Robinson Mathematics Festival in 2007. As a student in middle and high school, Nancy enjoyed solving math problems with her father. She didn't enjoy the competitive atmosphere and time constraints of most math contests, but was intrigued and inspired by the qualifying problems of the yearly math contest sponsored by Saint Mary's College in Moraga, CA. As an adult, she found that the Saint Mary's Math Contest no longer existed, and connected with Joshua Zucker, a high school mathematics…
judge a topic that they might not be very educated on the specifics of. Mathematics not only helps medical research specialists when trying to find equations to new chemicals, but these same discoveries help create pharmaceutical drugs that could lead to curing certain ailments and illnesses around the U.S., and even the world. According to the Imperial College of London, “Medicine has become increasingly reliant on mathematics in recent years”, meaning that equations and…
growing I vaguely remember learning mathematical ideas. Unfortunately, it is common for adults to have lasting negative ideas about mathematics due to the way in which the concepts were presented to us as children. Is it therefore very important that we are able to scaffold children's learning in such a way that they do not feel confused or lose their enthusiasm for mathematics. Children who are learning mathematical skills need supportive adults who recognise the importance of this and are able…
As part of the Mathematics Year 7-10 Syllabus (BOS NSW, 2012), Working Mathematically has become an essential and integral part in all lessons. Working mathematically is a term unique to the Australian Syllabus in which it is used to describe and demonstrate the practical implication of mathematics in real life situations. As described in the syllabus, it includes developing students' knowledge and skills in mathematics through the processes of questioning, applying strategies, communication,…
freshman, I struck a deal with myself: I would focus on Bible Quizzing and on the Academic Team until I graduated high school, and once I began college, I would focus solely on mathematics. This concentration would allow me to compete at a much higher level in both activities while only sacrificing a few years of studying mathematics. Fortunately, it has worked almost perfectly; I have Bible quizzed multiple times at the National level, have placed third and fourth at State while on the Academic…
The Life of Leonhard Euler Leonhard Euler was born on April 15, 1707, in Basel, Switzerland. He was the first of six children in a minister's family. His father, Paul Euler, a Protestant preacher, taught young Euler mathematics but wanted him to be a minister. Paul Euler married Margaret Brucker, the daughter of another Protestant minister. He had two younger sisters named Anna Maria and Maria Magdalena (newworldencyclopedia). He died on September 18, 1783 from a cerebral hemorrhage. Euler…
enough to have quite a few transfer credits from high school; many of which were in my intended field of study: mathematics. Looking to continue with a major in mathematics, I signed up for the next course in the intended major progression, MATH 381: Discrete Mathematics. This course serves as an introduction to mathematical logic, almost like a stepping stone towards higher mathematics. On my first day of my first year at Carolina, I walked into the classroom in Phillips to realize that I…
In Bertrand Russell's words: “Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty—a beauty cold and austere, like that of sculpture, without appeal to any part of our weaker nature, without the gorgeous trappings of painting or music, yet sublimely pure, and capable of a stern perfection such as only the greatest art can show.” Math is a language of logic. It is a disciplined, organized way of thinking. There is a right answer; there are rules that must be followed. More…
permanently fill the position – I knew my medical obligations would conflict with the position for several months. Later, knowing I was distraught by giving up the job, one of my professors helped me find work as a private tutor for programming and mathematics. I spent most of my spring semester and summer tutoring kids in Scratch and JavaScript until I needed to move for grad…
Trapa. Dr. Trapa is the Professor and Chair of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Utah, he is passionate about the world of mathematics and education. Dr. Trapa’s advice and dedication for student success here at the University of Utah reminded me how education is important. Dr. Trapa grew up in the Seattle area with a love for math. He graduated high school at the age of 14, later earning his doctorate in mathematics at the age of 23. After doing his postdoctoral fellowship at…