics course or a history of mathematics course.
Emmy Noether And Modular Arithmetic Activity,
2018
Pittsburg State University
Emmy Noether And Modular Arithmetic Activity, Cynthia J. Huffman Ph.D.
Open Educational Resources - Math
This activity was originally created for a Women in Mathematics course to provide students, who may not have had an abstract algebra class, with a small taste of some basic mathematics connected to the work of Emmy Noether. The activity has the students perform some basic modular (clock) arithmetic and then investigate real world applications of modular arithmetic to ISBN and UPC codes. It could also be used in other courses, such as a general education mathematics course.
Ingrid Daubechies Wavelet Activity (Function Transformations),
2018
Pittsburg State University
Ingrid Daubechies Wavelet Activity (Function Transformations), Cynthia J. Huffman Ph.D.
Open Educational Resources - Math
This activity was originally created for a Women in Mathematics course to provide the students with a small taste of some basic mathematics connected to the work of Ingrid Daubechies on wavelets. The activity could also be used in a high school algebra or college algebra course to motivate transformations of functions, in particular, translation (shifting) and scaling. The functions used are a basic quadratic x2, the exponential function ex , and the sine function, but other functions could be used to fit the level of the students.
Ensemble Estimation Of Information Divergence,
2018
Utah State University
Ensemble Estimation Of Information Divergence, Kevin R. Moon, Kumar Sricharan, Kristjan Greenewald, Alfred O. Hero Iii
Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications
Recent work has focused on the problem of nonparametric estimation of information divergence functionals between two continuous random variables. Many existing approaches require either restrictive assumptions about the density support set or difficult calculations at the support set boundary which must be known a priori. The mean squared error (MSE) convergence rate of a leave-one-out kernel density plug-in divergence functional estimator for general bounded density support sets is derived where knowledge of the support boundary, and therefore, the boundary correction is not required. The theory of optimally weighted ensemble estimation is generalized to derive a divergence estimator that achieves the …
