Mathematics
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Math Events

SPRING SEMESTER EVENTS

MATH FORUM—Intro to Sage

Thursday, February 21st
Dr. Crisman
KOSC 118, 12–1 p.m.

Have you ever remembered something you needed to do on your math homework late at night? Did you ever wish you had a better graphing calculator in your dorm room? Do you think the idea of pushing a computer to its limits is fun? And, do you find that you want to do these things for free?  Then Sage is for you! In this math forum, we will learn how to do lots of practical and not-so-
practical things from anywhere on campus, for free!

MATH FORUM—Intro to Math Circles

Tuesday, March 5th
Dr. Crisman
KOSC 127, 12–1 p.m.

What is a Math Circle?  It’s a place to experience mathematics as a fun, collaborative, creative endeavor.  It’s a way to get people thinking of math as exploration, not formulas.  Most importantly, it’s a supportive environment for a wide range of abilities to discover math that is fun, but not necessarily in any curriculum.

The best way to learn about a Math Circle is to experience one.  We will try our hand at having a math circle about a fun topic, as well as talk about what advantages or disadvantages there might be to this as a form of outreach.

MATH FORUM—What is Topology?

Tuesday, March 26th
Scott Taylor, Gordon College '98
MacDonald 109, 3 p.m.

As a freshman in college, John Milnor proved that the total curvature of a non-trivial knot is at least 4 pi. His delightfully simple proof was a foretaste of the many wonderful contributions he would make to geometry and topology. In recognition of his achievements, Milnor was awarded the Fields Medal in 1962 and the Abel prize in 2011 (these are the top two prizes in mathematics; each somewhat akin to a Nobel Prize). In this talk, I'll introduce the mathematical discipline of knot theory, outline Milnor's proof, and discuss connections to current research.

The talk should be accessible to anyone who has taken some calculus.

Third Annual North Shore Undergraduate Mathematics Conference

Saturday, April 20th
9 a.m.–3 p.m. (tentative times)
Salem State University

Come join us!  We'll be headed just down the road to Salem, Mass., to enjoy a team math competition, student talks, lunch, and invited speaker Moon Duchin of Tufts University on "Geometric Counting Problems".  It should be a great time!

SELECT FALL SEMESTER EVENTS

MATH/CS PICNIC AND VOLLEYBALL GAME—First social event!

Thursday, September 13, 2012
Ferrin Volleyball Court area, 5 p.m.

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science has a long-standing tradition of hosting a welcome picnic for freshmen and returning students. Be ready to vie for the Math vs. CS volleyball crown!

MATH FORUM—Math in the Real World

Mike Ahearn, Vice President for Finance and Administration
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Location TBA, 4:45–5:45 p.m.

Our VP for Finance loves mathematics!  Come join us as he shows us just a few of the places where not just formulas, but mathematical thinking have come up in his career - from Trump casinos to Gordon College.  Full abstract in preparation.

Departmental Convocation

Friday, October 26, 2012
Chase B34, 10:25–11:10 a.m.

Join other mathematics students for a time of fellowship, worship, prayer, fun, reflection, and looking forward.

Mathematics Assocation of America Conference at Bridgewater State University
November 16, 2012


For the fourth consecutive year, Prof. Crisman is organizing a group of students to attend this local conference, including forming teams to participate in the friendly mathematics competition.  There are undergraduate-focused talks, and ample opportunity to fellowship as we make our way to the South Shore.

MATH FORUM GENERAL INFORMATION

Gordon College's Math Forum is a biweekly gathering of mathematically inclined people from all over campus. The format ranges from problem solving to guest speakers from industry to special talks about interesting topics or people in mathematics. Math Forum has typically been on Tuesdays or Thursdays at noon or 4:45 p.m.

Students—please let us know if there are other events or topics you would enjoy! To give you ideas, some Math Forum speakers and events from the past few years are below. 

  • Mathematics and Faith Seminar—Led by math faculty
  • Coordinating Revenue Management Decisions in Airline Alliances—Prof. Robert Shumsky of Dartmouth, Tuck Business School
  • The Mysterious Connection between Voting and Statistics—Sarah Berube (student)
  • Origami: How to Do Math Without Scissors or Glue—Dr. Thomas Hull, Western New England College
  • Using LaTeX—Lauren Meitzler and Maya Bam (students)
  • The Futurama Theorem—Prof. Dana Ernst of Plymouth State University, NH
  • "Old School" Graphing in Polar Coordinates—Dr. Senning
  • Bringing Math to Inner City Schools—Prof. Robert Case of Northeastern University
  • I See Abstract Number—Dr. Brian Glenney of the Philosophy Department
  • Color and Facial Perception and the Mathematics of Voting—Dr. Crisman, joint with CIPHER seminar
  • Visual Algebra—Dr. Nathan Carter, Bentley University
  • Integration Bee—moderated by Dr. Veatch
  • Introduction to Sage—Dr. Crisman
  • Saving Lives by Bringing Applied Math and Operations Research Scholarship into Action—Dr. Prashant Yadev, MIT-Zaragoza International Logistics Program
  • Humanitarian Logistics—Dr. Jarrod Goentzel, MIT
  • What is Numerical Analysis, Anyway?—Dr. Senning
  • Why are the lines in Lane so long? An Introduction to Queuing Theory—Jane Eisenhauer and Stephen Rizzo (students)
  • What do Math Majors Do After Gordon?—Recent Alumni
  • Sudoku and Graphs—Jeffrey Fraser (student)
  • Happy Birthday, Euler! From Graphs to the Fields Medal—Dr. Crisman
  • Don't Forget to Check Your Digits—Symposium 2007 "Authenticity"—talk by students about check digits
  • Dodgson's Method in Voting—Dr. Tommy Ratliff, Wheaton College (MA)
  • Math Awareness Month Talk: What Makes Your Vote Matter--Dr. Crisman with Drs. Brink and Melkonian from Political Studies
  • Joint with Health Professions Seminar—Dr. Kim Pearson of Harvard School of Public Health on biostatistics and testing for gene links to disease
  • Joint with CS and Chem/Physics Senior Sem—Dr. Michael Orrison of Harvey Mudd College on applications of matrix representations