Off on a Tangent
A Fortnightly Electronic Newsletter from the Hope College Department of Mathematics
   September 10, 2009 Vol. 8, No. 1  
http://www.math.hope.edu/newsletter.html


Fifth Annual Root Beer Floats Extravaganza Today

Who:
 Hope College Mathematics Faculty and Students
When:
 4:00 p.m. Thursday, September 10
Where:
 The covered walkway outside the west wing of VanderWerf Hall

 Join us today at 4:00 p.m. on the covered walkway on the west wing of VanderWerf (outside the lecture halls) for a helping of root beer floats, fun games, and fellowship.  Our annual fall social is a great way to meet fellow math students and professors.  Be there or be square (rooted)!
  
The first colloquium of the semester is next week


Title:
 Extreme Curvature of Polynomials
Speaker:
 Prof. Stephanie Edwards, Hope College
Time:
 Thursday, September 17 at 4:00 p.m.
Place:
 VWF 104

Abstract:  Let f be a real polynomial of degree n greater than 1, and let K be its curvature.  Determining the maximum number of zeros of K is an easy problem: since the zeros of K are the zeros of f". the curvature of f is 0 at most n-2 times.  A much more intriguing problem is to determine the maximum number of relative extreme values of the function K, or equivalently, determine the maximum number of zeros of K'.  We provide a partial solution to this problem.

Mathematics Faculty Changes


Holmes

Yurk

Stoughton
 The mathematics department welcomes two new faculty members this year.  Dr. Vickie-Lynn Holmes recently received her PhD from the University of Louisville.  She has a joint appointment with the departments of mathematics and education.  Dr. Brian Yurk, also joining us this year, recently received his PhD from Utah State University.  He also graduated from Hope in 2003.  There is more information about Professors Holmes and Yurk on the mathematics bulletin board in the second floor hallway of VanderWerf.

Dr. John Stoughton received the ultimate promotion by retiring at the end of the last academic year.  Prof. Stoughton had been a member of the Hope faculty since 1983.


Prof. Stephenson elected chair of state association

In addition to being the chair of the Mathematics Department here at Hope, Prof. Darin Stephenson was recently elected chair of the Michigan Section of the Mathematical Association of America.  He was elected during the section's annual meeting, held at Central Michigan University last May, and will serve as chair of the association for this school year. 

For more information visit http://www.hope.edu/pr/pressreleases/content/view/full/23093.
Prof. Tintle part of group that receives grant for $1.27 million

Prof. Nathan Tintle of the Mathematics Department, Prof. Matt DeJongh (Computer Science) and Prof. Aaron Best (Biology) along with researchers at two other institutions recently received a $1.27 million grant from the National Science Foundation.  The grant will enable faculty and students in the departments of biology, computer science and mathematics to expand their ongoing research to develop software to model microbial metabolism based on information encoded in microbial genomes. 

Students in all three of the Hope departments will be working on the project in collaboration with the professors.  A total of seven students will conduct research full-time each summer through the two NSF grants, with two working part-time during the school year.

For more information about this grant visit http://www.hope.edu/pr/pressreleases/content/view/full/23971.

Hope students continue to pass actuarial exams


Topliff
Bos
Nelis
 Actuaries use mathematical models to put a present dollar value on future risky events.  They work mostly in the insurance and pensions industries and have one of the highest job ratings. 

Hope has a series of courses to help students get into the field of actuarial science.  Part of the process to become an actuary is to pass a series of certification exams.   Hope students Kelsey Bos and Kylie Topliff both passed their second actuarial exams this past May.  Ryan Nelis passed his first actuarial exam just last month.  Congratulations to these students!

For more information about Hope's program of study for pre-actuaries visit http://math.hope.edu/tintle/actuarial_program.html.


The Problem of the Fortnight

Ten (not necessarily distinct) integers have the property that if all but one of them are added, the possible results are:
82, 83, 84, 85, 87, 89, 90, 91, 92. 

(This is not a misprint; there are only nine possible results.)  What are the ten integers?

Write your solution (not just the answer) on the back of two tickets to the Detroit Tigers game versus the Minnesota Twins on September 19 (bleacher seats are fine), and drop it off at Dr. Pearson's office (VWF 212).  Be sure to include your name, your math class(es), and the name(s) of your math professor(s) -- e.g. I.M. Wright, Math 123, Professor R.U. Shure.  The deadline for submission is 3:00 p.m. on Friday, September 18.

Mathematics Book Sale!



There is currently a mathematics book sale going on in the Reading Room (VWF 222).  The books are located on the bookshelves by the windows.  These books are priced to sell at only 25 cents a piece.  You may pay at the mathematics department office.  Supplies are limited so hurry in for best selection.

If you ask your mother for one fried egg for breakfast and she
    gives you two fried eggs and you eat both of them, who is
    better in arithmetic, you or your mother?
 
 From "Arithmetic" by Carl Sandburg
Off on a Tangent