Off on a Tangent
A Fortnightly Electronic Newsletter from the Hope College Department of Mathematics
  September 20, 2010 Vol. 9, No. 2 
http://www.math.hope.edu/newsletter.html


This week's colloquium will explore the world of chaos


Title:  Does God work through Chaos?
           NEW MATHEMATICS REVEALS THE INNER WORKINGS OF NATURE
Speaker:  Prof. Timothy Pennings, Hope College
Time:  Tuesday, September 21 at 4:00 p.m.
Place:  VWF 104

Abstract:  What do the continental divide, the flap of a butterfly's wings, and a straw on  camel'sback have in common?  Why are tree branches, mountain ranges, and your circulatory system self-similar?  How can simple mathematical formulas command computers to generate incredibly complex and intricate pictures?

Exploring the world of chaos and fractals, we will see how dynamical systems bring about natural forms and processes, and may provide a way for God to invisibly guide the universe.  (If you already have the universe figured out, don't bother coming to this colloquium!)
***Join math professors  for Honey Crisp apples at 3:30 p.m. VWF 222 – Reading Room***


Tuesday is the new mathematics colloquium day

In "The Sniffing Accountant" episode of Seinfled, the following dialogue occurs between Kramer and Newman.  What's today?  It's Thursday. Really? Feels like Tuesday.  Tuesday has no feel. Monday has a feel, Friday has a feel, Sunday has a feel.... I feel Tuesday and Wednesday...  

We will be trying to make Tuesdays feel like colloquium day this semester by having the majority of this semester's colloquia on Tuesday instead of our traditional Thursday.  The following is a tentative schedule of this semester's mathematics colloquia. 

    Tentative Fall Colloquium Schedule
          1. Tuesday, September 21 4:00PM, Tim Pennings, Hope College, Chaos talk
          2. Thursday, October 14, 4:00PM Forrest Gordon ‘08, Lousiana State University, Knot Theory
          3. Tuesday, October 26, 6:30PM, Careers in Mathematics Panel (Sponsored by Career Services), Panel of Hope Mathematics Alumni
          4. Friday, October 29, 3:00PM, Brian Yurk, Hope, Mathematical Biology (Joint with Biology)
          5. Tuesday, November 2, 4:00PM, Bryan Heiser, Towers Watson, Actuarial field (live via webcast from Chicago)
          6. Wednesday, November 10, 4:00PM, Brian Drake, GVSU, Counting Sequences
          7. Tuesday, November 16, 4:00PM, Gerard Venema, Calvin, Topology
          8. Tuesday, November 30, 4:00PM, Student Summer Research Presentations, Hope

Smoothie and Fun

A great time was had by all during the Smoothies and Fun event held earlier this semester.  Students, faculty and some faculty kids enjoyed each other's company, some delicious smoothies, sidewalk chalk, and unicycle rides.  Elvis along with a small swarm of bees also came out to the event.  Below we can see the faculty hard at work, students tasting the product, and Maya (Prof. Edward's daughter), working on a drawing.


 

The Michigan Undergraduate Mathematics Conference is soon
e
 The Department of Mathematics at Grand Valley host the thirteenth annual Michigan Undergraduate Mathematics Conference (MUMC) on Saturday, October 9, 2010.  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 presenting need to register by September 27 and those interested in just attending need register by October 1. (Both of these sign-ups need to be done online.)  Students wanting to ride with the group to MUMC should sign up with Prof. Tim Pennings by Friday, October 1 (he has a sign-up sheet outside his office door, VWF 213).  For more information about the conference and to sign up to attend, visit the MUMC web page at http://www.mumc2010.org.

 

Detroit Tigers pitcher uses mathematics and statistics along with his fastball
e
    In a newspaper article from this past summer Detroit Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer talked about using advanced metrics to evaluate his results during the course of the season. Scherzer studied business finance at the University of Missouri and scored a 35 out of a possible 36 in math on the ACT.  He tracks his pitches and analyzes the results using advanced metrics.  

Scherzer said. "You just have to let go of those and focus on the next batter, the next game. You can't do anything about bloop hits. "And this game still comes down to pitch execution, scouting reports and mechanics. But advanced metrics helped me see things I had not seen before."  For more information click here.


Problem Solvers of the Fortnight

 
In our  previous problem of the fortnight, we looked at the following question:  The pages of a book are consecutively number from 1 through 384.  How many times does the digit 8 appear in this numbering?

There were about as many solvers of our last problem of the fortnight as pages in our book.  Even though the entire problem of the fortnight staff has been busily grading and recording these, they did not get them done in time for the current newsletter.  The names of the correct problem solvers will appear in our next newsletter.


Problem of the Fortnight

 

A digital clock shows 2:35.  This is the first time after midnight when all three digits are different prime numbers.  What is the last time before noon when all three digits on the clock are different prime numbers?

Write your solution (not just an answer) on a piece of prime rib or your favorite prime minister and drop it off in the Official Problem of the Fortnight Slot outside VWF 212 by 3:00 pm on Wednesday, September 29.  As always, be sure to include your name, the name(s) of your professor(s), and your math class(es) -- e.g. Pry M. Number, Dr. Com Posite, Math 235 -- on your solution. 
“Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to stay in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!”
Lewis Carroll

Off on a Tangent