The Math Major Vol. 3, No. 1
The Math Major
CSU Fresno Mathematics Department
Vol 3. No. 1 (Aug 31, 1998)
Editor: Dr. Larry Cusick.
Math Major Receives $2,000 Downing Scholarship
Math major Amy Peterson was nominated by the Mathematics Department faculty to receive one
of six $2,000 Downing Scholarships in the School of Natural Sciences.
Email Mailing Lists for Majors and Grads Established
We have set up two email listserv accounts for
distributing information, asking questions, and
discussion. They are called "mathmajors" and
"mathgrads" and are easy to join. From the
email account which you would like to receive
and send items from, send a one-line email message
to here with the
following line in the body of the message: subscribe mathmajors YourFirstName YourLastName.
Replace "mathmajors" with "mathgrads" for the other
list. Make sure that command is in the body, not the
subject. In a little while, you will receive a confirmation
message from the listserv. Reply to the message, with
a single line in the body of the message OK
within 48 hours and then you are set! You will get an
informative message from listserv with further instructions
about administrative features, but from then on you will
receive mail which people send to the mathmajors list.
For more information ask Dr. Cleary or see the ITS website
about Listserv membership.
Math Department Video and Colloquium Series
This fall, every Thursday at 1 pm there will be some kind of math
gathering suitable for math undergraduates, graduates and faculty
alike. The first such gathering will be our Fall Welcome Gathering (Sep 10, 12:30--2 in PB 390),
refreshments provided, and the second one will be the video presentation "Outside In." Later
on in the semester, look forward to there being interesting
outside speakers in our colloquium series, other videos, and, as
always, a chance to meet and converse with other math majors and
math department faculty.
Video Presentation
- Film: "Outside In"
- When: Thursday, September 17, 12:30 pm
- Where: Peters Building Room 390
- Description: The award-winning computer animation Outside In explains the amazing
discovery, made by Steve Smale in 1957, that a sphere can be turned
inside out by means of smooth motions and self intersections, without cutting or tearing.
It convincingly demonstrates how valuable visualization
can be in the communication of mathematics. This 20-minute video
is nicely done and will be accompanied by popcorn!
DQE
The Graduate Program Department Qualifying Exams will be held on September 12 (Algebra) and September 19
(Analysis). These exams are required of all graduate students in the department of mathematics. Contact
Dr. Hugo Sun for more information on the graduate program.
PB 428
Remember that Peters 428 is the Math Lounge- a room for math majors
to gather, work, eat and perhaps even take a short nap after some
heavy-duty thinking. There is a small fridge and microwave there,
so it makes a nice place to drop by during the day. Oftentimes,
other majors are working or relaxing there and are willing to
answer math questions or pose some of their own!
Math in the News
Two items of mathematical interest have recently been in the news.
- Census 2000. A U.S. District Court panel has ruled that proposed statistical sampling
techniques may not be used for the year 2000 census. The Clinton Administration supports sampling, while
a majority of congress does not. What do you think? What are the scientific arguments and the political
consequences?
- The Kepler Conjecture. What is the most efficient way to stack oranges? It was
conjectured by Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) that the familiar arrangement (known to grocers everywhere) is
best possible in the sense made precise by David Hilbert (1862-1943) in his 1900 International Congress
of Mathematicians Address (Problem 18): "How can one arrange most densely in space an infinite number of
equal solids of given form, e.g.,
spheres with given radii ..., that is, how can one so fit them together that the ratio of the
filled to the
unfilled space may be as great as possible?" Dr. Thomas Hales, of the University of Michigan, has
announced a proof of this 400 year old conjecture. More details can be found on his web page. As with all mathematical claims, the
final word will have to wait for the referee(s) report.
Kepler & Hilbert
A Mathematical Quote
"Reason is the slow and tortuous method by which those who do not know the truth discover it. The heart
has its own reason which reason does not know."--Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
Problem Corner
Each issue of the Math Major will contain the Problem Corner. Any student who submits a
correct solution before the posted deadline will be listed in the following issue. At the end of the
semester, the student with the most correct solutions will win $75. There will be a second prize of
$50. In case of a tie, the winners will share the \$125.
Solutions may be delivered to the
math department office (for Dr. Cusick) or by e-mail.
Problem 3.1: (Due Thursday September 10, 3pm) The Fibonacci sequence of numbers
Fn is defined by F1 = F2 = 1 and Fn+2 = Fn+1 + Fn . The Lucas numbers Ln are defined
by L1 = 1, L2 = 3 and Ln+2 = Ln+1 + Ln. Prove that whenever n>m ,
Fn+m + (-1)m Fn-m =Lm Fn .
--From Dr. Woo.
CSU Fresno Math Department Home
Page
California State University, Fresno