The Math Major

CSU Fresno Mathematics Department

Vol 1. No. 10

Math Department Colloquium Schedule

Date & Time: March 17, 4:10-5pm
Speaker: Dr. Joel Hass, UC Davis
Title of Talk: Double Bubbles Minimize
Location: S 145
Abstract: Dr. Hass will be speaking about the mathematical models of soap films and bubbles, which are modeled by minimal surfaces and constant mean curvature surfaces respectively. Dr. Hass, with his collaborator Roger Schlafly, proved last year the "Double Bubble Conjecture" which answered a question that had been first asked 2000 years ago and had been studied by many great mathematicians throughout history. He will be speaking about some of the innovative techniques used in this important work and will have some computer graphics as well as soap bubbles to illustrate the ideas.

Calculus Help

Where can you go for Calculus help? The math department tutorial lab is located in EE 167. There you will find a tutor at the following times:

M, 9:15-11:00 & 3:10-5:00
W, 9:15-11:00
F, 9:15-11:00 & 2:30-4:30
TTh, 2:10-5:00

The University Learning Resource Center (Lab School 137) also has calculus tutors available at various times of each day.

The Graduate Program at CSUF

(From Dr. Hugo Sun) The math department offers a Master of Arts degree in Mathematics. The Master's degree program is for those students who wish to continue their study of mathematics beyound the undergraduate program. Why should you pursue a Master's degree?

It is fun. The modern attitude is "If it's not fun, why do it?" There is a world of knowledge for everybody with curiosity.
To confirm that the mathematics you learned as an undergraduate is sound. We learn elementary algebra and geometry in a calculus class, and we learn calculus in a real or complex analysis class, etc. So if we don't take a graduate level class, how do we learn abstract and linear algebra or real and complex ananlysis?
To prepare for a career. Most people with graduate training are better equipped for a career or equipped for a better career.
To advance in the present position. Most of our graduate students have a full or part-time job. By going through graduate study, they either find a better position or have their salary increased.

For more information on our graduate program, contact the math graduate program advisor Dr. Hugo Sun (Ed.).

Future Math Teachers

If you are a math major and interested in teaching, contact math major Tina Attasian (435-7827). Tina is trying to set up visitations by math majors at local high schools. The purpose of the visitations is to meet with and encourage high school students to pursue higher education.

Students Needed to Assist the Math Field Day

Student volunteers will be needed to assist the department during the Math Field Day on Saturday April 19. This event brings local high school math students on campus to compete in math contests. Any student who would like to volunteer should contact Dr. Della Duncan in the math department.

Web Watch

The web site of merit for today is Swarthmore's The Math Forum. Here are some things you can find there.

The Student Center. You can find the Geometry Problem of the Week archive, Ask Dr. Math, MathMagic, along with web sites developed by other students.
The Teacher's Place contains links to curriculum resources for teachers. These include Adventures in Statistics, Building Models of Surfaces, Geometry Through Art, Magic Squares, Polyhedra in the Classroom, and many more.
Research Division. This area contains links to research in math and math education. One particularly good link is the Software for Mathematics which contains links to many commercial, shareware and freeware programs available on the web.
Math Resources by Subject is a matrix of links subdivided by topics in the categories K-12, College and Advanced levels. The topics include Geometry, Calculus, Discrete Mathematics, Algebra (elementary and advanced) and Analysis (pure and applied).
Math Education. Here you can find many links to sites that discuss issues of pedagogy and research in math education, including the NCTM standards.

Problem Corner

Problem 1.9: Let there be given nine lattice points (points with integral coordinates) in three dimensional euclidean space. Show that there is a lattice point on the interior of one of the line segments joining two of these points.

Solution to Problem 1.9:The set of all lattice points can be divided into eight classes according to the parities of the coordinates: (odd, odd, odd), (odd, odd, even), etc. With nine lattice points some two, say P and Q, belong to the same class. The midpoint of the segment PQ is a lattice point.

Anar Ahmedov turned in the only correct solution to this problem.

New Problem

Problem 1.10: Find the vertex of the parabola that is tangent to the x-axis at (1, 0) and tangent to the y-axis at (0, 2).

Solutions may be delivered to the math department office (for Dr. Cusick) or by e-mail at larry_cusick@csufresno.edu. no later than Thursday March 13, 3pm. There is a $75 dollar first prize and a $50 second prize to be awarded at the end of the semester to the student(s) who submit the most correct solutions.

CSU Fresno Math Department Home Page

California State University, Fresno