The Math Major

CSU Fresno Mathematics Department

Vol 2. No. 2

Math Department Colloquium Schedule

The Math Department Colloquia are a series of talks intended for a general audience. Everyone is encouraged to attend and the talks are directed at people who have a reasonable comprehension of the topics in undergraduate mathematics. Come meet our undergraduates, graduate students and faculty as well as our distinguished guest speakers. The updated colloquia schedule can be found on the math departments web page. For more information contact Dr. Sean Cleary.

Date & Time: Monday, September 22nd, 3:10-4pm
Speaker: Dr. Janko Gravner from the UC Davis Department of Mathematics
Title: "Simple Growth Models: Regularity, Nucleation and Competitions"
Location: Science 143
Abstract: This talk will address a few simple growth rules on the two-dimensional integer grid. The basic premise of a growth rule is that one starts with a set of occupied points, then enlarges the occupied set in discrete steps. Regularity questions deal with ability of such dynamics to fill in the available space and reach an asymptotic shape, nucleation theory studies the smallest initial sets which generate persistent growth, while competitive issues are connected with divisions of space induced by multi-colored rules.

New Math Faculty Part II

The mathematics department would like to welcome two new faculty members: Dr. Elinor Velasquez (Assistant Professor) and Dr. Frieda Ganter (full time Lecturer). In the previous issue we profiled Dr. Velasquez. In this issue we profile Dr. Ganter.

Dr. Ganter received her undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. and her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her dissertation was entitled -P. P for Surfaces zⁿ = f(x, y), and her current research interest is Algebraic Geometry in which she has published 3 research papers. Dr. Ganter taught previously at the University of Mississippi. Her non-mathematical interests include biking, yoga and Zen meditation.

Change in the Catalog

There are a few changes in the math major requirements in the new catalog.

Previously, all math majors had to choose either Math 171B (Intermediate Mathematical Analysis I(B)) or Math 172 (Intermediate Mathematical Analysis II). And no math major could use Math 128 (Applied Complex Analysis) for an elective towards the major.

In the new catalog, Math 171B has been eliminated and Math 171(A) has been renamed as 171. Further more, math majors who use the current catalog must choose at least one of Math 172, Math 128 or Math 165 (Differential Geometry).

Math Student Alliance News

(From Dr. Velasquez)

The next brown bag lunch/meeting of the Math Student Alliance will be Thursday September 18 at noon in PB 390. All interested students are cordially invited to attend. Refreshments will be provided.
If there is sufficient interest, a field trip will be arranged for students to attend all, or part, of the Ahlfors Celebration at Stanford University September 19-21. Contact Dr. Velasquez for more information.

Math Education Workshops

The Swarthmore Math Forum now has a web page for math education workshops and conferences:

http://forum.swarthmore.edu/teachers/workshops/

From the page:

The Forum hosts a growing collection of math and math education workshop announcements. If you're looking for a workshop, you may browse announcements by level, conduct a keyword search, or refine your view by selecting from our set of categories (i.e. location, topic, date). If you have a workshop to announce, we invite you to fill out the submission form - your event will be included among those listed in our collection.

Actuary Exam

If you are interested in taking the Actuary Exam, please be aware that the registration deadline for the November exam is October 1. The web site for the Society of Actuaries is

http:// www.soa.org

Students can download the registration form and information booklet from the above web site.

Problem Corner

Problem 2.1: Prove that if f(x) is a polynomial with integer coefficents, and there exists an integer k such that none of the integers f(1), f(2), ..., f(k) is divisible by k, then f(x) has no integer root.

Solution to Problem 2.1: Suppose f has an integer root r. Then f(x) = (x-r)g(x) where g(x) is also a polynomial with integer coefficients. Then there are integers p and q such that r = p + kq and k > p >= 0. But f(p) = (p-r)g(p) = -k q g(p) and hence f(p) is divisible by k contrary to the hypothesis.

Correct solutions were turned in by Anar Ahmedov and John Jamison.

New Problem

Problem 2.2: (Due no later than Thursday September 25, 4pm) (From Dr. Woo) Find a solution, in integers, of the equation

48x + 17y - 66 z = 9.

Solutions may be delivered to the math department office (for Dr. Cusick) or by e-mail at larryc@csufresno.edu. no later than Thursday Thursday April 3, 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