April/May 2010 - Department of Mathematics - University of ...

MAA FOCUS 

The Newsmagazine of the Mathematical Association of America 

April/May 2010 | Volume 30 Number 2 

WHAT’S INSIDE 

3 ............. MAA Introduces Student E-Memberships… 

and Modifies Institutional Membership 

10 ............ MAA Calculus Survey 

16 ............ Out of the Mouths of Babes and Sucklings: What Motivates 

Calculus Students to Learn 

21 ............ MathFest Pittsbrugh, PA August 5 -7, 2010

�� is published 

by the Mathematical Association of 

America in February/March, April/May, 

June/July, August/September, October/ 

November, and December/January. 

Editor: Fernando Gouvêa, Colby College 

fqgouvea@colby.edu 

Managing Editor: Carol Baxter, MAA 

cbaxter@maa.org 

Senior Writer: Harry Waldman, MAA 

hwaldman@maa.org 

Please address advertising inquiries to: 

advertising@maa.org 

President: David Bressoud 

First Vice President: Francis Su 

Second Vice President: Doug Ensley 

Secretary: Barbara T. Faires 

Associate Secretary: Gerard Venema 

Treasurer: John W. Kenelly 

Executive Director: Tina H. Straley 

Director of Publications for Journals and 

Communications: Ivars Peterson 

MAA FOCUS Editorial Board: Donald 

J. Albers; Robert Bradley; Joseph Gallian; 

Jacqueline Giles; Colm Mulcahy; Michael 

Orrison; Peter Renz; Sharon Cutler Ross; 

Annie Selden; Hortensia Soto-Johnson; 

Peter Stanek; Ravi Vakil. 

Letters to the editor should be addressed 

to Fernando Gouvêa, Colby College, Dept. 

of Mathematics, Waterville, ME 04901, or 

by email to fqgouvea@colby.edu. 

Subscription and membership questions 

should be directed to the MAA Customer 

Service Center, 800-331-1622; email: 

maaservice@maa.org; (301) 617-7800 

(outside U.S. and Canada); fax: (301) 

206-9789. MAA Headquarters: (202) 

387-5200. 

Copyright © 2010 by the Mathematical 

Association of America (Incorporated). 

Educational institutions may reproduce 

articles for their own use, but not for 

sale, provided that the following citation 

is used: “Reprinted with permission of 

MAA FOCUS, the newsmagazine of the 

Mathematical Association of America 

(Incorporated).” 

Periodicals postage paid at Washington, 

DC and additional mailing o� ces. 

Postmaster: Send address changes to MAA 

FOCUS, Mathematical Association of 

America, P.O. Box 90973, Washington, DC 

20090-0973. 

ISSN: 0731-2040; Printed in the United 

States of America. 

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On the cover: Pittsburgh, PA site of this year’s 

MathFest. Photograph courtesy of VisitPittsburgh.com.

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�he MAA recently introduced an all-electronic option 

for its core members. Now it is going one step further, 

making e-memberships available to students as well. 

Beginning this spring, there are now Graduate Student and 

Undergraduate Student versions of e-membership. 

� e Graduate Student version includes online access to all 

three MAA journals (American Mathematical Monthly, College 

Mathematics Journal, and Mathematics Magazine) plus 

MAA FOCUS newsmagazine. Along with this increased 

content, Graduate Students will also receive a dues reduction. 

Dues for this type of membership will now be only $30 

per year. 

� e Undergraduate Student version is slightly di� erent. Undergrads 

will receive two MAA journals (College Mathematics 

Journal and Mathematics Magazine), plus Math Horizons 

and MAA FOCUS. � ey too will pay only $30 per year for 

more content than they received before. 

All other membership bene� ts (books discounts, section 

membership, ability to add a JSTOR subscription and/or 

SIGMAA memberships, etc.) will continue as before. 

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�he IEEE has announced that the 2010 Hamming Medal 

will go to the three pioneers of public-key cryptography: 

Whit� ed Di� e of Sun Microsystems, Martin Hellman 

of Stanford University, and Ralph Merkle of the Institute for 

Molecular Engineering. � e three discovered the possibility 

of cryptographic systems whose key can be made public 

without compromising security in the 1970s, when all three 

worked at Stanford. All three were initially discouraged by 

colleagues who argued that cryptography was dominated by 

the NSA and that the � eld would prove fruitless. All of us 

�nstitutional Membership has been renamed Departmental 

membership. � is should help to remove the unintended implication 

that the membership is meant for an entire institution. 

� is type of membership was always intended to be for the use of 

a speci� c department. Institutions wishing to have MAA journals 

in their libraries are encouraged to purchase Library Subscriptions 

and not Departmental Memberships. 

As part of their membership bene� ts, departments still have the 

ability to nominate students, but the process has been streamlined. 

Departments will now receive one free nominee membership 

for every � ve paid nominees. � e previous policy provided 

one free nominee for the � rst � ve paid nominees. 

Graduate and Undergraduate students nominated by their 

departments will now receive e-memberships, with the same 

bene� ts as outlined in the section above. 

Nominees can be added as Departments create or renew their 

membership, or they can be added at a later date. Departments 

will no longer be asked to provide each nominee with a membership 

certi� cate outlining several membership options, but instead 

will be asked to simply provide the student’s name and the e-mail 

address to which their journal notices will be sent. 

Students will need to provide a valid e-mail address in order 

to access their online bene� ts. As with the core e-members, Since student nominees are attached to the Departmental mem- 

student e-members will have access not only to current 

bership, their membership dates will coincide with that of the 

issues of each journal, but also to all issues that have been Department. � is means that all student nominee memberships 

published within the last three years, will be able to print will expire at the same time the Department membership expires, 

individual articles if they so choose. Student e-members 

namely August 31. 

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If you would like to become an MAA Departmental Member, you 

becomes available. 

can do so by calling (800) 331-1622 (US Only) or (301) 617-7800 

(Outside the US). Visit the Membership portion of the MAA 

website to see a list of current MAA Departmental members! 

who use secure encryption to make purchases over the internet owe 

them a debt of gratitude. 

� e Hamming Medal was established by the IEEE Board of Directors 

in 1986 “for exceptional contributions to information sciences, 

systems and technology.” It is named for Richard W. Hamming, 

a pioneer in information technology and communication theory 

whose work includes the creation of his famous error-correcting 

codes. � e award consists of a gold medal, bronze replica, certi� cate, 

and honorarium.

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�onvergence: Where Mathematics, History, 

and Teaching Interact, is the Mathematical 

Association of America’s free online journal 

about the history of mathematics and its use in 

teaching. Now part of the Mathematics Digital 

Library (MathDL) and its online journal, Loci, 

Convergence is aimed at teachers of mathematics 

at both the secondary and collegiate levels. 

Topics are mathematics from grades 8–16: 

classical algebra, combinatorics, synthetic and 

analytic geometry, trigonometry, probability 

and statistics, elementary functions, calculus, 

di� erential equations, and linear algebra. 

We encourage you to visit Convergence at �� 

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to see the information, 

classroom activities, and teaching aids 

the journal has to o� er. We especially encourage 

you to view the article, “Mathematical Treasures,” 

which features digital images of mathematical 

objects and texts from the Columbia 

University Library George Arthur Plimpton and 

David Eugene Smith collections that you may 

use in your classroom. 

At the Convergence homepage, you’ll also � nd 

links to: 

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tory 

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ics history events 

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other instructional materials 

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room activities, along with Tables 

of Contents for all seven volumes 

(2004–2010) of Convergence 

Convergence founding editors Victor Katz and 

Frank Swetz continue to serve the journal as 

advisors, as project directors for its NSF grant, 

and as authors of the ongoing “Mathematical 

Treasures” project. � e journal’s current editors 

are Janet Beery (�� 

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of the University of Redlands and Kathy Clark 

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) of Florida State University. 

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�s the Archivist for the Archives of American Mathematics 

(AAM) at the University of Texas at Austin (UT), I am 

frequently asked “What types of records do you want?” and “How 

do I donate them?” Some people may also wonder what happens to 

materials a� er they arrive. 

To understand the AAM’s role better, let’s start with its mission. 

As stated on its web site, the AAM “…is dedicated to collecting, 

preserving, and providing access to the records of American mathematicians 

and mathematical organizations for use by historians, 

mathematicians, educators, and others interested in the history and 

development of mathematics.” To that end, the AAM houses and 

provides access to the papers of individual mathematicians and the 

records of organizations, including the Mathematical Association 

of America (MAA), for which the AAM is the o� cial repository. 

What are Archives? 

Archives collect records created or received by individuals or organizations 

and preserve them because of their enduring historical 

value. Archival records typically consist of a variety of documentation 

re� ecting an individual’s life and career or an organization’s 

activities. For example, the Paul Halmos Papers, which the AAM 

houses, reveal Halmos’s professional and personal interests and activities 

through student notes, diaries, correspondence, and photographs. 

� e records of the MAA, also part of the AAM, document 

its long history through correspondence, photographs, committee 

documentation, and meeting minutes. 

Whether the papers of individuals or the records of organizations, 

these collections are important because they further our understanding 

of history by revealing ideas with historical signi� cance, 

decisions made and actions taken, and the role of a person or organization 

in that history. 

What to Donate 

Types of documents vary from collection to collection, depending 

on the person or the organization. However, there are general 

guidelines one may follow when thinking about what to preserve. 

A list — not comprehensive — of typical documents that we accept 

and encourage you to send to us is listed in the box. It should be 

noted that in addition to paper records, we also accept digital � les. 

What happens a� er we get your donation 

When we receive your donation, we will send you a letter of 

acknowledgement and a Deed of Gi� , in which you indicate any 

restrictions and copyright issues (hopefully there won’t be any), and 

which you sign and return to us. � e University’s O� ce of Development 

signs the Deed and we return a copy of the signed version 

to you. 

A� er the Deed is in place, we will “process” the collection, which 

means we will go through it to establish a logical arrangement, 

re-house the documents in acid-free folders and boxes, and create a 

“� nding aid,” which consists of a biographical summary, a review of 

the collection’s contents, and a box listing. � e next step is to 

catalog the collection in the UT library system and upload it 

to the web. Finally, we put the collection on the shelf, where it 

is ready to be used for research. 

Sending the Collection 

To initiate the process of sending your papers or records, 

please contact me at �� 

. I will 

want to know the nature of the collection, its contents (e.g. 

letters, photographs, notebooks, etc.), and its volume. Once 

we have determined that what you have is appropriate for deposit 

here, I ask that you pack up the documents in a reasonable 

order in very sturdy boxes — preferably not large ones, 

as big, heavy boxes tend to fall apart more easily than smaller, 

lighter ones. 

Please send your donation by UPS to my attention: 

Carol Mead 

2313 Red River St., Unit 2 

Austin, TX 78705 

512-495-4598 

For more information about donating your collection, please 

see the AAM web page, �� 

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, or email me. I look forward to 

hearing from you. 

Carol Mead is the Archivist for the Archives of American Mathematics, 

located at the Research and Collections division of the 

Dolph Briscoe Center for American History on the University of 

Texas at Austin campus. 

What to Donate 

Individuals 

Correspondence (paper and email); diaries and journals; research, 

especially notes and notebooks; class notes taken as a 

student; class notes created for classes as a professor; reprints 

of articles by the collection’s creator; published or unpublished 

manuscripts of articles and books; lectures; evidence 

of involvement with professional associations, publishers, and 

conferences; and photographs. 

Organizations 

Articles of incorporation; charters, bylaws; minutes; Board of 

Directors � les; o� cer records; committee documents; reports 

(annual, committee, etc.); organization newsletters; agendas; 

photographs; meeting and conference materials; organizational 

charts; and brochures and � yers. 

What not to donate 

Books, journals, and other publications not published by the 

person or organization. Reprints by other authors.

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�n January, Martha Siegel retired as Secretary of the MAA after 

14 years on the job. Taking the reins is Barbara T. Faires, 

who will hold the position until January 2015. 

“I have inherited a well organized system,” Faires said, “and 

have the luxury of consulting with Martha Siegel regularly.” 

Faires has been actively involved with the MAA since 1976, 

when the chair of Westminster College’s mathematics department 

invited her to attend the Allegheny Mountain Section 

planning meeting. At the meeting, Faires suggested a puzzle 

session for students and became hooked on the Association 

and on getting more people involved. In 40 years, she has 

missed only two or three national meetings. 

She has held positions of considerable responsibility both 

nationally and at the section level. From 1987 to 1990, Faires 

was Governor of the Allegheny Mountain Section, before 

becoming Chair of the MAA’s Committee on Sections. From 

1992 to 2000, she served on the Finance Committee. From 

1995 to 2000, she chaired the Audit and Budget Committees, 

and from 2004 to 2006 she served as First Vice President. 

Moreover, she has participated in and chaired a number of 

nominating, award, and search committees. 

In addition to her service in SIGMAAS, publications, and 

national meetings, Faires recently chaired the MAA’s Strategic 

Planning Working Group on Revenue. She was awarded 

MAA’s Meritorious Service Award in 1995 for her work in the 

Allegheny Mountain Section and the Section’s Distinguished 

Teaching Award in 2002. 

“While I haven’t had much chance to work with Barbara 

Faires yet, I am impressed by the enormous experience and 

strong dedication that she brings to the job of secretary of the 

Association,” MAA President David Bressoud said. “In many 

respects, it is a more important job than the presidency. I 

look forward to our work together.” 

“� e MAA must be very lucky, because we have found another 

incredible Secretary in Barbara Faires,” MAA Executive 

Director Tina Straley said. “Barbara has the advantage of 

all of Martha’s work to make the o� ce of Secretary and the 

MAA function so well. Barbara and Martha have spent many 

months making this transition smooth, and Barbara has great 

experience in MAA leadership.” 

“� is job of secretary provides the opportunity to work with 

many wonderful MAA folks,” Faires said. “I continue to be 

amazed at the outstanding programs and services of MAA!” 

A member of the Westminster College faculty since the 1970s, 

Faires has served as Department Chair of Mathematics and 

Computer Science and, from 1988 to 1993, as Vice President 

for Academic A� airs. She has also held visiting professorships 

at Carnegie Mellon University and 

Sussex University in England. 

Faires received her Bachelor of 

Science in mathematics and business 

from East Carolina University. 

She received her Master’s in 

abstract algebra from University 

of South Carolina and her PhD 

in functional analysis from Kent 

State University. 

Her research has been in the � eld 

of vector measures, in which she 

published a series of papers in 

both the Proceedings and Transactions 

of the American Mathematical Society and in Mathematische 

Nachrichten, as well as others. Current work involves the history of 

functional analysis, especially the work of Stefan Banach and his 

colleagues. Also, with J.D. Faires, she published a calculus text in 

1989. 

While she o� cially retired from teaching in the summer of 2009, 

Faires has plenty on her plate to keep her busy. In addition to her 

duties as MAA Secretary, she has developed interdisciplinary courses 

for Westminster that combine mathematics and literature, and 

show the relationship between architecture, art, and geometry. 

� ews items, announcements, and updates to 

MAA online are posted here almost every 

hour of the working day. MAA monitors the 

contributions of our followers and re-tweets (reposts) 

relevant/interesting math-related tweets. 

In preparation for the 2010 Joint Mathematics 

Meetings, MAA created a #JointMath hashtag 

(a community-driven convention for adding 

additional context to tweets). � e hashtag was 

heavily used by MAA and several followers prior 

to and during the meetings. Since hashtags aren’t 

automatically archived on Twitter, #JointMath 

was registered and archived on Twapper Keeper 

so those interested can catch up on the entire 

conversation. A tweet-up, casual meeting of followers, 

was organized by attendees of the Meeting 

as well. As of March 8, 2010, MAA has 459 

followers.

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�n February, Lisa Kolbe retired as MAA’s Development Manager 

a� er 28 years with the Association. 

� ose 28 years began when Kolbe joined the Association in 

1975. Her � rst stint was short. Hired by Membership Manager 

Kay Lamont, Kolbe stayed for two years. She returned in 1983 as 

Marcia Sward’s assistant at the Conference Board of the Mathematical 

Sciences and continued to work with her when Sward 

became MAA Executive Director in 1989. 

When MAA was looking for someone to handle the Association’s 

annual development campaign, Executive Director Tina Straley 

turned to Kolbe. “Lisa was the perfect person for this job,” Straley 

said. “She had been around the MAA and CBMS for a long time, 

and this was a natural next step for her.” 

As Development Manager, Kolbe launched the Icosahedron 

Society, the Brick Campaign, the Travel Study Program, and the 

merchandise program. She improved the Association’s fundraising 

campaigns, especially expanding sponsorships for the AMC 

program, table sponsorships for the USAMO awards ceremonies, 

and sponsorships, pledge campaigns, and endowed fellows for 

Project NExT. 

She began organizing the annual award ceremonies for the USA 

Mathematical Olympiad Awards, a prestigious high school mathematics 

competition, in 1990. 

“We all admire Lisa for her sense of style and her creativity,” said 

Elaine Pedreira Sullivan, Associate Director for Publications. “I 

organized the USAMO Banquet for some years before she did, 

but she brought the event to a whole new level by obtaining 

sponsorships and getting support from outside organizations.” 

“My 19-year run as the organizer of USMAO a� orded 

me the latitude to be creative in the planning and execution 

of this particular event,” Kolbe said, “capitalizing 

on the grandeur and allure of an event at the National 

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Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Department of State.” 

“It’s been a great pleasure to work with Lisa Kolbe,” MAA President 

David Bressoud said. “She’s been wonderful in organizing 

events for the MAA and is the consummate hostess. She really 

shines at the USAMO ceremonies, and I will particularly miss 

her mastery at bringing that day of festivities o� so smoothly.” 

In 2003, Kolbe and Straley developed the MAA Travel Study 

Program, which Lisa ran until her retirement. 

“Traveling the globe and exploring the world of mathematics 

with MAA members has de� nitely been a highlight of my 

time at the MAA,” Kolbe said. “From the Great Wall of China 

to standing at Manchu Picchu to the island of Samos, where 

the famous statue of Pythagoras adorns the harbor, to climbing 

Chichen Itza in 100 plus degree weather, each tour has been 

a wonderful journey with amazingly interesting people, some 

who have become cherished friends.” 

“Although I’ve only infrequently interacted with Lisa, I’ve come 

to realize that the MAA has been lucky to have her as a sta� 

member and as a representative,” Journals Editorial Manager 

and Senior Writer Harry Waldman said. “Because she cares 

greatly about the MAA, she has also been a straight talker about 

Association business matters and concerns. � at’s perhaps the 

one thing I’ll miss most about her.” 

Kolbe’s plans for retirement include continuing with the Confer- 

�� ence �� Board of the �� 

Mathematical Sciences, spending time with 

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her daughters, travelling with her husband, and splitting their 

time between her New York childhood home, their new condo 

in Florida, and their home in Gaithersburg, Md. 

“Some of my traveling buddies already have asked whether I’ll 

be going on the study tours,” Kolbe said. “� at is a de� nite possibility.”

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MAA Does Calculus! 

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MAA o�ers a wide assortment of books and other materials—from online courses and electronic 

texts to course companions and classic volumes—to support the teaching of calculus. 

Of special note is an online calculus textbook, Calculus: Modeling and Application, 2nd Edition, by David A. 

Smith and Lawrence C. Moore of Duke University, which will be available for Fall 2010 adoption. �is textbook 

responds to advances in technology that permit the integration of text and student activities into a uni�ed whole. 

In this approach, students can use mathematics to structure their understanding of and investigate questions in 

the world around them, using calculus to formulate problems and �nd solutions, then communicating their results 

to others. 

�is interactive textbook covers two semesters of single-variable calculus. Its features include use of real-world 

contexts for motivation, guided discovery learning, hands-on activities (including built-in applets), a problemsolving 

orientation, encouragement of teamwork, written responses to questions, tools for self-checking of results, 

intelligent use of technology, and high expectation of students. 

Calculus: Modeling and Application will be available through License Agreement subscription. Schools that 

adopt the text will be charged each semester on a sliding scale based on the number of students expected to be 

using the text. For more information contact: Elaine Pedreira: epedreira@maa.org, (202) 319-8479. 

Free Preview: Until Fall 2010, the text material is freely available online for review. 

Go to: http://calculuscourse.maa.org. �e Firefox Browser, a free download, is needed to run the text. 

Calculus Deconstructed, by Zbigniew Nitecki, is the ideal book for those teaching 

freshman who come to college with a high-school calculus background. It presents a 

thorough and mathematically rigorous exposition of single-variable calculus for readers 

with some previous exposure to calculus techniques, but not to methods of proof. 

�e book is also appropriate for a “bridge course” using basic analysis to motivate and 

illustrate mathematical rigor. 

Standard topics and techniques in single-variable calculus are presented in the context 

of a coherent logical structure, building on familiar properties of real numbers and 

teaching methods of proof by example. Numerous examples reinforce both practical 

and theoretical understanding, and extensive historical notes explore the arguments of 

the originators of the subject. 

Calculus Deconstructed: A Second Course in First-Year Calculus 

Zbigniew H. Nitecki 

504 pp., 2009, ISBN: 978-0-88385-756-4, Hardbound, List: $74.95, MAA Member: $59.95 

Catalog Code: CDE-FC

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Calculus for Business Decisions, by Richard B. �ompson and Christopher Lamoureaux 

of the University of Arizona, is a new electronic text that retains the projects and emphasis 

on numerical and geometric methods from Mathematics for Business Decisions 

Part 2, but includes symbolic work with most of the standard formulas for di�erentiation 

and integration. �is material can be used for a one-semester course in business 

calculus, having only algebra and some computer experience as prerequisites. 

�is text is available through a site licensing arrangement with MAA at a cost of $25.00 per 

enrolled student. For additional information and to obtain examination copy downloads of this 

material, contact Elaine Pedreira at epedreira@maa.org. 

In addition to textbooks, MAA has published several books that o�er 

supplementary resources in calculus for students and for instructors. 

�e Calculus Collection is a handy resource for anyone who teaches calculus. It consists 

of 123 articles selected from MAA journals. �e articles focus on engaging students 

who are encountering the core ideas of calculus for the �rst time. �e book is 

�lled with insights, alternate explanations of di�cult ideas, and suggestions on how to 

open up standard problems to the rich mathematical explorations available when you 

encourage student to dig a little deeper. 

�e Calculus Collection: A Resource for AP* and Beyond 

Caren L. Diefenderfer and Roger Nelsen, Editors 

527 pp., 2010, ISBN 978-0-88385-761-8, Hardbound, List: $74.95, MAA Member: $59.95, 

Catalog Code: CCE-FC 

*AP is a registered trademark for the College Board, which was not involved in the production of this 

volume. 

Counterexamples in Calculus, by Sergiy Klymchuk, serves as a supplementary resource 

to enhance the learning experience in single-variable calculus courses. It features 

carefully constructed incorrect mathematical statements that require students 

to create counterexamples to disprove them. At times, the converse of a well-known 

theorem is presented. In other instances, crucial conditions are omitted or altered, or 

incorrect de�nitions are employed. Incorrect statements are grouped topically with sections 

devoted to functions, limits, continuity, di�erential calculus, and integral calculus. 

Counterexamples in Calculus 

Sergiy Klymchuk 

112 pp., 2010, ISBN 978-0-88385-756-6, Paperbound, List: $39.95, MAA Member: $31.95, 

Catalog Code: CXC-FC 

�e books described on these pages are a small sample of MAA’s “must have” calculus o�erings. Other attractive 

volumes include: 

Excursions in Calculus: An Interplay of the Continuous and the Discrete, Robert Young; What Is Calculus 

About?, W. W. Sawyer; �e Calculus: A Genetic Approach, Otto Toeplitz; Calculus Gems: Brief Lives 

and Memorable Mathematics, George F. Simmons; �e Hitchhiker’s Guide to Calculus: A Calculus Course 

Companion, Michael Spivak; Resources for Calculus Collection (�ve volumes) in the MAA Notes Series; 

Calculus Mysteries and �rillers, R. Grant Woods; Maxima and Minima without Calculus, Ivan Niven; and 

Student Research Projects in Calculus, Edward Gaughan, et al. 

For a more complete description of these and all other books published by MAA, go online to (www.maa.org) 

and browse our catalogs. You will encounter an abundance of wonderful books in all areas of mathematics! 

Call 1-800-331-1622 or visit our bookstore at www.maa.org to order.

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�his spring, the MAA will be contacting chairs of mathematics 

departments in preparation for a nation-wide survey in Fall 

2010 of Calculus I instruction in both two- and four-year colleges 

and universities. � e goals of this survey are: 

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students who enroll in calculus, and 

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of calculus classes that are believed to in� uence student 

success. 

� e survey is part of a larger study, Characteristics of Successful 

Programs in College Calculus (CSPCC), funded by the National Science 

Foundation’s Division of Research on Learning in Formal and 

Informal Settings (DRL), that also will include detailed case study 

analysis of selected colleges and universities with highly successful 

calculus programs. 

In late April of this year, chairs of over 500 departments selected by 

strati� ed random sample will be contacted and asked to participate. 

I strongly urge all departmental chairs who are contacted to 

respond promptly. � e results of this survey will be most useful if 

there is a high rate of national participation. 

Chairs of selected departments will be asked to identify the person 

or people who will be able to supply the names and contact information 

for all instructors of mainstream Calculus I in the Fall term. 

At the start of the fall term, these instructors will be contacted, given 

an online survey to complete, and asked to require their students 

to complete an online survey in the second week of class. Follow-up 

surveys for the students and instructors will be conducted at the 

end of the term. Information from the students will be collected 

anonymously, and the Institutional Review Board of Arizona State 

University will provide IRB approval. 

Upon completion of the analysis, a summary of the results from 

each institution will be provided to the chair, together with a summary 

of the national results, reported by type of institution. 

In May, we also intend to invite any other interested colleges and 

universities to participate in this study. While their data will not 

be used in the analysis, they may be employed to check reliability 

and should provide useful information to the department, enabling 

it to better understand who its students are, to learn what their 

perceptions of calculus instruction have been, and to compare the 

e� ectiveness of its Calculus I o� erings with that of comparable 

institutions. � ere likely will be a nominal charge to participate in 

the study for those colleges and universities that were not selected in 

the random sample. 

� e MAA Calculus Survey is being conducted in cooperation with 

the CBMS Statistical Survey that will be administered this coming 

fall. � e random selection for both surveys is being coordinated 

so that there will be as little overlap as possible. Except for large 

research universities, 

which both surveys will 

sample at 75% or higher, 

those departments 

asked to participate in 

the Calculus Survey 

will not be included in 

the CBMS survey. 

For more information, 

please contact 

David Bressoud, MAA 

President and CSPCC 

Project Director, �� 

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or Michael Pearson, 

MAA Director of Programs 

and Services, �� . 

Additional information is available at �� 

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MAA now has a Facebook page. Announcements 

from MAA Online and links to Math in 

the News appear here daily. In preparation for 

� e 2010 Joint Mathematics Meetings, MAA 

posted designs by � nalists in the T-Shirt Contest 

allowing fans to comment and vote on their 

favorite. As of March 9, 2010, MAA has 914 

fans on Facebook.

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�t was the Saturday of the Joint Meetings, late a� ernoon. 

� e attendance at the various sessions was dwindling, as 

expected. But in Room 3024 of the Moscone Center, approximately 

50 people showed up for a Project NExT panel 

discussion entitled “Organizing and Running an E� ective 

Seminar/Capstone for Mathematics Majors.” 

� ere seems to be a trend towards mathematics departments 

having some form of seminar or capstone experience 

for their students, possibly mandated by their 

institutions’ faculties. Additionally, there appears to be an 

accompanying level of discomfort for many mathematics 

departments who are struggling to organize such an experience 

that will be e� ective for their particular institution 

and for their particular students. � e panelists for this session 

were Mariah Birgen (Wartburg College), Lipika Deka 

(CSU Monterey Bay), Nezam Iraniparast (Western Kentucky 

University), and Brian Miceli (Trinity University). 

� ey represented a wide range of institutions and shared 

their experiences of being involved with their department’s 

seminar/capstone. � e audience appeared quite interested 

in the common challenges and successes faced by the 

panelists’ departments. � ose working to create or revamp 

a departmental seminar could learn from the experiences 

of the panelists, who agreed to allow their presentations to 

be posted on the internet. One can � nd them at 

�� 

� e panelists related some of the common challenges 

departments will face: students who struggle with the 

unstructured nature of doing research, creating an atmosphere 

conducive to building community among students, 

ensuring the capstone advising/mentoring workload is 

distributed evenly across the department, and identifying 

how a seminar needs to be revised to provide a more 

productive and successful experience for the students. 

� is last challenge seemed to be a key issue and was the 

common thread among the panelists. Deka’s department 

decided to alter their capstone by creating two tracks: a 

“Project Capstone” and a “Seminar Capstone,” the primary 

di� erence being the level of structure for the students. 

Similarly, Miceli described his department’s multi-course 

capstone experience along with their e� orts to � ne-tune 

how those courses develop student reading, writing and 

researching skills. Iraniparast’s departmental seminar has 

innovatively included multiple student “progress reports” 

early in the research process and Birgen’s has been working 

to develop a capstone that addresses mathematics writ 

large, having students discuss and address topics such as 

the philosophy and ethics of mathematics and social issues 

in mathematics. 

Overall, this panel discussion e� ectively demonstrated to the audience 

that, while there can be (will be!) challenges in designing and 

revising a productive seminar/capstone experience for students, there 

are certainly many departments and faculty out there working with 

the same goal in mind. Moreover, there are many institutions and 

faculty out there with success stories of how they created an e� ective 

seminar/capstone for their department. � ese conversations are likely 

to continue at our national and sectional meetings, workshops, and 

minicourses. 

Karrolyne Fogel (California Lutheran University), Russ Goodman 

(Central College), and Tom Langley (Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology) 

were the organizers of the Project NExT panel on seminars and 

capstone courses. 

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�� 

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�ust as in sports, good coaches are important in mathematics. 

Talented and dedicated mathematics teachers 

build a school’s consistently high placement in mathematics 

competitions. Although winning sports coaches are 

remembered and celebrated, in mathematics competitions 

the awards and recognition tend to go to the students 

and not to the teachers. One such teacher was Edyth May 

Sli� e, who taught at Emery High School in Emeryville, 

California. Following her graduation from the University 

of Oregon with a major in music, she moved to California 

and enrolled in several mathematics courses at the 

University of California at Berkeley, then went to Emery, 

where she taught for 36 years until her retirement in 1962. 

In 1978 Edyth Sli� e contacted Kenneth Rebman, then- 

Governor of the Northern California Section of the MAA. 

Miss Sli� e wanted to make a bequest to the MAA to present 

awards to high school mathematics teachers whose 

teams score high on the American High School Mathematics 

Examination (AHSME), now called the AMC 12. 

While her students had always done well on that examination 

and received various honors, she had never received 

any recognition. She believed that teachers should also 

receive an award for their consistent accomplishments. 

Rebman contacted Henry Alder, then MAA President. After 

meeting with Alder, Edyth Sli� e arranged for the MAA 

to administer a trust used annually to recognize 20 mathematics 

teachers behind the success of the highest scoring school teams on 

the AHSME. 

Following Sli� e’s death in 1988, MAA President Leonard Gillman 

appointed the Edyth May Sli� e Awards Committee to advise the 

MAA on how to administer the trust and make the awards. � e 

annual “Edyth May Sli� e Awards for Distinguished High School 

Mathematics Teaching” now recognizes the excellence of teachers 

responsible for the success of the highest scoring teams. Beginning 

with the 1989 AHSME, approximately 20 teachers have received 

this honor each year, selected from the top 60 United States and 

Canadian schools on the basis of nominations received from students 

at these schools. Consistent with the philosophy of recognizing 

distinguished teaching, in 1995 the Sli� e Award committee recommended 

the MAA extend the award to middle school teachers. 

� e criteria for the selection of the award winners are based on the 

school’s scores on the AMC 8 (called the AJHSME before 2000). 

� e MAA maintains all the information related to the Sli� e Award 

at �� 

, under the link “Sli� e Award.” One can � nd 

the history of the award, a complete listing of past award winners, 

photos of the award winners and the ceremonies that honor them, 

and the current nomination and award rules and guidelines. 

In January 2010, the MAA announced the newest middle school 

recipients of the Sli� e Award, based on the results of the 2009 

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AMC 8 contest held in November 2009. In summer 2009, the 

MAA announced the high school Sli� e Award winners based 

on results from the 2009 AMC 12 contests held in February 

2009. 

� e most recent group of 2009 middle-school Sli� e winners 

were asked about their teaching techniques. While this is not 

a scienti� c survey, it does give a glimpse into the classrooms 

of teachers whose students excel at solving challenging math 

problems. MAA might even � nd that these techniques have 

implications for the college classroom: 

Lydie Labaudinière of � e Sage School in Foxboro, MA 

practices intensely with her students: “� roughout the year, 

I supplement the classroom curriculum with competition 

problems. However, it is in November, a� er two months of 

school, when things become more serious. We usually take 

a four-day break from the curriculum and start practicing 

for the AMC 8. Students do one or two practices over the 

weekend, which we correct on Monday, and take another two 

or three as homework with unlimited time. It is important to 

be exposed to a large variety of problems because they are all 

worth solving… many students struggle, but they rise to the 

challenge and admit that it is interesting and fun. � ey are 

eager to check their answers, discuss strategies with the class, 

and track their scores…” 

Chris Collins of St. Paul Academy and Summit School in St. 

Paul MN says “I like to use these problems to start a topic

�� 

or to end a topic or just for fun. My focus is on the strategies they 

use to solve the problem. For example I may put a problem out and 

have the students work in groups. I will stop them periodically and 

ask the groups to share what strategies they are using, (look for 

a pattern, solve a simpler problem, write an equation, use logical 

reasoning, work backwards, draw a picture, make an list, make a 

table, and so on). We o� en discuss what strategies work best for 

each type of problem. I like to focus on sharing the plans each 

group has created while trying to solve the problems rather than on 

the actual answer. Collaboration and discussion is a key part of my 

classroom.” 

Annette Higgins of Fulton Science Academy in Fulton, GA has 

a similar approach: “I teach all math classes using investigationbased, 

problem-centered curricula. My students rarely learn by 

memorizing formulas, they learn strategies and applications. 

Only a� er students master a concept, do I introduce the formula. 

At Fulton Science Academy I incorporate hands-on applications 

and technology as o� en as possible. Every math teacher at FSA 

has a Smartboard in the class, which I use daily to work problems 

together. A� er class, I am able to upload our notes for students/parents 

to view at home. For the advanced math students, I also have 

a class set of new TI Nspires which I incorporate in the classroom 

and on the Smartboard.” 

Allegheny 

April 9-10, 2010 

University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown 

EPaDel 

April 24, 2010 

Elizabethtown College 

Florida 

February 19–20, 2010 

Santa Fe College 

Illinois 


Augustana College 

Indiana 


Franklin College 

MD-DC-VA 


Virginia State University 

Metro New York 

May 1, 2010 

New York City College of Technology 

Michigan 

May 7-8, 2010 

Eastern Michigan University 

Missouri 


University of Central Missouri 

Nebraska/SE South Dakota 


University of South Dakota 

New Jersey 


Middlesex County College 

North Central 


University of St. � omas 

Paci� c Northwest 


Seattle University 

Rocky Mountain 


Colorado State University 

Seaway 


SUNY Oswego 

Angela Mickler of Rancho Solano School in Scottsdale, AZ is 

another teacher using group techniques for training problem 

solving: “I grouped the contest prep kids together so they 

could work together and share their ideas on how to solve 

a particular problem. I always encouraged them to explore 

multiple ways of solving a problem. In general when I teach 

math I try to develop problem solving and critical thinking 

skills. Students are frequently asked to explain how they 

solved a problem since I feel that articulating their thought 

process is bene� cial both for them and their classmates.” 

As mathematicians and future bene� ciaries of having these 

able students in our classes, we applaud these teachers. 

We also advocate that more schools, teachers and students 

participate in mathematics competitions and have the chance 

to experience the challenge of solving novel math problems. 

Check the webpage to see if there is a Sli� e winner near you, 

reach out, and congratulate them! 

Steve Dunbar is MAA Director of Competitions. 

Spring 2010 Section Meetings 

Southern California-Nevada 


Harvey Mudd College 

Southwestern 

April 9-10,2010 

Scottsdale Community College 

Texas 

April 8 – 10, 2010 

Abilene Christian University 

Wisconsin 

April 16 – 17, 2010 

University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh 

Additional information on section meetings 

can be found at: �� 

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For other meetings information 

go to �� 

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�just � nished one of the more interesting, frustrating, and important 

parts of my job with the MAA. I am the person who assigns 

travel money to undergraduate students who present at the Joint 

Mathematics Meetings. Having done this for two meetings per 

year (the Undergraduate Poster Session at the JMM and the MAA 

Undergraduate Student Talks at MathFest) over several years, I 

decided it would be useful to explain the process and give people 

some hints about what to do. � ese are things every student and 

faculty advisor should know. 

�� 

First, your advisor should be helping with the registration and application 

process. � e process is not di� cult, but advisors should 

not assume that their students are familiar with it. Advisors, you 

may think this sounds silly, a waste of your time and an insult to 

the student, but it’s not. If the registration is not done correctly, if 

the request for travel funding is not complete, then it’s the student 

who su� ers. Ten minutes of your time can make sure it is done 

correctly. 

Applying for a travel grant is done when you apply to present your 

poster/give your talk. While submitting your abstract, there is a 

prompt asking if you wish to apply for a travel grant. Click the 

button and you are directed to the request form. Information you 

will need to provide on this form includes: the airport code for the 

airport you are � ying out of, one-way mileage if you are driving, 

and the approximate cost of your travel. Have this information 

ready before you start. 

� is is not my money that I give out, nor is it the MAA’s money. 

� e money to support graduate and undergraduate travel comes 

from grants that the MAA has secured from the National Science 

Foundation (NSF) and the National Security Agency (NSA). We 

submit grant proposals to them in order to help fund travel and 

they have been good enough to support us. When we request 

a grant, we have to be speci� c about what we will do with the 

money then make sure everything is done correctly. � is is important 

because of the number one misconception: the money we 

give to you is not a gi� , nor is it a scholarship: it is a grant. � ere 

are responsibilities you have to meet in order to receive this grant. 

� ey are listed in the online forms you go through to request 

travel money and then spelled out in detail in the letter informing 

you that you have received a grant. In general, these are certain 

events (such as receptions, panel discussions, or talks) that you 

are required to attend. � erefore it should be no surprise that 

you need to attend the Reception for Undergraduates and 

you should not make travel plans that have you arriving at the 

meeting a� er that reception. 

�� 

Yes, the form says the maximum amount of a grant is $600. 

I know $600 would go a long way to paying your bills for the 

meeting, but for the MAA to receive funding, we had to be 

very speci� c about where the money will be used. � is is for 

travel expenses only. Most people do not need or get the maximum 

grant. Travel is the cost of your airfare, or, if driving, 

mileage at $0.50 per mile. Parking at the airport or the hotel 

can be included, and also taxi costs and tolls. On the other 

hand, these funds cannot be used to pay for your registration 

or your meals. Also don’t make up the cost of getting there, 

because I can (and do) look up ticket prices on the internet. 

When you � y from San Diego to San Francisco and tell me 

the tickets are $600 each, I know you’re wrong and it doesn’t 

put things in a good light. 

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� ere’s no other way to say this than to say: You’re not. � e 

goal isn’t to give you a free trip to a fun event. � e travel grant 

is supposed to assist you to attend a professional meeting. 

Assist. � ere are other sources of money, even in these tough 

�� times. �� e trick �� is to parlay your MAA money into support 

from other places. Your department may have travel money 

�� 

for students, especially if you are presenting at the meeting. 

You should check with your Dean to see if the college has 

such funds. It’s smart to wait until you have money from us. 

You see, it is one thing to ask for money to go and another to 

be able to say not only do you want to go, but here is an organization 

that wants so much for you to go that they are giving 

you money. � ere is much more “oomph” in the request that 

way. However, the reality is you should not expect a free ride. 

� is is probably something you will have to save for to a� ord. 

� e MAA web page for students is worth checking out. � ere 

are various guides including one on large meetings with a section 

on keeping meeting expenses low. You can � nd them all 

at �� 

.

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Of course. � is is not meeting advice (go 

to the guide mentioned above for that); 

it’s travel grant advice. First, the deadline 

is the deadline. We need to notify students 

in a timely manner which means 

we need a count of how many people are 

asking for how much money. If you send 

me an email a month a� er the deadline 

saying you meant to apply but have not 

gotten around to it, you are too late. 

Second, don’t leave anything blank. We 

ask for the information because we need 

it. I have sometimes emailed the student 

to � nd out the information and it all 

works out… mostly. But several times 

students have not responded and in 

each of those cases, the students do not 

receive any money. 

� is brings up a couple of side issues. 

First, when you enter your email address, 

make it one that you actually check. Second, 

the MAA is a professional organization 

running a professional meeting and 

this is a time in your life when you need 

to be professional. � e email �� 

�� 

is not. As a 

matter of fact, if that email address sends 

me a message with the subject “Money 

question,” odds are my spam � lter will 

eat it. � is is also the time to write in 

professional English, not text-speak. 

Finally, these are reimbursement grants. 

You have to spend your own money and 

submit original receipts to be repaid. If 

you throw away or lose the receipts we 

cannot reimburse you for your expenses. 

I hope this gives you some insight into 

the background and the process of applying 

for MAA Travel Grants. � ey are 

a great way to get some � nancial help 

for attending a big meeting and making 

yourself part of the professional mathematical 

world. 

Robert Vallin is MAA Associate Director 

for Student Programs

�� 

�nstructors typically plan teaching strategies based on their own 

beliefs about what motivates students. But what really does? We 

have learned some practical lessons from our students in a writing 

course that we have been teaching jointly for several years. In 

this course students re� ect on and write about their teaching and 

learning experiences in calculus courses. In particular, we have 

learned that they are motivated in many di� erent (nonexclusive) 

ways and that di� erent teaching strategies are needed for di� erent 

subgroups of students. 

For our favorite group of students, the conquest of a di� cult 

mathematical problem is reward enough. Instructors can address 

this by carefully selecting problems to be worked either in class or 

as homework. � e key is to select problems that are nontrivial, yet 

doable. � ese students can be turned o� by routine plug-and-chug 

problems or by problems that are unrealistically hard. Alas, these 

students are by no means in the majority. 

Some students are motivated mostly by the prospect of material or 

� nancial rewards that may be the result of learning the mathematics. 

Others think that outperforming their peers is motivating. 

� ese students can be motivated by embedding challenging questions 

in the lecture and homework and inviting students to share 

the solution with the class. Of course, the challenge here is that 

for every three or four “winners” in the class, there can be a lot of 

“losers” unless this is handled sensitively. 

Another common motivation is the pressure of deadlines, especially 

quizzes or exams. Identifying potential exam questions 

�� 

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Found Math 

� is year’s contenders for the Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title: 

A� erthoughts of a Worm Hunter, by David Crompton 

Collectible Spoons of the � ird Reich, by James A. Yannes 

Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes, by Daina Taimina 

Governing Lethal Behavior in Autonomous Robots, by Ronald C. Arkin 

What Kind of Bean is � is Chihuahua? by Tara Jansen-Meyer 

� e Changing World of In� ammatory Bowel Disease, by Maria Dubinsky 

should help these students. A� er discussing an important 

topic or problem one can ask: “How could I formulate an exam 

question on this topic?” On the other hand, giving poorly 

designed or unpredictable exams can easily depress motivation 

for these students. 

Yet another group of students � nd teaching their peers rewarding. 

� ese students can be encouraged to help each other or 

work in groups. (� is has to be done carefully. Although teaching 

was a great motivator for many students, some speci� cally 

mentioned not liking it.) Finally, another common motivator 

was the prospect of approval from family or friends. 

On the basis of what we observed the best that instructors can 

do is recognize their students’ diverse motivators and carefully 

tailor their teaching to the di� erent styles. It is especially 

tempting to think of one style as the ideal and teach as if all 

students � t into that mold. Most mathematicians would expect 

their students to fall into our � rst group! It is worth a lot to 

remember the varying motivations of our students and to take 

advantage of the many di� erent ways to engage them. 

Fabiana Cardetti is Assistant Professor of Mathematics at the 

University of Connecticut, where she is also a Teacher for a New 

Era Fellow. Joe McKenna is Professor of Mathematics at the University 

of Connecticut. He won the Lester R. Ford Prize in 1999 

and the NES/MAA Award for Distinguished College or University 

Teaching of Mathematics in 2004. 

As we write, Hyperbolic Planes is in the lead, with � nal results to be announced just a� er we go to press. Check 

out �� 

to � nd out the results. 

(� anks to Doris Schattschneider)

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�he theme for Mathematics 

Awareness Month, April 

2010, is Mathematics and Sports. 

It spotlights the intersection 

of the sports world with the 

wide world of mathematics — a 

universal language that is used 

to investigate problems ranging 

from the athletic to the cosmic. 

Sports o� er a multitude of 

instances involving data, strategies, 

and chance, each of which is 

perfectly suited to mathematical 

analysis. Beyond the obvious uses 

of mathematics for things such as 

rating baseball players and football 

quarterbacks, mathematics 

is used to design the dimple patterns 

on golf balls and determine 

the optimal composition of racing 

tires. It is used for scheduling 

tournaments and for ranking 

teams; and it is used to determine 

tactics and to predict the ultimate 

limits in sports records. 

� e 2010 Mathematics Awareness 

Month (MAM) website has 

articles on baseball, basketball, 

football, golf, soccer, track and 

� eld, tennis, and car racing, 

Mathematics Awareness Month - April 2010 

Mathematics and Sports 

Did humidifying the baseball 

decrease home runs at 

Coors Field? 

Mathematics can answer this question 

and many others. | www.mathaware.org 

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www.mathaware.org Sponso ed by the Joint Policy Boa d fo Mathema ics: Ame ican Mathematical Society | 

Ame ican Statistical Association | Mathematical Association of Ame ica | Socie y fo Indust ial and App ied Mathema ics 

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www mathaware org Sponso ed by the Joint Policy Boa d fo Ma hematics Ame ican Mathema ical Society | 

Ame ican S atis ical Associa ion | Mathema ical Association of Ame ica | Society fo Indust ial and App ied Ma hematics 

A set of four posters highlights some 

of the mathematics involved in answering 

questions about four sports: 

baseball, basketball, golf, and soccer. 

� is issue of MAA FOCUS includes 

the soccer poster. You can download 

the other three posters or order the 

complete set at �� 

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� e MAM soccer poster features 

a photo of a University of West 

Florida soccer player (photo by 

Eduardo Cavasotti). � e inset shows 

a simulation of air � ow around a 

newly designed soccer ball (image 

courtesy of the University of Shef- 

� eld and ANSYS, Inc.). � e � rst 

equation represents the aerodynamic 

force coe� cients assigned to a ball in 

terms of air density, ball velocity, ball 

cross-sectional area, and force in a 

given direction. � e second equation 

expresses the conservation of mass 

(continuity equation) and the third 

equation expresses the conservation 

of momentum, constraints on the 

Navier-Stokes equations representing 

� uid � ow. 

Math Awareness Month is a project 

of the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics, 

representing the American Mathematical 

Society, the American Statistical Association, 

the Mathematical Association of America, 

and the Society for Industrial and Applied 

Mathematics. 

[� e brain’s] ability to integrate an almost in� nite set of variables in any situation is 

uncanny. 

— How to Make it All Work, by David Allen, p. 46 

(� anks to Kyle Pula)



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American Statistical Association | Mathematical Association of America | Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics

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�ost of those who 

came to last year’s 

MathFest would agree 

that Portland was our best 

MathFest ever, but Pittsburgh 

this coming summer 

is poised to take over that 

top ranking. We have an 

excellent program lined 

up. � e Hedrick Lectures, 

“Complex Dynamics and 

Crazy Mathematics,” will 

be delivered by Bob Devaney. 

Look for details, as 

well as descriptions of all 

of the invited lectures, starting on page 22. 

�� 

Of course, there will also be a short course, minicourses and 

many other sessions on topics ranging from research issues in 

mathematics to how to recruit and retain students and involve 

them in mathematical research. � ere are opportunities for 

you and your students to share what you’ve been working on, 

and travel grants are available for both graduate and undergraduate 

students who present a paper or poster. 

Besides the scienti� c sessions, Pittsburgh is a renaissance 

city, a great place to bring your family and get together with 

friends, old and new. Look over the schedule, and check the 

MathFest website, �� 

, for details of 

social events, tours and other local attractions to enjoy during 

your visit. I hope you’ll plan to join us in Pittsburgh this summer. 

David Bressoud 

MAA President 

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Complex Dynamics and 

Crazy Mathema tics 

Robert L. Devaney, Boston University 

�he 2010 Hedrick Lectures will 

investigate some of the complicated 

dynamics and beautiful images 

that arise when complex functions 

are iterated. � e chaotic regimes for 

these maps, the so-called Julia sets, are 

extremely rich from both a topological 

and geometric point of view. Yet to this day, the Julia sets for such 

simple maps as the quadratic function z2 + c and the exponential 

map λez are not completely understood. Each of these lectures will 

be independent and will focus on a particular class of complex 

maps. As a sub theme, each lecture will feature some of the “crazy” 

mathematics that is used to understand these sets. 

Lecture 1: � e Fractal Geometry of the Mandelbrot Set 

� ursday, August 5, 10:30 am – 11:20 am 

In this lecture we will describe the structure of the Mandelbrot set, 

the parameter plane for the quadratic function z 2 + c. While the 

geometry of this set is very intricate, much of it can be understood 

as long as you know how to add and count the crazy way some 

number theorists do. 

Lecture 2: Exponential Dynamics and Topology 

Friday, August 6, 9:30 am – 10:20 am 

In this lecture we turn attention to the very di� erent behavior of 

the complex exponential function λe z . We will describe some of 

the incredible bifurcations this map undergoes when λ varies. And 

we’ll see that many crazy topological objects like Cantor bouquets 

and indecomposable continua arise in these Julia sets. 

Lecture 3: Sierpiński Galore 

Saturday, August 7, 9:30 am - 10:20 am 

In this lecture we describe the dynamics of certain families of 

rational maps. Here we will focus on maps for which the Julia sets 

are Sierpiński curves. We will see that these types of Julia sets arise 

in a myriad of di� erent ways and that they also exhibit some crazy 

geometric and topological properties. 

An Attempt to Turn Geometry i nto 

(Decorated) Graphs 

Rebecca Goldin 

George Mason University 

� ursday, August 5 

8:30 am – 9:20 am 

In the late 19th century, mathematicians 

were interested in problems 

such as this one: given four generically 

placed lines in three dimensions, 

how many other lines intersect all 

four? � is question and many others 

can be formulated in terms of the 

intersections of subvarieties of the Grassmannian of k-planes 

in n-space, or more generally, � ag varieties (whose points are 

sequences of inclusions of vector spaces). 

� ese intersection questions inside the � ag variety and some 

generalizations, together with related algebraic and combinatorial 

questions, form the � eld of Schubert calculus. Of 

primary importance is that � ag varieties can be realized as 

algebraic, symplectic manifolds with Hamiltonian actions by a 

compact torus. Among the magic properties are that the torus 

acts with isolated � xed points, and that codimension-one tori 

� x only points and two-spheres. 

� e desire to compute associated algebraic invariants, such as 

the product structure of associated rings in special bases, has 

spawned many combinatorial and graph-theoretic objects. 

In this talk, we will discuss some graphs associated to certain 

manifolds with torus actions, and ask the question of how 

combinatorial games involving the graphs can be used to 

answer geometric questions about the original manifold and 

intersections of subvarieties therein.

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Mathematics Motivated by Biol ogy 

Martin Golubitsky 

Ohio State University 


Interesting areas in biology (I’ll stress 

neuroscience) o� en lead to new mathematics. 

For example, the characteristic 

rhythms of animal gaits lead to a classi� 

cation of spatio-temporal symmetries 

of periodic solutions; the abstraction of 

experimentally determined connections 

between hypercolumns in the visual cortex 

(itself a Nobel Prize winning idea) leads to an embedding of 

the Euclidean group in the visual system (and a possible description 

of geometric visual hallucinations); and an attempt to understand 

the remarkable variety of bursting neurons leads to the 

understanding of the dynamics of bursting in multiple time-scale 

systems. In this talk I’ll survey some of these connections. 

�� 

Faster, Safer, Healthier with 

Op erations Research 

Sommer Gentry 

United States Naval Academy 

� ursday, August 5, 1:00 pm – 1:50 pm 

While mathematical advances of all 

sorts have impacted our world for the 

better, operations research is a branch 

of mathematics that is expressly focused 

on applying advanced analytical 

methods to help make better decisions. 

Operations researchers have eased tra� c jams by closing selected 

streets, and gotten packages to you more quickly by planning 

U.P.S. routes with fewer le� turns. Operations researchers have 

shown which personal decisions are the leading causes of death, 

and planned emergency responses for bioterror attacks and natural 

disasters. 

Operations research can increase the supply of kidneys available 

for patients who need a transplant. In a kidney paired donation, 

one patient and his incompatible donor is matched with another 

patient and donor in the same situation for an organ exchange. 

Patient-donor pairs can be represented as the vertices of a graph, 

with an edge between two vertices if a paired donation is possible. 

A maximum matching on that graph is an arrangement in which 

the largest number of people can receive a transplant. Operations 

research techniques even proved the impact of paired donation on 

the kidney shortage, motivating Congress to pass a law allowing 

the United Network for Organ Sharing to arrange these transplants. 

�� 

Mathematical Challenges in the 

Treatment of Can cer 

Ami Radunskaya 

Pomona College 

Friday, August 6 

8:30 am – 9:20 am 

What can mathematics tell us about 

the treatment of cancer? Cancer 

is a myriad of individual diseases, 

with the common feature that an 

individual’s own cells have become 

malignant. It is believed that a healthy individual keeps 

potentially cancerous cells from developing into a threatening 

tumor through a complicated network of immune response 

and mechanisms built into the cell cycle that recognize aberrant 

cells and control their proliferation. � us, the treatment 

of cancer poses great challenges, since an attack must be 

mounted against cells that are nearly identical to normal cells. 

Mathematical models that describe tumor growth in tissue, 

the immune response, and the administration of di� erent 

therapies can suggest treatment strategies that optimize treatment 

e� cacy and minimize negative side e� ects. However, 

the inherent complexity of the immune system and the spatial 

heterogeneity of human tissue gives rise to mathematical 

models that pose unique analytical and numerical challenges. 

� ese include modeling behavior over vastly di� erent time 

scales, incorporating delays into the model, optimization in 

high-dimensional spaces, and � tting large sets of dependent 

parameters to data. 

In this talk I will present an overview of work that I have done 

in this area, with the help of many collaborators, over the last 

ten years, highlighting the various approaches we have taken 

to tackle these mathematical challenges. 

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Incomprehensibility 

Nathaniel Dean 

Texas State University 

Friday, August 6, 8:00 pm – 8:50 pm 

A� er data collection the analysis 

of complex systems is usually accomplished 

by analyzing the data 

using various statistical approaches. 

However, to understand the structural 

interactions between entities 

(for example, people, objects or 

groups), systems of interactions can 

be modeled as graphs linking nodes (entities) with edges that 

represent various types of relations between the entities. � en 

the graph can be visualized, explored and analyzed using a 

variety of mathematical algorithms and computer tools. In

�� 

this talk we discuss the limitations of this approach, why some 

graphs cannot be visualized, and hence why certain data are visually 

incomprehensible. 

�� 

Exploring School Mathematics 

with Felix Klein 

William McCallum, University of Arizona 

Friday, August 6, 10:30 am– 11:20 am 

Felix Klein’s Elementary Mathematics from 

an Advanced Standpoint, published in 1908, 

is a tour of the school of mathematics of 

his time, guided by profound mathematical 

knowledge and deep appreciation of teachers. 100 years later 

it inspired the Klein Project, a joint e� ort of the International 

Mathematical Union and the International Commission on 

Mathematical Instruction, to develop resources that will help 

secondary mathematics teachers make connections between what 

they teach and the � eld of mathematics more broadly. What 

would a Klein tour of U.S. school mathematics look like today? 

How much of the countryside remains the same, and what 

new sights are there to see? In what condition are the original 

buildings? In this talk I will brie� y revisit some of Klein’s most 

striking illustrations of the fundamental unity of mathematics 

from high school to the frontiers of research, and then take a look 

at the current scenery of high school mathematics from Klein’s 

perspective. 

�� 

� e Riordan Group Revisited: From 

Algebrai c Structure to RNA 

Asamoah Nkwanta 

Morgan State University 


� e purpose of this talk is to survey an 

in� nite ordered matrix group called the 

Riordan group. � e Riordan group arises 

in counting problems, combinatorial 

number theory, and the study of special 

functions. In this presentation we will 

focus on the algebraic structure of the group and explore some 

applications to molecular biology. 

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Creating Symmetry 

Frank Farris 

Sant a Clara University 

Saturday, August 7 

8:30 am – 9:20 am 

A child can create symmetry by 

repeatedly stamping out a pattern 

with a cut potato, but a mathematician 

enamored of smoothness might 

prefer to � nd mathematical objects 

whose very nature is symmetry. A 

main example of a vibrating wallpaper 

drum leads to a more general story about symmetry 

that combines everyone’s favorite objects: Fourier series, the 

Laplacian, and group actions. 

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� e Mathematics of Math Circles 

Zvezdelina Sta nkova 

Mills College 

Saturday, August 7 

10:30 am – 11:20 am 

� e creation of math circles in the 

San Francisco Bay Area started 

a chain reaction, spreading to 

California and neighboring states 

that resulted in over 75 circles in 

the U.S. and Canada. What is a 

math circle? Are math circles designed for talented precollege 

students or for those who don’t yet know if they 

like mathematics? Must they concentrate on math contest 

preparation or on discovering interesting mathematical 

facts? Could and should circlers be introduced to advanced 

mathematical theories and research? 

� e answer depends on which U.S. math circle you consider. 

Born within a day apart in 1998, the Berkeley (BMC) 

and San Jose Math Circles (SJMC) combine all of the above 

aspects. � ey attract and train IMO medalists and Putnam 

winners; but more importantly, they introduce students to 

beautiful mathematics in inspiring sessions by mathematical 

stars such as Vladimir Arnold, Elwyn Berlekamp, Robin 

Hartshorne, Olga Holtz, Ravi Vakil, and Kiran Kedlaya. 

Are you, as a mathematician, brave, skillful and con� dent 

to turn an advanced, even research, topic into a math circle 

session and deliver it with success? Are such “miracles” 

possible on a weekly basis? Does this have anything to do 

with your career as a research mathematician or as a math 

educator? In this talk, we shall address these questions and 

explore several possible paths of transforming advanced 

math topics and research into math circle sessions, by following 

examples selected from sessions at the BMC and 

SJMC over the past decade.

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Recruiting Students to Take More Mathematics Courses and 

to be Math Majors 

Michael Dor� , Brigham Young University 

Part 1, � ursday, August 5, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm 

Part 2, Friday, August 6, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm 

We will discuss some principles and speci� c activities we have 

used to increase the number of students taking mathematics 

courses and becoming math majors. Principles include creating 

a culture of “Math is cool!”, exposing students to careers and 

opportunities available to those who study mathematics, and 

being proactive in your e� orts. Speci� c activities include a 

“Careers in Mathematics” seminar, a freshman/sophomore class 

titled “Intro to being a math major,” the creation of a student 

advisory council, a big screen HDTV display with a PowerPoint 

presentation about mathematics, a set of math t-shirts, and the 

“When Will I Use Math” website. 

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Perspective Viewing and Drawing Make Good Math Problems 

Marc Frantz, Indiana University 

Annalisa Crannell, Franklin & Marshall College 



� e execution of the simplest line drawings in perspective 

can pose math problems that challenge the brightest of 

students. Nevertheless, the solutions are pleasingly easy to use 

and remember. � e other side of the coin—viewing a work 

in perspective from the correct viewpoint—poses similarly 

interesting problems. When applied to viewing real artwork (or 

posters), these techniques lead to an astonishing experience of 

depth and realism that leaves a lasting impression on viewers. 

� is minicourse conveys these techniques through handson 

activities, which the facilitators have taught to over 170 

instructors in faculty development workshops. No artistic 

experience is required. 

program and to get participants to create their own activities. 

All participants are expected to bring a laptop computer to the 

minicourse. 

�� 

E� ective Placement Testing for Introductory College 

Mathematics Courses 

Raymond Cannon, Baylor University 

Marilyn Carlson, Arizona State University 

Wade Ellis, West Valley College 

Louise Krmpotic, Mapleso� 

Bernard L. Madison, University of Arkansas 

James W. Stepp, University of Houston 

Gordon Woodward, University of Nebraska 


Part 2, Saturday, August 7, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm 

Building on experience from MathFest 2009, this minicourse 

will describe and analyze ways to develop or modify placement 

testing programs so that they are more e� ective in placing 

students into challenging introductory courses where they can 

succeed. � e topics will include innovations in item types 

and cognitive design, the increasingly complex transition 

testing landscape, structuring a placement program, and 

available testing resources. Both participants who are just 

beginning placement testing work and those with considerable 

experience are welcome. Prior to the minicourse, participants 

will be surveyed as to their expectations of the course and 

their experience with placement testing. Some experienced 

participants will be invited to share their experiences and 

respond to questions from others. 

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A Game � eory Path to Quantitve Literacy 

David Housman, Goshen College 

Rick Gillman, Valparaiso University 



Game � eory, de� ned in the broadest sense, can be used 

An Introduction to Geogebra, a Tool for Demonstration, to model many real-world scenarios of decision making 

Exploration, and Applet Creation 

in situations involving con� ict and cooperation. Further, 

Mike May, S.J., Saint Louis University 

mastering the basic concepts and tools of game theory require 


only an understanding of basic algebra, probability, and formal 


reasoning. � ese two features of game theory make it an ideal 

GeoGebra is an easy to use, free, open source, cross platform, path to developing habits of quantitative literacy among our 

program that allows users to visualize and experiment with students. � is audience participation mini-course develops 

both algebraic and geometric representations of mathematical some of the material used by the presenters in their general 

concepts. Constructions can be used as live demonstration or education courses on game theory and encourages participants 

exploration tools, or saved as applets used with any java enabled to develop their own, similar, courses. 

browser. Sample applets can be found at �� 

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. � e minicourse assumes only �� 

novice computer skills and covers an introduction to GeoGebra Creating Demonstrations and Guided Explorations for 

up through deploying applets in web pages. We will work 

Multivariable Calculus Using CalcPlot3D 

through creating several activities to illustrate features of the Paul Seeburger, Monroe Community College

�� 



It is o� en di� cult for students to develop an accurate and 

intuitive understanding of the geometric relationships of 

calculus from static diagrams alone. � is course explores a 

collection of freely available Java applets designed to help 

students make these connections. Our primary focus will 

be visualizing multivariable calculus using CalcPlot3D, a 

versatile new applet developed by the presenter through NSF- 

DUE-0736968. Participants will also learn how to customize 

this applet to create demonstrations and guided exploration 

activities for student use. Images created in this applet can 

�� 

� e deadline for receipt of applications for student papers is 

Friday, June 11, 2010. 

Students may not apply for funding from both MAA and 

Pi Mu Epsilon. Every student paper session room will be 

equipped with a computer projector and a screen. Presenters 

must provide their own laptops or have access to one. 

Each student talk is 15 minutes in length. 

MAA Sessions 

Students who wish to present at the MAA Student Paper 

Sessions at MathFest 2010 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, must 

be sponsored by a faculty advisor familiar with the work to 

be presented. Some funding to cover costs (up to $600) for 

student presenters is available. At most one student from 

each institution or REU can receive full funding; additional 

such students may be funded at a lower rate. All presenters 

are expected to take full part in the meeting and attend 

indicated activities sponsored for students on all three days 

of the conference. Abstracts and student travel grant ap- 

Pi Mu Epsilon Sessions 

Pi Mu Epsilon student speakers must be nominated by 

their chapter advisors. Application forms for PME student 

speakers will be available by March 1, 2010 on the PME 

web site �� 

. A PME student speaker 

who attends all the PME activities is eligible for transportation 

reimbursement up to $600, and other speakers may be 

eligible with a maximum $1200 reimbursement per chapter. 

PME speakers receive a free ticket to the PME Banquet 

and receive partial reimbursement for non-transportation 

expenses. See the PME web site for more details. 

�� 

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� e MAA MathFest Short Course is presented in 

honor of William F. Lucas. 

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Patrick Bahls, University of North Carolina at Asheville 

Robert A. Beeler, East Tennessee State University 

be pasted into participants’ documents. See �� Neil Calkin, Clemson University 

�� 

. Some basic HTML experience Dante Manna, Virginia Wesleyan College 

is helpful. All participants are expected to bring a laptop Dan Warner, Clemson University 

computer to the minicourse. 

Part I: Tuesday, August 3, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm 

Part II: Wednesday, August 4, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm 

�n recent years, a new piece of mathematical so� ware has appeared 

on the scene: Sage (�� 

) is an open 

source package capable of doing high-powered symbolic and numerical 

computations. It features a web-based notebook interface, 

local or remote operation, and can interact with other packages, 

both open source and commercial (if available). In this short 

course we will introduce the package, giving multiple examples of 

how to use it for mathematical explorations, both elementary and 

advanced. We will focus on algebraic and combinatorial investigations. 

� e course will consist of seven presentations and a � nal panel discussion. 

� e � rst two sessions will focus on using Sage. � e next 

� ve sessions will start with a problem or collection of problems in 

discrete mathematics and explore the topic with the assistance of 

the more advanced tools in Sage. Each of these sessions will end 

with a period of guided exploration by the participants. � e closing 

session will focus on the questions: “What have we learned?” 

and “Where do we go from here?” 

Topics covered in this short course include: 

� Introduction to Sage 

plications should be submitted at �� 

Neil Calkin and Daniel Warner 

�� 

. For additional information visit �� 

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. 

� Elementary Mathematics with Sage 

Neil Calkin and Daniel Warner 

� Exploring Combinatorial Group � eory 

Patrick Bahls 

� Generating Functions and Sage 

Robert A. Beeler 

��enoulli Convolutions 

Neil Calkin 

� Combinatorial Games and Symmetry 

Daniel Warner 

� Generalizing the Bernoulli and Euler Polynomials 

Dante Manna

�� 

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�� University �� 

of Tennessee and NIMBios; and John Lowengrub, Univer- 

James Sellers, Penn State University 

sity of California at Irvine 


Speakers: Art Benjamin, Harvey Mudd College; Jennifer �� 

Quinn, University of Washington Tacoma; Brigitte Ser- Jonathan Rubin, University of Pittsburgh 

vatius, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; and Bruce Sagan, Friday, August 6, 1:00 pm – 2:50 pm 

Michigan State University and National Science Foundation Speakers: Winfried Just, Ohio University; Jozsi Jalics, Youngstown 

State University; Peter � omas, Case Western Reserve University; 

�� and �� 

Stefanos Folias, University of Pittsburgh; 

Rebecca Goldin, George Mason University 

Jennifer Morse, Drexel University 

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Frank Farris, Santa Clara University 


Saturday, August 7, 1:00 pm – 2:50 pm 

Speakers: Bill Graham, University of Georgia; Julianna Speakers: � omas Bancho� , Brown University; Frank Farris, Santa 

Tymoczko, University of Iowa; Frank Sottile, Texas A&M Clara University; Ockle Johnson, Keene State College; and Jonathan 

University; Milena Pabiniak, Cornell University; Kevin Rogness, University of Minnesota 

Purbhoo, University of Waterloo; David Johannsen, George 

Mason University; Shrawan Kumar, University of North �� 

Carolina at Chapel Hill; Tara Holm, Cornell University; Aba Zvezdelina Stankova, Mills College and UC Berkeley, Director of 

Mbirika, University of Iowa; Erik Insko, University of Iowa; Berkeley Math Circle 

Susan Tolman, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana; Tatiana Shubin, San Jose State University, Director of San Jose 

and Jennifer Morse, Drexel University 

Math Circle 


�� Speakers: ��Inna 

Zakharevich, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; 

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Evan O’Dorney, Berkeley Math Circle; Tiankai Liu, Massachusetts 

Dan Look, St. Lawrence University 

Institute of Technology; Ivan Matic, University of California at 

Elizabeth Russell, United States Military Academy 


Berkeley; and Gabriel Carroll, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 


Speakers: Je� rey Houghton, University of Alabama Birmingham; 

Ross Ptacek, University of Alabama Birmingham; 

John Mayer, University of Alabama Birmingham; 

Debra Mimbs, University of Alabama Birmingham; Daniel 

M. Look, St. Lawrence University; Sarah Koch, Harvard 

University; Rich Stankewitz, Ball State University; Annalisa 

Crannell, Franklin and Marshall College; Elizabeth Russell, 

United States Military Academy; Lorelei Koss, Dickinson 

College; Clinton Curry, University of Alabama Birming- 

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William McCallum, University of Arizona 


Speakers: James Madden, Louisiana State University; Al Cuoco, 

Educational Development Center; Hyman Bass, University of Michigan; 

Harriet Pollatsek, Mount Holyoke College; Roger Howe, Yale 

University; Susanna Epp, DePaul University; Bill Barton, University 

of Auckland; Sybilla Beckmann, University of Georgia; and Glenn 

Stevens, Boston University 

ham; Gareth Roberts, College of the Holy Cross; Kendrick 

White, University of Alabama Birmingham; and Sebastian 

Marotta, University of the Paci� c 

�� 

Dan Margalit, Tu� s University 


Speakers: Angela Barnhill, University of Michigan; Greg Bell, 

�� University �� 

of North Carolina Greensboro; Tara Brendle, Louisiana 

�� State University; Matt Clay, Allegheny College; Johanna Mangahas, 

Ami Radunskaya, Pomona College 

University of Michigan; John Meier, Lafayette College; Adam Piggott, 


Speakers: Lisette de Pillis, Harvey Mudd College; Angela 

Gallegos, Occidental College; Peter Hinow, University of 

Bucknell University; and Kim Ruane, Tu� s University 

Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Kasia Rejniak, Mo� tt Cancer Cen- For full descriptions of the Invited Paper Sessions go to �� 

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ter, Tampa, Florida; Doron Levy, University of Maryland 

Shelby Wilson, University of Maryland; Suzanne Lenhart, 

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� e History of Mathematics and Its Uses in the Classroom 

Herbert Kasube, Bradley University 

John Lorch, Ball State University 

Joanne Peeples, El Paso Community College 

� ursday a� ernoon 

Math & Bio 2010 in 2010 

Timothy Comar, Benedictine University 

Raina Robeva, Sweet Briar College 

� ursday a� ernoon 

Open and Accessible Problems in Applied Mathematics 

David Housman, Goshen College 

Friday morning 

Getting Students Involved in Writing Proofs 

Aliza Steurer, Dominican University 

Jennifer Franko-Vasquez, University of Scranton 

Rachel Schwell, Central Connecticut State University 

Friday morning 

Geometry Topics � at Engage Students 

Sarah Mabrouk, Framingham State College 

Friday a� ernoon 

Innovative Ideas for an Introductory Statistics Course 

Nancy Boynton, SUNY Fredonia 

Patricia Humphrey, Georgia Southern University 

Michael Posner, Villanova University 


Open and Accessible Problems in Number � eory 

and Algebra 

� omas R. Hagedorn, � e College of New Jersey 


E� ective Practices for Teaching Mathematical 

Communication Skills 

Russell Goodman, Central College 

Saturday morning 

Active Learning Intervention Strategies Accompanying 

Introductory Mathematics Courses 

Catherine Beneteau, University of South Florida 

Helmut Knaust, University of Texas at El Paso 

Emil Schwab, University of Texas at El Paso 

Gabriela Schwab, El Paso Community College – Rio Grande 

Campus 

Saturday a� ernoon 

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First Year Seminar/First Year Experience 

Mathematics Courses 

Jon Johnson, Elmhurst College 

Cheryl McAllister, Southeast Missouri State University 


Recreational Mathematics: New Problems and 

New Solutions 

Paul R. Coe, Dominican University 

Kristen Schemmerhorn, Dominican University 


General Contributed Paper Sessions 

Shawnee McMurran, California State University, 

San Bernardino 

� ursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings and a� ernoons 

For full descriptions of the Contributed Paper Sessions go to 

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David Manderscheid, University of Nebraska Lincoln 

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Sylvia Bozeman, Spelman College 

Rebecca Garcia, Sam Houston State University 

�� 

Ken Millett, University of California, Santa Barbara 

David Bressoud, Macalester College, MAA President 

William Velez, University of Arizona 

Friday, August 6, 2:15 p.m – 3:05 pm 


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�� Raina Robeva, �� Sweet Briar College 

�� 

Jennifer Galovich, St. John’s University and College of St. 

Aaron Luttman, Clarkson University 

Benedict 




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�� Michael Dor� , Brigham Young University 

Jason Aubrey, University of Missouri 

Edward Aboufadel, Grand Valley State University 

Michael B. Scott, California State University -Monterey Bay 



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Tatiana Shubin, San Jose State University 

Richard A. Gillman, Valparaiso University 

Elgin Johnston, Iowa State University 


James Tanton, St. Mark’s School in Southborough, MA 

Saturday, August 7, 9:00 am – 10:20 am 

�� . �� 

Cinnamon Hillyard, University of Washington Bothell 

�� 

Stuart Boersma, Central Washington University 

David Bressoud, Macalester College, MAA President 


Saturday, August 7, 11:30 a.m – 12:00 noon 

�� 

�� 

Georgia Benkart, University of Wisconsin 

Ed Aboufadel, MAA Committee on Early Career Mathematicians Maura Mast, University of Massachusetts Boston 

Ralucca Gera, Young Mathematicians’ Network 

Maeve Lewis McCarthy, Murray State University 

Aaron Luttman, MAA Committee on Graduate Students 



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Sean Larsen, Portland State University 

Tatiana Shubin, San Jose State University 

Stacy Brown, Pitzer College 

Elgin Johnston, Iowa State University 

Natasha Speer, University of Maine 

James Taylor, Santa Fe Preparatory School, Santa Fe, NM 



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Getting Started with Online Teaching 

Doug Ensley, Shippensburg University 

Mike May, Saint Louis University 


�� 

Barbara Faires, MAA Secretary 

Friday, August 6, 11:30 am – 12:00 noon 

For full descriptions of Panels and Other Sessions go to 

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Wednesday, August 4, 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm 

�� 

Robert Vallin, Slippery Rock University and the MAA 

Michael Berry, University of Tennessee 


�� 

Richard and Araceli Neal, American Society for the 

Communication of Mathematics 

� ursday, August 5, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm 

Friday, August 6, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm 

Saturday, August 7, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm 

�� 

Faster, Safer, Healthier with Operations Research 

Sommer Gentry, United States Naval Academy 


�� 

Connecting Digraphs and Determinants 

Jennifer Quinn, University of Washington Tacoma 


�� 

J. Lyn Miller, Slippery Rock University 

John Hamman, Montgomery College 

Daluss Siewert, Black Hills State University 


and 2:00 pm – 6:15 pm 


and 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm 

�� 

Angela Spalsbury, Youngstown State University 

� ursday, August 6, 2:00 pm - 6:15 pm 


and 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm 

Friday, August 6, 8:00 p.m – 8:50 pm 

�� 


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Ben Fusaro, Florida State University 


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Richard Neal, American Society for the Communication 

of Mathematics 


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Great Talks for a General Audience: Coached Presentations by 

Graduate Students 

Jim Freeman, Cornell College 


For full descriptions of the Undergraduate Student Sessions go to 

�� 

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A Mathematical Tour of the State of the Planet 

�� 

Tom Pfa� , Ithaca College 

�� Friday, August 6, 1:00 pm – 1:50 pm 

�� 

Timothy Comar, Benedictine University and 



�� 

Celebrating Mathematics and Bio 2010 

Raina Robeva, Sweet Briar College, and Jennifer Galovich, St. John’s 

University and the College of St. Benedict 


�� 

�� 

� e History of Mathematics and Its Uses in the Classroom 

Herbert Kasube, Bradley University, John Lorch, Ball State 

University, and Joanne Peeples, El Paso Community College 


�� 

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Friday, August 6, 6:00 pm - 7:45 pm 

�� 

Teaching Mathematics with Tablet Computers 

�� Jason Aubrey, University of Missouri, and Michael B. Scott, 

Incomprehensibility 

California State University-Monterey Bay 

Nathaniel Dean, Texas State University 

� ursday, August 5, 2:30 pm – 3:50 pm

�� 

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Getting Started with Online Teaching 

Doug Ensley, Shippensburg University, and 

Mike May, Saint Louis University 


�� 

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Understanding and Assessing Mathematical Proofs 

Sean Larsen, Portland State University; Stacy Brown, Pitzer 

College; and Natasha Speer, University of Maine 


�� 

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Mathematics in Interdisciplinary Survey Courses 

Cinnamon Hillyard, University of Washington Bothell, and 

Stuart Boersma, Central Washington University 


�� 

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Ben Fusaro, Florida State University 

Speaker: To be announced 


�� 

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Structural Proof � eory: Uncovering Capacities of the 

Mathematical Mind 

Wilfried Sieg, Carnegie Mellon University 


�� 

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Innovative Ideas for an Introductory Statistics Course 

Nancy Boynton, SUNY Fredonia; Patricia Humphrey, Georgia 

Southern University; and Michael Posner, Villanova University 


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Tatiana Shubin, San Jose State University; Elgin Johnston, Iowa 

State University; and James Tanton, St. Mark’s School 


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� e Mathematics of Math Circles and Beyond 

Zvezda Stankova, Mills College, and Tatiana Shubin, San Jose 

State University 


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Math Circles: Transforming (or Subverting) 

Pre-College Mathematics 

Tatiana Shubin, San Jose State University, and Elgin Johnston, 

Iowa State University; Eric Hsu, San Francisco State University; 

Jim Lewis, University of Nebraska; William McCallum, 

University of Arizona; James Tanton, St. Mark’s School; and 

James Taylor, Santa Fe Preparatory School 


MathFest 2010 Exhibit Hall 

Wednesday, August 4: Grand Opening Reception 

6:00 PM – 7:30 PM 

Dedicated Time 

Thursday, August 5: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM 

Friday, August 6: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM 

Saturday, August 7: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM 

Location: Omni William Penn Hotel, Penn Ballroom. 

Scavenger Hunt 

Don’t miss out on the MathFest Scavenger Hunt. Stop by exhibitor booths to get information that will 

help you to �ll out the Scavenger Hunt form found in your registration packet. Return it with the correct 

answers, and you become eligible to win some really great prizes. The drawings will be held in the Exhibit 

Hall. Check your MathFest Program for details. Who knows? You could end up a winner. 

-Mathematical Science Publishers 

-Hawkes Learning Systems (sponsor) 

-WebAssign (sponsor) 

-Pearson 

-Texas Instruments 

-Wiley 

Exhibitors: 

-W.H. Freeman & Company 

-National Association of Math Circles 

-XY Algebra 

-Cambridge University Press 

-Maplesoft (sponsor) 

-American Mathematical Society 

as of March 1, 2010 

-Math for America (sponsor) 

-A+ Compass 

-Springer 

-NSA 

-Mathematical Association 

of America

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What’s the Story? A Graduate Student Workshop on Creating 

a Research Presentation for Undergraduates 

Aaron Luttman, Clarkson University 



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� e Early Career and Graduate Students PosterFest 

at MathFest 

Ed Aboufadel, MAA Committee on Early 

Career Mathematicians 

Ralucca Gera, Young Mathematicians’ Network 

Aaron Luttman, MAA Committee on Graduate Students 


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David Manderscheid, University of Nebraska-Lincoln 

James Freeman, Cornell College 


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David Manderscheid, University of Nebraska Lincoln 


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Michael Dor� , Brigham Young University 

Edward Aboufadel, Grand Valley State University 


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Mathematics Motivated by Biology 

Martin Golubitsky, Ohio State University 


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Mathematical Challenges in the Treatment of Cancer 



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� e Riordan Group Revisited: From Algebraic Structure 

to RNA 

Asamoah Nkwanta, Morgan State University 


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Faster, Safer, Healthier with Operations Research 

Sommer Gentry, United States Naval Academy 


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Mathematical Modeling of the Immune Response, Cancer 

Growth, and Treatments 



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Mathematical Neuroscience 

Jonathan Rubin, University of Pittsburgh 


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�� Math & Bio 2010 in 2010 

Jim Freeman, Cornell College 

Timothy Comar, Benedictine University 




For full descriptions of the Graduate Student Sessions go to 

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Celebrating Mathematics and Bio 2010 


Jennifer Galovich, St. John’s University 

and the College of St. Benedict 


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Friday, August 6, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm and 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm 

� ese awards are for outstanding student presentations related 

to mathematical or computational biology. 

For full descriptions of the Biomathematics Sessions go to 

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Wednesday, August 4 

9:30 am – 4:00 pm 

Travel to the Clayton 

Estate, one of 

the nation’s most 

complete Victorian 

homes and the 

residence of the 

industrialist Henry 

Clay Frick. Enjoy 

the quiet re� nement 

of a Victorian past, visit the extensive car and carriage museum 

for a look at old-time travel, and enjoy the estate’s lovely 

greenhouse. � e Clayton estate is also the home to a private 

art museum that has an exquisite permanent collection of 

European and Asian paintings, sculpture, and decorative 

arts from the 12th to 18th century. � e tour will stop by the 

Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh to see the 

27 Nationality Rooms. Lunch is included and tickets are $53 

per person. 

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Wednesday, August 4 

5:30 pm – 6:15 pm 

Robert Vallin, Slippery 

Rock University and the 

MAA 

Michael Berry 

University of Tennessee 

Answer: A fun 

undergraduate 

mathematics contest to lead o� MathFest. 

Question: What is Mathematics Jeopardy? 

Four teams of students will provide the questions to go with 

the mathematical answers in many categories. Come cheer 

for your favorite team. � e session will be emceed by Michael 

Berry. 

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� e Association is pleased to hold a reception with a cash 

bar for all MathFest participants immediately preceding the 

Opening Banquet. 

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Wednesday, August 4, 7:30 p.m – 9:30 pm 

Continue the exciting evening by joining new and longtime 

friends and colleagues for a � ne dinner. � ere will be an a� er 

dinner presentation by Jonathan Rogness, University of Minnesota 

who will present the talk: “Seeing Mathematics!” 

Serving as master of ceremonies will be James Sellers from 

Penn State University (Governor, Allegany Mountain Section). 

Tickets are $52 per person. Purchasing tickets through advanced 

registration is recommended, since only a limited number of 

tickets will be available for sale on site. Choice of entrees available. 

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David Manderscheid, University of Nebraska-Lincoln 

James Freeman, Cornell College 


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� e Association for Women in Mathematics and the Mathematical 

Association of America invite you to enjoy co� ee and light 

refreshments before the Etta Z. Falconer Lecture. 

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All PME members and their supporters are welcome. See the 

registration form for more information on this ticketed event. 

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Besides cake and ice cream, we will recognize all students who 

gave talks in the MAA Student Paper Sessions, and award prizes 

for the best of them. All undergraduate students are invited to 

attend. 

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Saturday, August 7, 6:30 am 

Get active with your colleagues and have 

some fun Saturday, August 7 along the bike 

path at North Shore Park! More than 150 

MathFest attendees participated in the 2009 

MathFest 5K Fun Run/Walk and this year 

is sure to be a hit. � e fee is $25 and all 

participants will receive a t-shirt. Donations 

are being accepted to present to a local 

Pittsburgh charity.

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Our annual end-of-meeting banquet is a time to 

honor MAA dignataries and have a very special 

conclusion to the meeting. Please join us for 

this ticketed event. Robert Megginson from the 

University of Michigan is the invited speaker. 

His talk will be “Climate Change at the Top of 

the World: A Pure Mathematician Worries About 

a Decidedly Applied Problem.” Barbara Faires, 

Westminster College (MAA Secretary) will be 

the emcee. Cash bar. Tickets are $60 per person. 

Purchasing tickets through advance registration 

is recommended, since only a limited number of 

tickets will be available for sale on site. 

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Sunday, August 8 

9:00 am – 

4:00 pm 

Fallingwater is 

nestled in the 

heart of the 

Laurel Highlands 

in the small 

village of Mill Run, PA. It is one of the most 

widely acclaimed works of architect Frank Lloyd 

Wright. Fallingwater is Wright’s greatest essay 

in horizontal space, with his most powerful 

piece of structural drama. � e group will visit 

the Christian Klay Winery for a tasting and also 

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enjoy a hay ride to the crest of the mountain 

where the vineyards are and tour the wine 

processing area. Since considerable walking 

and steps are involved, good walking shoes are 

strongly advised. Lunch is included and tickets 

are $66. 

MƒA provides aspiring math teachers with: 

� A full scholarship for a master’s degree or teacher 

credentialing program in Mathematics Education 

� Up to $100,000 in stipends, in addition to a full-time 

teacher’s salary 

� Mentoring, job search support and ongoing professional 

development opportunities 

� Membership in a national corps of highly qualifi ed 

secondary math teachers 

�� 

Change the equation. 

Become a Math for America Fellow. 

Let your passion for math lead you to a winning career choice. Step up and 

teach in New York City public secondary schools to make a difference in 

mathematics education and help solve our nation’s math literacy problem. 

Helping Scores of Students

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Name 

Mailing Address 

Telephone Fax 

Email Address 

Name to appear on badge: 

(First and Last Name) 

A� liation for badge: 

� MasterCard # 

Exp: 

Signature: 

Name printed on Card: 

Billing zip code: 

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(Please note that a $15 processing fee will be applied for each returned check or invalid credit card.) 

� Purchase Order # Please enclose copy. 

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� is is my primary mailing address for all MAA Membership Items? 

� Yes �No 

Mail or Fax this form to: 

MathFest 

c/o � e Mathematical 

Association of America 

1529 18th Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20036 

FAX: 202.387.0162 

Phone: 1.800.741.9415 ext. 430 

�� 

Early Bird Registration: Register online at �� 

�� or with this form on or before May 14, 2010 and receive a 

discounted registration rate! 

Regular Registration: Register on or before June 17, 2010 to 

receive the regular registration rate. 

Cancellations: 

To receive a full refund, we must receive your cancellation by 

June 18. A 50% refund is available thru July 23, 2010. 

Please provide MAA Member number, if applicable: 

Name for Guest badge: 

I am a � rst time attendee? �Yes �No 

All Registration Packets can be picked up at the Registration Desk starting at 8:00 am, Wednesday, August 4, 2010. 

�I prefer acknowledgement of this registration sent by U.S. mail, not e-mail. 

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Registration Category Early by 5/14 Regular - 5/15 Late �� #Tix Price Total 

through 6/17 a� er 6/17 

Opening Banquet (8/4) _____ $52 ea $ 

Member $225 $250 $325 1) Basic Registration: 

� Chicken � Fish � Vegetarian 

New Member $275 

Non-member $325 

Graduate Student $50 

Undergraduate Student $50 

PME Undergraduate Student 

*Includes PME Banq Tick $75 

Unemployed $50 

Individual from a $50 

$300 

$375 

$50 

$50 

$75 

$60 

$60 

$375 

$450 

$60 

$60 

$80 

$75 

$75 

Category 

= $___________. 

2) Add Short Course: 

(held 8/3 and 8/4) MathFest 

registration is not required to 

attend short course. 

� Yes � No = $_________. 

PME Student Banquet (8/6) $50 ea $ 

� Chicken � Fish � Vegetarian 

Silver & Gold Banquet (8/7) $60 ea $ 

� Fish �Chicken �Vegetarian 

Clayton and the Frick Museum Tour (8/4) 

Developing Country 

K – 12 Teacher 

Emeritus Member 

One Day (Fri., Sat., Sun.) 

High School Student 

Guest 

Minicourses 

Short Course 

MAA and AMS member 

and MathFest Participant 

$50 

$50 

$100 

$25 

$25 

$75 

$150 

$60 

$60 

$110 

$25 

$25 

$75 

$150 

$75 

$75 

$125 

$25 

$25 

$90 

$150 

3) Add Minicourse(s): 

You may sign up for a 

maximum of two Minicourses. 

MathFest Registration 

is Required. 

Enroll me in #______ 

and #______. 

My alternatives are #_____ 

and/or #_____. 

_____ $53 ea $ 

Fallingwater Tour (8/8) _____ $66 ea $ 

5K Fun Run/Walk _____ $25/reg. $ 

T-Shirt Sizes (S), (M), (L), and (XL) 

5K Donation to a local char ty $ 

Subtotal for Special Events: $ 

Non-Member or 

Short Course Only 

$200 $200 $200 4) Add Special Events: 

From subtotal $____________ Student/Other Events: (non-ticketed) 

Students 

Payment Information: 

$75 $75 $75 

TOTAL FEES 

Graduate Student Reception (8/4) 

Math Jeopardy (8/4) 

� Yes � No 

� Yes � No 

�Check Check Number:______________ 

$____________ 

Graduate Student Workshop (8/5) � Yes � No 

Make checks payable to the MAA. Checks must be drawn on a 

Student Activity Session A (8/6) � Yes � No 

U.S. Bank in U.S. dollars. 

�Charge my: � VISA 

Student Activity Session B (8/7) � Yes � No 

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112 Washington Place 

One Bigelow Square 

530 William Penn Place 

Pittsburgh, PA 15219 



412-471-4000 

412-281-7100 

�� 

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� is downtown Pittsburgh hotel is located 

� e Omni William Penn Hotel has been directly across from Mellon Arena and just 

lavishly restored to its original grandeur. steps from the heart of the business dis- 

Hotel highlights include 596 guestrooms trict. � ere are 402 spacious rooms with 

and suites, traditional a� ernoon tea ser- high-speed internet access and dramatic 

vice, the Spa at Nail Galleria located on the views of Pittsburgh. 

lower lobby level and high speed wireless 

internet access. 

Standard Room Rate: 

$126.00 Single or Double Occupancy: 


Features one king bed or two doubles. 

$143.00 Single or Double Occupancy: High speed internet (fee); Hilton Serenity 

Features one king bed or two doubles, bed; large work desk; co� eemaker; clock 

plush robes, foam, feather or down pil- radio; and views of the city, mountains or 

lows, full-sized iron and ironing board, the river. 

co� eemaker, spacious bathrooms with 

luxurious bath amenities, hair dryer, and a 

complimentary newspaper. 

412-281-5000 

�� 

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� e Doubletree Hotel & Suites Pittsburgh 

City Center o� ers the kind of practical 

luxury ideal for anyone heading to one 

of the city’s many exciting events. Its 

prime location is right in the middle of 

Pittsburgh’s downtown. 


$129.00 Single or Double Occupancy: 

Features one king bed or two doubles. 

Highlights include 308 luxurious renovated 

guestrooms, complimentary USA 

Today delivered each weekday morning 

and complimentary wireless high-speed 

internet access. 

Basic Information: MathFest attendees are guaranteed the above meeting discounts if you reserve your room through MathFest by 

July 2 for the Omni or Doubletree and by July 12 for the Marriott with the hotel directly. Meeting registration and ticket fees are paid 

separately from housing. Your registration fee will be processed immediately and your housing fee will be processed on or about July 

7. All hotels o� er � tness centers. Indoor and Outdoor Parking is available for an extra fee. 

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Onsite registration will be located on the 17th � oor of the Omni William 

Penn. It will be open Wednesday, August 4, from 8:00 am to 7:00 

pm, � ursday, August 5, and Friday, August 6, from 8:00 am to 4:00 

pm, and Saturday, August 7 from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. You may pick 

up your registration materials, register on-site, and purchase event 

tickets, when available, at this location. 

Early Regular Late 

by 5/14 5/15 thru 6/17 a� er 6/17 

Member $225 $250 $325 

New Member $275 $300 $375 

Non-member $325 $375 $450 

Grad Student $50 $50 $60 

Undergraduate Student $50 $50 $60 

PME Undergraduate $75 $75 $80 

Student 

Unemployed $50 $60 $75 

Individual from a 

Developing Country $50 $60 $75 

K-12 Teacher $50 $60 $75 

Emeritus Member $50 $60 $75 

One-Day (Fri, Sat, Sun) $100 $110 $125 

High School Student $25 $25 $25 

Guest $25 $25 $25 

Minicourses $75 $75 $90 

Short Course 

MAA and AMS Member 

and Mathfest Participant $150 $150 $150 

Non-member or Short 

Course Only $200 $200 $200 

Students $75 $75 $75 

All Name Badge/Registration packets can be picked up at the registration 

desk starting at 8:00 am on Wednesday, August 4, 2010. 

�� 

As a repeat from last year, we are bringing back the early bird registration; 

through May 14 you can register at last year’s prices! 

�� 

Registrations received on and between May 15 and June 17 will be 

processed at the regular registration rate. 

�� 

Registrations received a� er June 17 will be processed at the late registration 

rate. 

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Enroll early! Space is limited. If a course is full, you will be noti� 

ed. On-site registration is allowed if space allows. � e MAA 

reserves the right to cancel courses due to low enrollment. Full 

refunds will be issued for cancelled courses. Otherwise, minicourse 

and/or short course cancellations must be received by 

July 23 to be eligible for a 50% refund. 

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� e headquarters hotel for MathFest is the Omni William Penn 

Place, 530 William Penn Place. Rooms may also be reserved at 

the Marriott Pittsburgh City Center and the Double Tree Hotel 

and Suites. � e MAA has guaranteed sleeping rooms at each 

location. Please book your hotel reservation through the MAA 

to receive the meeting discount. � ank you! 

�� 

Valet parking is available to overnight guests at the Omni William 

Penn for $27 per day. Self parking is o� ered in the Mellon 

Square parking garage located across from the hotel (approx. 

$14/day Monday – Friday, approx. $5/day Sat. and Sun.) 

�� 

By Plane: American Airlines is the o� cial airline for MathFest 

2010. To obtain the discounted fare on American Airlines you 

must make your reservations online at �� . Please 

be sure to refer to promo code 7480AI when making your 

reservations. 

Terms and Conditions 

� 5% discount for tickets purchased. 

�� 

burgh, PA from any destination served by American Airlines. 

�� 

MathFest cancellations must be received by June 18 to qualify for 

�� 

a complete refund. A 50% refund is available a� er July 23, 2010. 

�� 

Cancellations must be received in writing to MAA/MathFest, 1529 

�� 

18th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036 or to �� 

.

�� 

Join Maplesoft at Mathfest 2010 

August 5-7, Pittsburgh PA, Omni William Penn Hotel 

Maplesoft solutions for mathematics education and research 

Maplesoft has over 20 years of experience developing software products for math education 

and research, offering a solution that applies to every aspect of academic life. 

Maplesoft’s academic product suite includes Maple, the essential tool for researchers, 

teachers, and students in any mathematical discipline; Maple T.A, a web-based system for 

creating tests, assignments, and exercises particularly suited for mathematics; the Maple 

T.A. MAA Placement Test Suite, which lets you use the renowned Mathematical Association 

of America placement tests in an online testing environment; and an extensive collection of 

e-books, study guides, and specialized add-on products. 

Stop by the Maplesoft booth #13 to learn more about how Maplesoft can help you enrich 

your classroom and accelerate your research, or visit us online at www.maplesoft.com. 

www.maplesoft.com | info@maplesoft.com 

© Maplesoft, a division of Waterloo Maple Inc., 2010. Maplesoft and Maple are trademarks of Waterloo Maple Inc. 

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 

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�e Mathematical Association of America 

1529 Eighteenth Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20036 

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