Discussion:
I thought the discussion was fun and interesting. I liked having a discussion on things I've often thought about like GPA and whether to take a class that you will actually learn in or a class that will get you the easy A. It was nice to hear other people's opinions on the subject too. I also would like to know the answers to a lot of the questions that were posed at the end of the discussion. That would be interesting to know.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Week Ten
-Where is the line between math and science? Is mathematics a science?
Well, what really is science too. Dictionary.com says:
Science is a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws: the mathematical sciences.
Maybe anything can be considered a science too because subjects are usually based on facts though maybe not liberal arts as they have more interpretations. Still there are computer sciences and engineering which deals with a lot of science too so where do you draw the line of whether its a pure science like biology, physics and chemistry, to where it is applying science Why is it that biology, physics and chemistry are the main sciences? Either way, you need math to do science but you don't need science to do math most of the time!
- Does training in mathematics effect your thinking in all areas of life? Do mathematicians think differently? - Do mathematicians think alike?
Yes a math background does effect the way you think in other areas but that same can be said for other subjects. A lot of people say that mathematicians think differently but everyone thinks differently. Its not like all of us think of the same things, all the time. It depends on how you learned it and everything else.
- Is mathematics independent of application meaningful?
Yes, because you never know when it can become applicable to someone else at some other point in time. A lot of time with the research, people always ask why are you doing that or how are you going to use that for anything important? And all research is important and all of it is useful for something.
- Would it be appropriate for the university to offer a course on the mathematics of gambling?
Probability is probably the closest the school is ever going to get with a course on the mathematics of gambling.
- When we write down equations to describe the real world, how do we know the success is not just coincidence?
If you can prove that the equation you wrote is true with a solid mathematical proof, it should work right?
- Some people are incapable of understanding mathematics.
It depends on the mathematics really. In some sense, everyone can understand math because you use math everyday. But its interesting to observe that it is perfectly ok for people to say that they hate math but if someone was to say they hate reading, it is really looked upon as something bad because so many people say that they dont understand math. I think it depends on the culture and if the particular culture finds that its acceptable to say that you don't like math.
Well, what really is science too. Dictionary.com says:
Science is a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws: the mathematical sciences.
Maybe anything can be considered a science too because subjects are usually based on facts though maybe not liberal arts as they have more interpretations. Still there are computer sciences and engineering which deals with a lot of science too so where do you draw the line of whether its a pure science like biology, physics and chemistry, to where it is applying science Why is it that biology, physics and chemistry are the main sciences? Either way, you need math to do science but you don't need science to do math most of the time!
- Does training in mathematics effect your thinking in all areas of life? Do mathematicians think differently? - Do mathematicians think alike?
Yes a math background does effect the way you think in other areas but that same can be said for other subjects. A lot of people say that mathematicians think differently but everyone thinks differently. Its not like all of us think of the same things, all the time. It depends on how you learned it and everything else.
- Is mathematics independent of application meaningful?
Yes, because you never know when it can become applicable to someone else at some other point in time. A lot of time with the research, people always ask why are you doing that or how are you going to use that for anything important? And all research is important and all of it is useful for something.
- Would it be appropriate for the university to offer a course on the mathematics of gambling?
Probability is probably the closest the school is ever going to get with a course on the mathematics of gambling.
- When we write down equations to describe the real world, how do we know the success is not just coincidence?
If you can prove that the equation you wrote is true with a solid mathematical proof, it should work right?
- Some people are incapable of understanding mathematics.
It depends on the mathematics really. In some sense, everyone can understand math because you use math everyday. But its interesting to observe that it is perfectly ok for people to say that they hate math but if someone was to say they hate reading, it is really looked upon as something bad because so many people say that they dont understand math. I think it depends on the culture and if the particular culture finds that its acceptable to say that you don't like math.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Week Nine
Thoughts:
What I thought was very interesting about the talk given by the high school teacher that had done industry work for Friendly's was the project he had given his students. I probably would have really enjoying having a project of making a boomerang in high school. In my class in high school, we made polyhedrons and those were fun too. Someone had actually made a polyhedron so big that it couldn't fit through the door.
As for the research, if you feel that we aren't getting very far with the speghetti then I'm willing to change the project. I would just want to have a project that can produce results.
What I thought was very interesting about the talk given by the high school teacher that had done industry work for Friendly's was the project he had given his students. I probably would have really enjoying having a project of making a boomerang in high school. In my class in high school, we made polyhedrons and those were fun too. Someone had actually made a polyhedron so big that it couldn't fit through the door.
As for the research, if you feel that we aren't getting very far with the speghetti then I'm willing to change the project. I would just want to have a project that can produce results.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Week Eight
Other Questions:
I don't have a particular question that hasn't been answered with regards to the speakers and the information they presented. They gave a lot of information towards their personal expierence in becoming what they are now and I know its difficult to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life and I'm still kindof really unsure about that but I guess I'm pretty satisfied at the moment with having learned what other people have done.
I don't have a particular question that hasn't been answered with regards to the speakers and the information they presented. They gave a lot of information towards their personal expierence in becoming what they are now and I know its difficult to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life and I'm still kindof really unsure about that but I guess I'm pretty satisfied at the moment with having learned what other people have done.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Week Seven
Prof. Lazebnik's talk:
I thought it was really interesting how he was able to remember certain problems after so many years. I was also amazed on how these problems influenced him so much.
I did have a teacher that first influenced me towards math when I was younger. I was always good at math in elementary school and I was always in the advanced classes except after 5th grade because the teacher felt I was too quiet which was fine. I really didn't notice until the 7th grade when I had the teacher that no one ever wanted for math. My teacher, Mr. Scheffler, was known to be very strict. One day he had called on me for a problem. It was something really easy like conversions or something but I asked to do it on the board which I guess was the first time that happened because after that he was just always very nice, and he liked to show me as an example for other kids of what they should have been doing on their hw and such. I did practically perfect on all the hws and exams. He liked to talk about how I should seriously consider math and how I should start early so that summer he gave me a lot of work to do. It might have been the work just covered by the advanced class but I did it all and the following year skipped to the advanced classes and so I continued with those until college. From there it was just always math. I went to math camps and did some math competitions and just always enjoyed it.
Another really cool teacher I had was my calculus teacher in high school. He was a really akward guy but he had the craziest stories. Also if you dropped some coins, any coins, on the ground, he would be able to guess which coins fell and how many of each coin. He also had a quotient rule song which might have influenced me to memorize it for the rest of my life.
Other than that, these professors named Pelesko and Cook introduced me to research and I really liked that! It kindof might have influenced me to decide what I want to do with the rest of my life but who knows. :)
And I do love math too. I'm not always the best at it but I appreciate it and I honestly think its the best thing in the world to finally figure out a problem and completely understand it.
I thought it was really interesting how he was able to remember certain problems after so many years. I was also amazed on how these problems influenced him so much.
I did have a teacher that first influenced me towards math when I was younger. I was always good at math in elementary school and I was always in the advanced classes except after 5th grade because the teacher felt I was too quiet which was fine. I really didn't notice until the 7th grade when I had the teacher that no one ever wanted for math. My teacher, Mr. Scheffler, was known to be very strict. One day he had called on me for a problem. It was something really easy like conversions or something but I asked to do it on the board which I guess was the first time that happened because after that he was just always very nice, and he liked to show me as an example for other kids of what they should have been doing on their hw and such. I did practically perfect on all the hws and exams. He liked to talk about how I should seriously consider math and how I should start early so that summer he gave me a lot of work to do. It might have been the work just covered by the advanced class but I did it all and the following year skipped to the advanced classes and so I continued with those until college. From there it was just always math. I went to math camps and did some math competitions and just always enjoyed it.
Another really cool teacher I had was my calculus teacher in high school. He was a really akward guy but he had the craziest stories. Also if you dropped some coins, any coins, on the ground, he would be able to guess which coins fell and how many of each coin. He also had a quotient rule song which might have influenced me to memorize it for the rest of my life.
Other than that, these professors named Pelesko and Cook introduced me to research and I really liked that! It kindof might have influenced me to decide what I want to do with the rest of my life but who knows. :)
And I do love math too. I'm not always the best at it but I appreciate it and I honestly think its the best thing in the world to finally figure out a problem and completely understand it.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Week Six
Overview of the Speakers:
The graduate students were very interesting. I thought their talks were very useful because I don't talk to graduate students very often about how they got where they are or why. I thought Regon's talk was the most entertaining but he's always very animated so that was fun. Derek, Pam, and Todd were interesting too. I just liked listening to their stories. It was fun.
I liked L. Charles Biehl's talk about his involvement on the show Numb3rs. I thought the math was very interesting. It wasn't anything I had seen before and I think its a great way to make students more interested in math by relating it to a TV show.
Prof. Schleiniger's talk was a little bit beyond of what I understood. I don't know much about business and I kindof don't have much of an interest in business but I did understand part of it! He was also very nice and interesting.
The graduate students were very interesting. I thought their talks were very useful because I don't talk to graduate students very often about how they got where they are or why. I thought Regon's talk was the most entertaining but he's always very animated so that was fun. Derek, Pam, and Todd were interesting too. I just liked listening to their stories. It was fun.
I liked L. Charles Biehl's talk about his involvement on the show Numb3rs. I thought the math was very interesting. It wasn't anything I had seen before and I think its a great way to make students more interested in math by relating it to a TV show.
Prof. Schleiniger's talk was a little bit beyond of what I understood. I don't know much about business and I kindof don't have much of an interest in business but I did understand part of it! He was also very nice and interesting.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Week Five
Course on Any Mathematical Topic:
If I could request a course on any mathematical topic that is not currently in our caralog, I would request to have a course that would explore a connection between art and math. I think there used to be one called Geometry in Art. They have some drawings in the 4th floor of Ewing and it seems really interesting. I hear a lot about math being used to construct amazing architecture and compose masterpieces with the Fibannoci numbrs in my art history classes. Also, the philosophy of math in ancient times can be seen sometimes through a civilization's art. Even a lot of modern artists explore many concepts of math to create their pieces of work.
Another possible class would be further exploring the concept of solving forensic cases with mathematics.
If I could request a course on any mathematical topic that is not currently in our caralog, I would request to have a course that would explore a connection between art and math. I think there used to be one called Geometry in Art. They have some drawings in the 4th floor of Ewing and it seems really interesting. I hear a lot about math being used to construct amazing architecture and compose masterpieces with the Fibannoci numbrs in my art history classes. Also, the philosophy of math in ancient times can be seen sometimes through a civilization's art. Even a lot of modern artists explore many concepts of math to create their pieces of work.
Another possible class would be further exploring the concept of solving forensic cases with mathematics.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Week Four
Color:
If math could be a color, I think it would be red just because I think red is a warm color and math is lively to me. Its a subject that brings about many emotions to many people and I think red is the basic feeling it brings to people. When people get frustrated and angry with a problem, I would think that the color is more red for that and when people finally figure it out and realize that the method they used was correct well I would probably think more red for me just because if I managed to figure it out then I feel passionate about it and thats just red to me.
Food:
If math could be a food, it would be spaghetti. Spaghetti can be used to represent practically any problem in basic arithmatic to applied mathematics situations. Obviously spaghetti can be used for adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, fractions. Spaghetti is also a line which can be used for graphs! And if spaghetti is a line then we can prove that we can find the slope of spaghetti and the area under its curve, derivatives, intregals, curvature and so much more!
When cooked, spaghetti can be used for its flexibility to test knots, strength, and a large possibility of other applications for analysis.
When uncooked, it can be used to test the strength of a beam as a tiny model but these applications can be used to relate back to real world problems.
You could probably use the whole process of cooking spaghetti as an interesting project for random packing too! The possibilities are endless.
At the very least, it makes an ok snack when studying. I would prefer chocolate but I've tried to relate math and chocolate before and that didn't turn out too exciting.
Animal:
If math could be an animal, it would be a leopard for me. I could say it would be a fuzzy white bunny that would represent the fibonacci sequence or an octopus that would represent the eight branches of math but I kindof see math as more of a fierce wild feline that can't really be tamed and kindof has its own rules that shouldn't be broken unless you are prepared for the deep consequences of doing the cat wrong. Also, there is always the possibility of counting the spots and doing some math problems based on them.
If math could be a color, I think it would be red just because I think red is a warm color and math is lively to me. Its a subject that brings about many emotions to many people and I think red is the basic feeling it brings to people. When people get frustrated and angry with a problem, I would think that the color is more red for that and when people finally figure it out and realize that the method they used was correct well I would probably think more red for me just because if I managed to figure it out then I feel passionate about it and thats just red to me.
Food:
If math could be a food, it would be spaghetti. Spaghetti can be used to represent practically any problem in basic arithmatic to applied mathematics situations. Obviously spaghetti can be used for adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, fractions. Spaghetti is also a line which can be used for graphs! And if spaghetti is a line then we can prove that we can find the slope of spaghetti and the area under its curve, derivatives, intregals, curvature and so much more!
When cooked, spaghetti can be used for its flexibility to test knots, strength, and a large possibility of other applications for analysis.
When uncooked, it can be used to test the strength of a beam as a tiny model but these applications can be used to relate back to real world problems.
You could probably use the whole process of cooking spaghetti as an interesting project for random packing too! The possibilities are endless.
At the very least, it makes an ok snack when studying. I would prefer chocolate but I've tried to relate math and chocolate before and that didn't turn out too exciting.
Animal:
If math could be an animal, it would be a leopard for me. I could say it would be a fuzzy white bunny that would represent the fibonacci sequence or an octopus that would represent the eight branches of math but I kindof see math as more of a fierce wild feline that can't really be tamed and kindof has its own rules that shouldn't be broken unless you are prepared for the deep consequences of doing the cat wrong. Also, there is always the possibility of counting the spots and doing some math problems based on them.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Week Three
Comment on Comments:
If I had to define what physics was I would say it was an application of applied math. Physics tries to give explanation for the way physical objects behave. However, math is different in the fact that sometimes it doesn't protain to a physical object. Sometimes math is used for theoretical problems. I doubt that there would be a physics problem that had to deal with proofs or the probability of something occuring. Math can be used as an application for engineers and physicists. Math is just so broad that it can apply to everything. The other day in my art history class, we learned that math and religion were very intertwine in the medieval ages. They viewed math as eternal like god and thought that math came before the world was created because god used math to create the world. It was really interesting how their theology could relate back to math. However, it just shows how math can be seen as influential towards everything.
If I had to define what physics was I would say it was an application of applied math. Physics tries to give explanation for the way physical objects behave. However, math is different in the fact that sometimes it doesn't protain to a physical object. Sometimes math is used for theoretical problems. I doubt that there would be a physics problem that had to deal with proofs or the probability of something occuring. Math can be used as an application for engineers and physicists. Math is just so broad that it can apply to everything. The other day in my art history class, we learned that math and religion were very intertwine in the medieval ages. They viewed math as eternal like god and thought that math came before the world was created because god used math to create the world. It was really interesting how their theology could relate back to math. However, it just shows how math can be seen as influential towards everything.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Week Two
Comments on the Speakers:
I thought that Gloria gave an accurate description of all the main things we learned in lab, but I thought that the physics student after her expressed "the research expierence" with more appeal to the audience. He kindof touched upon all different scenarios that could happen in researching and how different ones could mean to be expressed as different traits for a potential employeer. The aspect he brought up that I found to be the most interesting was doing research for a different institution. I enjoy doing research but so far the only research expierence I have is in Delaware so now I'm considering different possibilities for next summer because he was right when he said that it looks good that you do research but if you only did research in one place then how is the employeer going to know if you can handle a different area. Besides, I kindof find it as a good excuse to go to a different place. I like to travel and being able to stay in one place for a long time and really get to know it while doing research is the best. Last summer when I was here, I really felt like I could do more and find out more things about the department and Delaware that I wasn't able to find out when I was just taking courses during the semester and that was really fun. Enough so that I wouldn't mind going to a new place just to see what other interesting things can be learned from doing a summer away.
I thought the projects were really interesting too. I thought Dr. Braun's project on eye lids looked interesting. Isn't is also suppose to be true that you never actually close your eye completely when you blink? The biology project is interesting too.
What is mathematics? :
I think that matematics is a tool used to descibe most things in the world. It is a broad enough subject that majority of the fields of study use mathematics for projects and explanations. However, mathematics is not just about definitions that are used to come to a conclusion of a problem. It is a subject that have been built upon since mathematics was first discovered being used in the Orient in 2000 B.C. by the Babylonians. It is also a subject that will be continued to be built upon long after too. Mathematics is the study of using the knowledge from the past and discovering new knowledge to explain or better understand situations.
I thought the text was interesting. It kindof makes me want to take Math308.
I thought that Gloria gave an accurate description of all the main things we learned in lab, but I thought that the physics student after her expressed "the research expierence" with more appeal to the audience. He kindof touched upon all different scenarios that could happen in researching and how different ones could mean to be expressed as different traits for a potential employeer. The aspect he brought up that I found to be the most interesting was doing research for a different institution. I enjoy doing research but so far the only research expierence I have is in Delaware so now I'm considering different possibilities for next summer because he was right when he said that it looks good that you do research but if you only did research in one place then how is the employeer going to know if you can handle a different area. Besides, I kindof find it as a good excuse to go to a different place. I like to travel and being able to stay in one place for a long time and really get to know it while doing research is the best. Last summer when I was here, I really felt like I could do more and find out more things about the department and Delaware that I wasn't able to find out when I was just taking courses during the semester and that was really fun. Enough so that I wouldn't mind going to a new place just to see what other interesting things can be learned from doing a summer away.
I thought the projects were really interesting too. I thought Dr. Braun's project on eye lids looked interesting. Isn't is also suppose to be true that you never actually close your eye completely when you blink? The biology project is interesting too.
What is mathematics? :
I think that matematics is a tool used to descibe most things in the world. It is a broad enough subject that majority of the fields of study use mathematics for projects and explanations. However, mathematics is not just about definitions that are used to come to a conclusion of a problem. It is a subject that have been built upon since mathematics was first discovered being used in the Orient in 2000 B.C. by the Babylonians. It is also a subject that will be continued to be built upon long after too. Mathematics is the study of using the knowledge from the past and discovering new knowledge to explain or better understand situations.
I thought the text was interesting. It kindof makes me want to take Math308.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Week One
Name: Lucero Carmona
Year: Sophmore but Junior by credit
Major: Mathematical Sciences BS
Minor: Computer Science, Art History, Spanish
Math Courses:
Math242 - Calculus II
Math243 - Calculus III
Math210 - Discrete Math
Math302 - Differential Equations
Math349 - Linear Algebra
Favorite Math Course:
I liked Differential Equations the most so far because I liked how it related to real world situations. I liked how I could see a purpose for everything we did.
Aspirations:
I would like to have a further idea of what to do after undergraduate studies by learning more about what is available for a math major. I would like to know what I should do with the rest of my life, and I hope to see other possibilities and alternatives.
Least Favorite Math Course:
My least favorite math course was Discrete Math because I like applied applications more than theoretical situations. I don't like proofs that much.
Year: Sophmore but Junior by credit
Major: Mathematical Sciences BS
Minor: Computer Science, Art History, Spanish
Math Courses:
Math242 - Calculus II
Math243 - Calculus III
Math210 - Discrete Math
Math302 - Differential Equations
Math349 - Linear Algebra
Favorite Math Course:
I liked Differential Equations the most so far because I liked how it related to real world situations. I liked how I could see a purpose for everything we did.
Aspirations:
I would like to have a further idea of what to do after undergraduate studies by learning more about what is available for a math major. I would like to know what I should do with the rest of my life, and I hope to see other possibilities and alternatives.
Least Favorite Math Course:
My least favorite math course was Discrete Math because I like applied applications more than theoretical situations. I don't like proofs that much.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
