Off on a Tangent
A Fortnightly Electronic Newsletter from the Hope College Department of Mathematics
   October 2, 2008 Vol. 7, No. 3  
http://www.math.hope.edu/newsletter.html


Let's play Mathematical Jeopardy!

What:
 Mathematical Jeopardy!
When:
 Thursday, October 9 at 4:00 p.m.
Where:
 Room 1118 of the Schaap Science Center
Sign up:
 On Prof. Stephenson's door (219 VWF) by Wednesday, October 8

The mathematics department will conduct a Mathematical Jeopardy competition on Thursday, October 9 at 4:00 p.m. in room 1118 of the Schaap Science Center.  Entry is free and there will be prizes for the winning team!  Sign up on Professor Stephenson’s door (VWF 219) by Wednesday, October 8 or email him at stephenson@hope.edu if you would like to be a contestant.  Here are some of the particulars.
Travels with Elvis

Prof. Pennings  accompanied his dog, Elvis, on a Midwest Speaking (and Barking) Tour last week.  Talks were given at Carthage College, Beloit College, University of Wisconsin - Stout, Concordia University, Bethel College, Gustavus Adolphus College, St.Olaf College, and Knox College. 

Television reporters caught up to Tim and Elvis for an interview while at Beloit.  The piece was shown on a Madison, Wisconsin station, WZZM in Grand Rapids, as well as nationally through CNN.  You can view the "Doggie Calculus" clip online at http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?s=9061480. 

A future tour this fall will take this popular dog and pony show out east (Colgate and Bennington), and to regions south (Notre Dame, Valparaiso, and Western Michigan University).

The Putnam competition approaches

The 69th annual William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition will take place on the campus of Hope College on Saturday, December 6, 2008. The morning session of the competition begins at 10:00 a.m. and lasts to 1:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided for the participants during the break (1:00 to 3:00 p.m.) by the mathematics department. The afternoon session is from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
 
A sign-up sheet is on Prof. Stoughton's office door. Anyone who wishes to participate MUST sign up before Friday, October 10 in order that we can get the registration materials to the organizers on time. (You can also sign up by sending an e-mail to stoughton@hope.edu giving us your name and campus phone number.)

Problems anyone?

If you are interested in practicing Putnam and Mathematical Games type problems, please join us in the reading room (VWF 222) Fridays at 3:14 PM. 

This week's problems include one involving a canoe, another involving someone that sounds like a famous basketball player, as well as a couple of others.  The problems for this week can be found here.




The Michigan Undergraduate Mathematics Conference is soon

The Department of Mathematics at UM-Dearborn will host the eleventh annual Michigan Undergraduate Mathematics Conference (MUMC) on Saturday, October 18, 2008.  Hope College will be taking a group of students and faculty.  They will leave early in the day and return  in the evening.

Undergraduate students will be giving 20-minute oral presentations on many areas of mathematics, statistics or related disciplines. Such areas include undergraduate research projects, interesting class projects, history of mathematics, or expository talks on interesting mathematics.  Students are also encourage just to attend as there will be presentations on careers in mathematics, information about mathematics graduate programs and REU programs.

Students interested in attending need to sign up with Prof. Darin Stephenson by Thursday, October 9 (he has a sign-up sheet outside his office door, VWF 219).  For more information about the conference visit the MUMC web page at  http://www-personal.umd.umich.edu/~remski/mumc/mumc08.htm.


The Problem of the Fortnight

Farmer Jones has 65 hens.  If she had one more solid-colored hen, then exactly one-third of her hens would be speckled.  From her years of experience, Farmer Jones knows that one-half of the specked hens will lay speckled eggs and that each hen and a half will lay an egg and a half in a day and a half.  After how many full days will Farmer Jones have four dozen speckled eggs to sell?

Write your solution (not just the answer!) on the back of a picture of Foghorn Leghorn, and drop it by Dr. Pearson's office (VWF 212) by noon on Friday, October 10.  As always, be sure to write your name, the name(s) of your professor(s), and your math class(es) on your solution (e.g. Art Van Delay, Prof. Van Axle, Math 371).  Good cluck, and have fun!


Problem Solvers of the Fortnight

A minivan has two seats in front, a middle seat with spaces for three people, and a back seat with spaces for four people.  Nine licensed drivers are going to ride in the van.  One insists  on sitting in the front seat, another insists on sitting in the middle seat, and a third insists on sitting in the back seat.  How many different seating arrangements satisfy everyone?  There are 4*3*2*6! = 17,280 possible seating arrangements that will satisfy everyone.  Mark Panaggio's elegant and witty solution is posted on the bulletin board.

Congratulations to the following problem solvers of the fortnight: Scott Declaire, Jessica Clouse, Lindsey Lawrence, Jason Folkert, Tara Hamming, David Todd, Zach Mitchell, Carleen Dykstra, Layne Fowler, Chelsea Miedema, Kristian Cunningham, Kristi Wu, Matt Gregory, Ryan Sheets, Josh Boryz, Eric Lunderberg, Kyle Gibson, Nichole Fongers, Ben Herrman, Daryl Andersen, Leonie Grosse, Bruce Kraay, Jack Lepird, Xisen Hou, Kyle McLellen, Mark Panaggio and Kylie Topliff.

Leave it to a college professor to ruin a perfectly good game of fetch with something like calculus.

Bill Osmulski (Television Reporter at WKOW in Madison, WI)
Off on a Tangent