2006-2007 News

2006-2007 SCHOLAR ATHLETES HONORED

May 8, 2007.

Congratulations to the 17 Mathematics and Computer Science students who were honored at the 4th annual WESPY Awards (Westminster Exceptional Sports Performances of the Year) held on May 8, 2007, at Orr Auditorium!  These students successfully juggled academics and collegiate sports during the 2006-2007 academic year while maintaining full-time status as majors/minors in the Mathematics and Computer Science Department.

The WESPY Award Ceremony also honored MVP’s for all 18 varsity sports teams.  In addition, recognition awards were given for top athletic achievements throughout the 06-07 year.  Dana Larson, senior mathematics major, was named “Women’s Tennis MVP.”             

Brittany Thomas, senior elementary education major and mathematics minor, was among three Westminster College swimmers who were named to the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Teams.  The announcement was made in May of this year by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Brittany was selected to the second team of the all-District II College Division for women's at-large sports.  She won conference titles in the 500, 1,000 and 1,650-yard freestyle events at the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championships in 2007.  Her meet-high 60 points at the championships helped the Titans win their second consecutive PAC team title.

Dana Larson	Brittany Thomas

Row 1:  April Scudere, Trista Houck

Row 2:  Brittany Thomas, Dana Larson

Row 3:  Allison Rook, Amber Dillaman

Row 4:  Lauren Graeser, Anna Sparacino, Sarah Woodward, Emily Paul

Row 5:  Stephen Rossi, Christopner Ellwanger, Aaron Schade, William Altenhof, Randy Sylvester, Zachary Gebhardt, and Daniel Orrison

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM 
April 28, 2007

The Mathematics and Computer Science Department was represented by several majors and minors at the Undergraduate Research Symposium held on April 28, 2007, at Westminster College. Over sixty students presented their work in the form of poster displays and oral presentations, under the direction of faculty advisors.

The symposium was sponsored by the Undergraduate Research Advisory Council (URAC) and the Drinko Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.  Dr. Barbara Faires, Professor of Mathematics, served as coordinator of the symposium.  Dr. Pamela Richardson, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, served as moderator for one of the presentation groups.

MATH/CS ORAL PRESENTATIONS:  

Bryan Bischof, Junior Mathematics Major; Andrew Polack, Junior dual Mathematics and Computer Science Major
Research Advisor:  Dr. Barbara Faires
Research Topic:  “Blowing a Breaker: Lights Out in Many Dimensions”
Abstract:  Using techniques previously defined, we analyze Lights Out, a game by Tiger Electronics.  We consider previous results and apply them to more specific puzzles. Furthermore, we extend the results and derive methods for solving similar puzzles in higher dimensional games. Additionally we present Java applications to simulate the previous methods and our methods for analyzing any size puzzle. Finally we give a method for any size and dimensionality of a Lights Out puzzle with increased restrictions and added rules.

Amy Perkins, Senior Mathematics Major
Research Advisor:  Dr. Carolyn Cuff
Research Topic:  “Of Mice and Mean:  A Statistical Analysis of Ephedrine’s Effect on Mouse Respiration” 
Abstract:  The diet craze in America led to the development, potentially health-hazardous use, and subsequent ban on ephedra-based diet pills, but ephedra has long been known and used as Ma Huang in Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 5,000 years to relieve asthma attacks and nasal congestion.  Ephedra’ s primary chemical alkaloid, ephedrine, can be extracted and combined with anhydrous caffeine to provide weight loss benefits. The proposed experiment investigated whether administration of ephedrine affected the respiration rate in mice.  The experimental data was statistically analyzed utilizing analysis of variance and confidence intervals and yielded no significant differences in the oxygen consumption among the control and ephedrine treatments on mice.

Sarah Spardy, Senior Mathematics Major
Research Advisor:  Dr. Warren Hickman
Research Topic:  “Elliptic Curve Cryptography: Why Are We Making the Switch?”  
Abstract:  Since the 1970’s, the National Security Agency (NSA) has recognized RSA as the most secure form of Public Key Cryptography.  In recent years, however, the NSA has been backing Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), one of the latest developments in the field. I will explore the history of Cryptography, tracing it back to its earliest forms, and then discuss why RSA has become almost obsolete to the increasingly popular ECC. 

Tracy Wolf, Senior Mathematics Major; Secondary Education Minor
Research Advisor:  Dr. Carolyn Cuff
Research Topic:  “Linear Programming and Game Theory” 
Abstract:  I am going to show how linear programming can be used to solve game theory problems.  I am going to demonstrate this using a common game called Rock, Paper, Scissors and also by using two variations of this game.  I am also going to extend this information in order to determine how linear programming can be used to solve the game theory problem called Undercut. 

Colin Campbell, Senior Physics Major, Mathematics Minor
Research Advisor:  Dr. Craig Caylor
Research Topic:  “Sticking and Slipping Water Droplets” 
Abstract:  When a small drop of water, resting on a flat surface, is horizontally oscillated by a speaker cone, two general types of motion are observed. The first is a "pinned" behavior wherein the drop moves in the same way as the surface on which it rests; the second is a "depinned" behavior wherein the drop slides around on the surface. The type of behavior which is exhibited depends upon the acceleration of the drop, which is in turn governed by the frequency and amplitude of the speaker cone. A study of the transition between these two behaviors will be discussed.  Methods of data collection and analysis will be presented, along with preliminary results. 

Jacob Flickinger, Senior Physics Major, Mathematics Minor
Research Advisor:  Dr. William Johnson
Research Topic:  “Pressure Drop Relation to Turbulent Flow in Tubes” 
Abstract:  This project recorded measurements of a range of fast, turbulent air speeds in numerous tube shapes. Turbulent air flow in tubes of varying shapes applies to air coolers for engines. Engines must blow air through their coolers quickly and easily to prevent the engine from overheating or creating more heat from trying to blow the air quickly. In the experiment, measured pressure difference from entry to exit of a specific tube shape at a particular air speed is related to the work required to push the air through that tube at that speed. Certain tube shapes were found to require less work to blow air through than other tube shapes for the same air speed. I am hopeful that a modification to the descriptions of slow, laminar air flow can be created to describe the measurements of turbulent air flow.

William Giles:  Senior Physics Major, Mathematics Minor 
Research Advisors:  Dr. William Johnson and Dr. Craig Caylor
Research Topic:  “Analysis of Laser Speckle”
Abstract:   A laser speckle pattern is observed when a laser beam passes through a dispersive medium.  A pattern is also created by scattering off of particles suspended in a fluid. This pattern contains information about the physical properties of the particles.  A study has been conducted to determine if the spatial correlation between the speckles contains information relating to the concentration of suspended particles. I have set up an experiment to further analyze this phenomenon and expand upon previous results.  Experimental and analytical methods with be presented along with results.

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Nicole Panza, Junior Mathematics Major, Computer Science Minor; and Elizabeth Kribel, Senior Environmental Science Major, Mathematics Minor
Research Advisor:  Dr. Carolyn Cuff
Research Topic:  “Facebook Frenzy!”
Abstract: Westminster College students have integrated The Facebook into their daily lives. The website, where students are able to network and socialize, can be customized to fit a student’s personality. This allows them to share or withhold specific information about themselves. The personal information can include a student’s last name, hometown, address, mobile phone number, America Online Screen Name, residence, residence hall room number and whether a student has requested a limited profile. Our objective is to determine how much personal information Westminster College students are willing to divulge in their profiles. This can be used to help educate the campus about online safety.

CS 221 (Systems Analysis) and CS 351 (Software Engineering) Classes:  Christopher Dymond, Courtney Gilmore, Jacob Romigh, Justin Sedlak, Justin Smith, Daniel Orrison, Terrence Phelps, Mark Gordon, Peter Lukich,and William Maxwell  
Research Advisor:  Dr. Terri Lenox
Group Project:  “A redesigned web site for Lawrence County Community Action  Partnership”
Abstract:  Westminster College students in the Fall 2006 Systems Analysis (CS 221) and Spring 2007 Software Engineering (CS 351) are working on a service-learning project with Nancy Welker, Emily Rowe and Marty Stalnecker at the Lawrence County Community Action Partnership (LCCAP).  LCCAP is composed of three agencies that seek “to involve the community in assessing local needs and attacking the causes and conditions of poverty.”  Specially, these agencies are: 1) Lawrence County Social Services, Inc., 2) United Community Services of Lawrence County, Inc., and 3) Allied Coordinated Transportation Services, Inc.    During Fall 2006, the students collected information about LCCAP and redesigned their existing web page for LCCAP’s clients and for internal use.  During Spring 2007, students enrolled in the Software Engineering course refined and built the web pages for LCCAP.

2007 HONORS CONVOCATION
April 27, 2007

Westminster College celebrated academic achievement at its annual Spring Honors Convocation Saturday, April 28, in Orr Auditorium.   Dr. Jesse Mann, vice president of academic affairs and Dean of the College, recognized Dean's List scholars, scholarship recipients, and scholar-athletes. 

CONGRATULATIONS to the following Mathematics and Computer Science majors and minors were recognized at the convocation!

COMPUTER SCIENCE CAPSTONE PRESENTATIONS

April 28, 2007

Senior computer science majors Jeremy Alberth, Colin Dean, and Ryan Moore, participated in the 16th annual Penn State Behrend-Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research and Creative Accomplishment Conference held at Penn State Behrend on Saturday, April 28, 2007.  The conference was attended by a total of 171 students and 94 faculty members.  Computer science faculty, Dr. John Bonomo and Dr. C. David Shaffer accompanied the Westminster students. 

Ryan Moore, Jeremy Alberth, and Colin Dean

The purpose of the conference is to provide an opportunity for students to present their research and creative accomplishment results in a public setting. Students present their results either by poster or by oral presentation. Students from the other regional colleges and universities are also invited to participate.  According to the Behrend College website, “The quality and sophistication of the student work increases every year.”

Awards were given to two Westminster students as follows:  Jeremy Alberth:  1st Place - Computer Science Oral Presentations and Ryan Moore:  2nd Place - Computer Science Oral Presentations

The students’ capstone titles and abstracts are given below:

Jeremy R. Alberth:  “Creation and Analysis of Artificial Intelligence Solvers for the Game Quoridor”
Abstract:  The board game Quoridor is an abstract strategy game whose layout begins with two pawns on opposite sides of a 9x9 board with an objective of reaching the opposite side. A player may move his pawn to make progress on a path that leads to his goal side of the board or place a wall to impede the progress of his opponent’s pawn. The first player to reach his goal side of the board wins the game. We will describe the creation of several artificially intelligent players for the game as well as an analysis of the performance of these players against each other. The computer players involved make use of the minimax strategy with alpha-beta pruning and a depth cutoff, employing varying heuristics to determine the value of a board to the player. Since the Quoridor game tree has a large branching factor, we explored techniques to restrict the moves considered and thus increase the depth searched by computer players.

Colin Dean:  “Vojisto: A Linux-based router for flash party networks. “
Abstract:  Vojisto is a Linux-based router operating system. It loads entirely into a computer's RAM from a removable storage medium. It then provides network services to connected hosts to facilitate communication between the hosts. Services it provides include, but are not limited to DHCP, DNS, and NAT/Masquerading.

Ryan Moore:  "SEED: A Scriptable Extensible Emulator and Debugger for RISC-like Architectures"
Abstract:  Software based microprocessor simulators are becoming increasingly accurate (in terms of timing) and faster.  Retargetable simulators provide a base set of tools upon which simulators for other architectures can be built.  These retargetable simulators are interesting because they allow for developed tools, testing software, and performance measurements for one architecture to be relatively easily integrated into the simulation of another architecture.  This reduces the impact of switching architectures on the developer.  However, retargetable simulators have varying levels of flexibility in their scripting capabilities and support (if it exists at all) for the simulation of hardware external to the main processor being simulated.  In this presentation I will describe SEED, a retargetable simulator for RISC architectures, which is designed to be flexible with its scripting language, and which provides an API for the simulation of arbitrary hardware that interfaces with the main processor.  Furthermore, a temperature monitoring and alarm project will also be discussed, which is simulated using SEED.

MAA Allegheny Mountain Section Meeting

April 13-14, 2007

Westminster mathematics faculty Dr. Carolyn Cuff, Dr. Barbara Faires, Dr. Warren Hickman, Dr. Pamela Richardson, and students Bryan Bischof, Larissa Fortna, Nicole Panza, Allison Rook and Curtis Yenyo attended the annual meeting of the Allegheny Mountain Section of the Mathematical Association of America at Mercyhurst College on April 13-14, 2007. 

Three of the five Westminster student attendees gave talks at the meeting as follows: 

Bryan Bischof, junior mathematics major and Andrew Perriello, Penn State University, New Kensington:  “On the Images of Non-Constant Integer Coefficient Polynomials”

Allison Rook, senior mathematics major/secondary education minor:   “It’s Goal Time”

Curtis Yenyo, senior mathematics major/secondary education minor:  “The Dimension of the Cost of Westminster’s Lake Britain:   " A Look at Fractal Dimensions”  

Barbara Faires coordinated the Friday afternoon program for new faculty in the Section.  This Section gives three awards annually to faculty.  Westminster is the only college or university in the Section that has received all three of the awards:  Distinguished Mentor of Students in Undergraduate Mathematics, Carolyn Cuff; Distinguished Teaching Award, Warren Hickman; and Barbara Faires; Distinguished Service to the Section, Barbara Faires. 

Carolyn Cuff coordinated and awarded prizes for the Section's problem solving fun, known as Prizers and Puzzlers 2007.

LAWRENCE DOWNEY COLLOQUIUM: A QUESTION OF WALTER RUDIN AND REPELLING POINTS

Apr 3, 2007

On Tuesday, April 3, 2007, the Mathematics and Computer Science Department hosted a mathematics colloquium featuring Dr. Lawrence Downey, Professor of Mathematics, Behrend University. Dr. Downey�s topic was �A Question of Walter Rudin and Repelling Points.�

Abstract: One of the fundamental theorems in analysis is the Open Mapping Theorem for linear mappings. In 1966 Walter Rudin posed a question about the possibility of a similar result for more general multi-linear mappings. Several counterexamples followed in the early 1970�s. The paper presented here is based on this question and provides a basis for a more general description of a certain �pathology� possessed by some functions. The progress toward a �complete� solution to Rudins� question is also discussed.

Biographical Information: Dr. Lawrence Downey is a professor of Mathematics at Behrend University in Erie, PA. He joined the faculty there after receiving his PhD in Mathematics from Kent University in 2001. Dr. Downey's specialty is Functional Analysis and Operator Theory, though he also does work in signal analysis and image processing. His most recent publication is "On the Openness of Surjective Operators; Repelling Points," published in 2006 in the International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics.

Tenth Annual ECC Undergraduate Mathematics Competition

Mar 31, 2007

The Tenth Annual East Central Colleges Undergraduate Mathematics Competition was held on Saturday, March 31, 2007, at Heidelberg College in Tiffin, OH.

Dr. Pamela Richardson, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, acted as faculty advisor to the Westminster College student participants and accompanied the following teams to the event:

• Team Fermat: Bryan Bischof, Jim Bryan, Andy Polack, Stephen Rossi
• Team Poisson: Jeremy Alberth, Ryan Brolley, John Cochran, Anthony Colwell
• Team Pythagoras: Lauren Graeser, Nicole Panza, Stephen Wheeler                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Row 1: James Bryan, Anthony Colwell, Nicole Panza, Ryan Brolley, Jeremy Alberth; Row 2: Stephen Wheeler, Lauren Graeser, Stephen Rossi, Andrew Polack, Bryan Bischof, John Cochran ; Row 3: Pamela Richardson, Advisor	Team Fermat Front Row: Andrew Polack, Bryan Bischof Back Row: Stephen Rossi, James Bryan
Team Poisson Seated: Anthony Colwell, John Cochran, Jeremy Alberth; Standing: Ryan Brolley	Team Pythagoras Seated: Nicole Panza, Standing: Lauren Graeser, Stephen Wheeler

The competition consisted of students taking a three-hour exam in teams of three or four, working as a group. The exam was written and graded by a mathematician at Concordia College of Minnesota specifically for this contest, and consisted of 10 problems, ranging from a problem or two that nearly everyone should have been able to solve, to a couple which were of Putnam level and were likely to separate out the most exceptional students.

CIS STUDENTS AND FACULTY VOLUNTEER SERVICES AT LAWRENCE COUNTY HEAD START

March 31, 2007

Special recognition goes to Westminster CIS students Ed DeRose, Will Maxwell, and Andrew Slane, who donated their time and technical skills, to the Head Start of Lawrence County on Saturday, March 31, 2007.

Ed DeRose

Andrew Slane and Will Maxwell

The students, accompanied by Dr. Terri Lenox, Westminster College, and Dr. Charles Woratschek, Robert Morris University, configured and installed over 20 computers. The team also restored 10+ old computers to their original configuration and worked alongside Marty Stalnecker of LCCAP in their Long Avenue school.

The students did a great job, and we are very proud of them for their contribution to the community!

MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPT. ANNUAL SPRING AWARDS BANQUET AND KAPPA MU EPSILON INDUCTION

Mar 22, 2007

The Mathematics and Computer Science Department hosted its annual spring awards banquet and Kappa Mu Epsilon induction on Thursday, March 22, 2007, at 5:00 p.m. in the Witherspoon Lakeview Room.

Honored guests in attendance at the banquet were Dr. James E. Hall, Professor Emeritus, and Harriet Jackson Sarver, Westminster alumni and Harriet Jackson Sarver Scholarship namesake.

KME inductees were initiated under the direction of Kappa Mu Epsilon (KME) officers and KME advisor, Dr. Natacha Fontes-Merz, preceding the dinner. Following the dinner, graduating seniors were recognized by Math/CS Dept. Chair, Dr. Carolyn Cuff. Departmental awards and scholarships were then presented by the following mathematics and computer science faculty members: Dr. Carolyn Cuff, Dr. Barbara Faires, Dr. Warren Hickman, Dr. Terri Lenox, Dr. Natacha Fontes-Merz, Dr. Pamela Richardson, and Dr. David Shaffer.KAPPA MU EPSILON

KME Inductees (Row 1) Larissa Fortna, Anna Sparacino, Callie Croushore, Lindsey Stankiewicz, Natacha Fontes-Merz, Advisor; (Row 2) Elizabeth Kribel, Amy Leicht, Randy Sylvester Missing from picture: Brandon Phillian

KME Members

GRADUATING SENIORS:

COMPUTER INFORMATION SYSTEMS:
Majors: Edward DeRose
Minors: Courtney Gilmore, Amanda Petrovich
COMPUTER SCIENCE
Majors: Jeremy Alberth, Colin Dean, Ryan Moore
MATHEMATICS
Majors: Courtney Gilmore, Michael Henninger, Amy Perkins, Allison Rook, Sarah Spardy, Tracy Wolf, Curtis Yenyo
Minors: Jeremy Alberth, Colin Campbell, Michele Fenske, Jacob Flickinger, William Giles, Carolyn Reasinger, Brittany Thomas

PUTNAM EXAM 

Mark Amaismeier, Bryan Bischof, Amber Bollard, Ryan Brolley, James Bryan, Deana Buckner, John Cochran, Anthony Colwell, Callie Croushore, Shannon Ecklund, Trista Houck, Benjamin Jarrett, Dana Larson, Amy Leicht, Peter Lukich, Thoko Mbewe, Alison McNary, Nicole Panza, Heather Pate, Sarah Petcovic, Brandon Phillian, Andrew Polack, Regina Schaeffer, Richard Schrader, Anna Sparacino, Lindsey Stankiewicz, Jennifer Steele, Randy Sylvester, Stephen Wheeler

ACM PROGRAMMING CONTEST

ECC MATHEMATICS COMPETITION (APRIL 2006)

GEEK WEEK

INTERNSHIP COLLOQUIUM SPEAKERS:

LCCAP SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT:

MAA ALLEGHENY SECTION MEETING (APRIL 2006):

MATHEMATICAL MODELING CONTEST

YSU PME REGIONAL CONFERENCE

MATHEMATICS BOOK AWARD:

THE PAUL E. BROWN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP: 2007 Recipient: Dana Larson
Awarded to a current junior mathematics major on the basis of merit and academic achievement in the field of mathematics.

Brandon Phillian

Dana Larson

DR. THOMAS R. NEALEIGH MATHEMATICS SCHOLARSHIP:

HARRIET JACKSON SARVER SCHOLARSHIP:

Andrew Polack

Anna Sparacino, Harriet Jackson Sarver, Nicole Panza

FOUR TEAMS COMPETE SUCCESSFULLY IN 2007 MATHEMATICAL CONTEST IN MODELING

Feb 8-12, 2007

Four Westminster teams particpated in the 2007 Mathematical Contest in Modeling on Feb 8-18, 2007, as pictured below:

Ryan Moore, Ryan Brolley, Anthony Colwell	Stephen Wheeler, Beth Kribel, Nicole Panza
Dana Larson, Thokozani Mbewe, Anna Sparacino	James Bryan, Andrew Polack, Bryan Bischof

The Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM) is a unique international contest for high school students and college undergraduates. The MCM is designed to challenge teams of students to clarify, analyze, and propose solutions to open-ended problems. The contest attracts diverse students and faculty advisors from over 500 institutions around the world.

Two problems were downloaded by the teams on Thursday night, February 8, at 8:00 p.m.; each team chose (without consultation beyond the team) one of the problems on which to work. The teams worked throughout the weekend, around the clock, as follows: doing research; developing strategies to model the system; solving the problem; quantitatively comparing solutions; implementing these strategies on the computer; using programs to generate data and figure out how to display their data; and finally, writing the paper. Actually, writing began early in the weekend! Papers were then submitted to Dr. Barbara Faires, MCM faculty advisor, by 8:00 p.m. on Monday, February 12.

The contest is designed to provide students with an experience that is similar to that which an applied mathematician or other quantitative scientist is likely to find when working in industry or in a research laboratory. The problems are chosen to model real-world situations and generally do not have a known solution, nor even a unique method of attack.

Papers are graded on the likelihood that the method used in the proposal would lead to a reasonable solution, at least under certain simplified conditions. The write-up of the proposal is critical since the method must be clearly understood by someone reading the proposal for only a short time, and sufficient experimentation must be done to convince the reader that the approach is valid. Additional contest information: http://www.comap.com/contests

Students' names and majors are given below:

• Team 1:
  • Anthony Colwell - junior mathematics and philosophy dual major
  • Ryan Brolley - senior mathematics major; psychology minor
  • Ryan Moore - senior computer science major
• Team 2:
  • Nicole Panza - junior mathematics major; dual minors of secondary education and computer science
  • Beth Kribel - junior environmental science major
  • Stephen Wheeler - sophomore mathematics major
• Team 3:
  • Anna Sparacino - junior mathematics major; secondary education minor
  • Mbewe Thokozani - accounting major; mathematics minorDana Larson - junior mathematics major; secondary education minor
• Team 4:
  • James Bryan - sophomore mathematics major; secondary education minor
  • Bryan Bischof - junior mathematics major
  • Andy Polack - junior mathematics and computer science dual major

Of the 4 participating Westminster teams, two teams were awarded �Meritorious� status as follows:
Bryan Bischof, Andy Polack, and Jim Bryan: �Meritorious� ranking for their paper on loading passengers onto an airplane.
Ryan Brolley, Ryan Moore, and Anthony Colwell: �Meritorious� ranking for their paper on gerrymandering.

Participation statistics:

• Total of 949 participating teams
• 666 were from outside USA
• 14 - awarded �Outstanding� status
• 122 - awarded �Meritorious� status
• 255 - awarded �Honorable Mention� status
• 558 - awarded �Successful Participant� status

We are proud of all four teams for their hard work and diligence as evidenced in their participation in this challenging competition!

DR. JOHN BONOMO PARTICIPATES IN FINALS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COLLEGIATE PROGRAMMING CONTEST

March 15, 2007

Dr. John Bonomo, Associate Professor of Computer Science, recently participated in the International Collegiate Programming Contest, which took place in Tokyo at the Hilton Tokyo Bay Hotel on Mar 15, 2007. 88 teams from around the world competed in the contest, each team consisting of three students. These teams advanced to the World Finals by finishing as one of the top teams in their Regional Contest.

The Regional Contests took place between Sept. and Dec. 2006, and a total of 6099 teams representing 1756 universities from 82 countries on six continents competed. Our regional competition, the East Central North American Regional, took place on November 11, 2006. Three teams from our region advanced to the World Finals: University of Toronto, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Waterloo. Dr. Bonomo serves as one the Head Judges for our region.

In the World Finals, each team was given a set of 10 problems and had 5 hours to solve as many of these problem as they could. The winning team was Warsaw University from Poland, which solved a total of 8 problems. Second place went to Tsinghua University (China), followed by St. Petersburg University of Information Technology (Russia) and MIT (US). The complete standings and a copy of the problem set can be found at http://icpc.baylor.edu/icpc/.

Dr. Bonomo served once again as a judge for the competition, as one of his problems was accepted for inclusion in the problem set. This is his sixth year serving as a judge. Prior to the contest there are typically more than ten problems, and the judges get together to decide which ten will be used for the contest. As it turned out, Dr. Bonomo�s problem was one of the ones which was not selected; but it will probably be used in next year's contest (in Calgary, Alberta).

During the contest, Dr. Bonomo was in charge of Problem J, which involved finding the cheapest way to trap a spy in an underground network of tunnels. This problem ended up being one of the harder ones, as Dr. Bonomo received over 50 submissions for the problem during the 5 hours, none of which were correct. To get a complete write-up of the problem, please go to http://icpc.baylor.edu/icpc/.

DRS. LENOX AND MEDVIN PRESENT RESEARCH FINDINGS

Feb 21, 2007

Dr. Terri Lenox, Westminster College associate professor of computer science, and Dr. Mandy Medvin, Gibson-Drinko distinguished chair of psychology, presented "Student Computer Use: New Perils and Findings" at Faculty Forum Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 11:40 a.m. in the Sebastian Mueller Theater of the McKelvey Campus Center.

Drs. Mandy Medvin and Terri Lenox

"Our research focuses on college students and their use, and possible abuse, of technology," Lenox said. "We have been exploring the influence of computers and other technology on college students in our research. We have collected data from first-year students at Westminster College in Fall 2003 and Fall 2004 and have conducted a follow-on survey of the Fall 2003 cohort as juniors in Spring 2006. We are currently in the middle of collecting the last set of data from our current juniors. The purpose of this project is twofold: (a) to describe the nature of college students' computer use, and how it changes over time, and (b) to explore how type, frequency, and satisfaction with computer use, as well as prior adjustment, affect adjustment to college in the first and third year."

Faculty Forum, established in 1990, serves as a venue for the exchange of ideas and information among Westminster College faculty. Speakers present their research, teaching ideas, lectures, performances, special programs, and uses of technology to keep faculty informed about the work of colleagues from many disciplines.

Lenox, who has been with Westminster College since 1999, earned her undergraduate degree from Grove City College and her master's and Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh.

Medvin, who has been with Westminster College since 1992, earned her undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and her Ph.D. from the University of Washington.

2007 YSU PME Regional Conference

Feb 27, 2007

Five Westminster students spoke at the 9th annual regional Student Paper Meeting hosted by the Ohio XI Chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon at Youngstown State University on Feb. 17, 2007. The students were accompanied by faculty, Drs. Carolyn Cuff, Professor of Mathematics, Barbara Faires, Professor of Mathematics, and Warren Hickman, Professor of Mathematics.

The purpose of the meeting was to give undergraduate students the opportunity to present results of their projects and research, and to listen to topics that were of interest to other undergraduate students in our region. Any topic in undergraduate mathematics that was likely to be of interest to other undergraduate mathematics students was appropriate, be it in history, education, research, or anything between. The talks were scheduled for 15 minutes each with five minutes between talks.

Westminster Students and Faculty at Conference

Westminster speakers and topics:

• Bryan Bischof and Andrew Periello: �Infinite Composite Images of Non-Constant Polynomials�
• Courtney Gilmore: �Moving Out: Modeling Population Migration Using Linear Algebra�
• Michael Henninger: �There�s Still Time to Change the Road You�re On�
• Bryan Bischof and James Bryan: MCM/ICM-COMAP Modeling Problems: Discrete Modeling (Problem B)

Other Westminster attendees:

• Anthony Colwell
• Nicole Panza
• Amy Perkins
• Allison Rook
• Anna Sparacino

Bryan Bischof	James Bryan	Courtney Gilmore
Michael Henninger	Anthony Colwell	Nicole Panza
Amy Perkins	Allison Rook	Anna Sparacino

MAA JOINT MATHEMATICS MEETINGS

Jan 5-8, 2007

Westminster was well represented by alumni and current faculty at the annual Joint Mathematics Meetings of the Mathematical Association of America held in New Orleans on January 4- 8, 2007. 5200 attendees were present at the meetings, the largest convention held in New Orleans since Katrina.

Attendees representing Westminster College included:

• Dr. Judith Palagallo: Westminster alumni and Professor Emeritus, Department of Theoretical and Applied Mathematics, University of Akron
• Dr. David Carothers: Westminster alumni and Professor; Chair, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, James Madison University
• Dr. Barbara Faires: Westminster College Professor of Mathematics
• Dr. Carolyn K. Cuff: Westminster alumni; Professor and Chair, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
• Dr. John Bonomo: Westminster College Professor of Computer Science
• Dr. Pamela Richardson: Westminster College Assistant Professor of Mathematics and national Project NExT group member. Dr. Richardson also attended a minicourse at the meetings entitled "Evaluating Student Presentations in Mathematics,� in addition to serving as a judge for an "Undergraduate Research Poster Session."

Barbara Faires, Judith Palagallo, and David Carothers

Dr. Palagallo and Dr. Carothers are two of the 58 elected members of the Board of Governors of the Mathematical Association of America. The picture was taken during the meeting of the Board the day before the Joint Meetings opened; Dr. Faires was at this meeting to talk on the final report of the Revenue Strategic Planning Group, which she chaired.

MATHEMATICS CAPSTONE PRESENTATIONS

Dec 13, 2006

Six senior mathematics majors presented their capstone research to the Westminster community on Wednesday, December 13, 2006, from 3:00-5:00 p.m., in the McKelvey Campus Center, 3rd Floor Atrium. The students� capstone advisor was Dr. Carolyn Cuff, Professor of Mathematics/Chair of the Dept. of Mathematics and Computer Science. Information on these presentations is given below.

�Moving Out: Modeling Population Migration Using Linear Algebra� Courtney Gilmore, Senior Mathematics Major/CIS Minor A population migration model using linear algebra and Markov chains was examined. The model assumes that the total population of the system remains fixed, the migration rate for any two states is constant, and the eigen vectors of the population matrices are linearly independent. Changes were made to the model to incorporate relaxed assumptions. Limitations of the models were determined using proofs and an analysis of United States-Mexico population migration data.

�There�s Still Time to Change the Road You�re On� Michael Henninger, Senior Mathematics Major This is a statistical investigation of students changing their major at Westminster College. Similar studies at other universities examine relationships between major-changing and graduation time. The study looks to determine if students who alter their course of study are more likely to finish their time here in one major versus another as determined by the major in which they began their career.

Statistical Analysis of Food and Drug Interaction: "Metabolism of Ephedra-containing Diet Pills in Mice� Amy Perkins, Senior Mathematics Major Diet pills are commonly administered fifteen to thirty minutes prior to mealtime to maintain effectiveness, but what are the effects of simultaneous dispensing of food and ephedra-containing drugs? Monitoring the respiration of mice establishes the metabolic rate and subsequent drug concentration in the blood. The proposed experiment will investigate whether a food and drug interaction exists with the ephedra-containing diet pills by utilizing three treatment levels on a simple random sample of mice. Future statistical analysis of the experimental data will utilize analysis of variance, confidence intervals, and the bioequivalence interval to quantify the anticipated interaction.

�It�s Goal Time� Allison Rook, Sr. Math Major/Secondary Educ. Minor The distribution of goals through a regulation game of soccer can be very useful data when considering the Poisson and exponential distributions. The number of goals in the 1998 World Cup in France fits the Poisson distribution, and when considering the goal times of each goal throughout the tournament can be fit to the expo�nential distribution. In considering the NCAA Division I women�s soccer tournament, the goals and goal times of the games can be fit not only to the Poisson and exponential distributions, but also the Poisson process.

�Linear Programming and Game Theory� Tracy Wolf, Sr. Math Major/Secondary Educ. Minor I am going to show how linear programming can be used to solve game theory problems. I am going to demonstrate this using a common game called Rock, Paper, Scissors and also by using two variations of this game. I am also going to extend this information in order to determine how linear programming can be used to solve the game theory problem called Undercut.

�The Dimension of the Coast of Westminster�s Lake Britain: A Look at Fractal Dimensions� Curtis Yenyo, Sr. Math Major/Secondary Educ. Minor Fractal dimensions of objects, which are non-integer dimensions, differ from the standard Euclidean whole number dimensions. The fractal dimensions can found in many different ways: the Hausdorff method, compass setting method, and the box-counting method are just a few. So, what kind of a fractal dimension does Lake Britain of Westminster College have? This is explored through looking at other fractals and fractal dimension methods, and the use of GPS and mapping software.

PUTNAM EXAM

Dec 2, 2006

Twenty-nine Westminster students participated in the 67th annual Putnam Examination on December 2, 2006. The Putnam Exam is a challenging individual mathematical exam which is taken by thousands of undergraduate students in the U.S. and Canada on the first Saturday in December each year. The five highest ranking individuals are designated Putnam Fellows by the Mathematical Association of America.

The exam was sponsored by the Mathematics and Computer Science Dept. and was proctored by Dr. Natacha Fontes-Merz, Assistant Professor of Mathematics. Earlier in the fall, several students participated in informational sessions led by Dr. Fontes-Merz.

The Putnam Exam is noted for its rigor; there have been years when the median score was zero nationally. Students were challenged by the questions and emerged feeling pretty well drained after the all-day event. Three-hour sessions, both morning and afternoon, were punctuated by a lunch break; this year�s participants and proctor enjoyed a pizza luncheon provided by the Mathematics and Computer Science Dept. during the interval.

Student participants were as follows: Mark Amaismeier, Bryan Bischof, Amber Bollard, Ryan Brolley, James Bryan, Deana Buckner, John Cochran, Anthony Colwell, Callie Croushore, Shannon Ecklund, Trista Houck, Benjamin Jarrett, Dana Larson, Amy Leicht, Peter Lukich, Thokozani Mbewe, Alison McNary, Nicole Panza, Heather Pate, Sarah Petcovic, Brandon Phillian, Andrew Polack, Regina Schaeffer, Richard Schrader, Anna Sparacino, Lindsey Stankiewicz, Jennifer Steele, Randy Sylvester, and Stephen Wheeler.

The competition began in 1938 and is designed to stimulate a healthful rivalry in mathematical studies in the colleges and universities of the United States and Canada. It exists because Mr. William Lowell Putnam had a profound conviction in the value of organized team competition in regular college studies. Mr. Putnam, a member of the Harvard class of 1882, wrote an article for the December 1921 issue of the Harvard Graduates� Magazine in which he described the merits of an intellectual intercollegiate competition. To establish such a competition, his widow, Elizabeth Lowell Putnam, created a trust fund known as the William Lowell Putnam Intercollegiate Memorial Fund in 1927. The first competition supported by this fund was in the field of English; and a few years later a second experimental competition was held, this time in mathematics between two institutions. It was not until after Mrs. Putnam�s death in 1935 that the examination assumed its present form and was placed under the administration of the Mathematical Association of America.

DAVID PERKINS COLLOQUIUM

Nov 13, 2006

The Mathematics and Computer Science Department was pleased to host Dr. David Perkins from Houghton College on November 13, 2006, as its second Colloquium Speaker this fall. Dr. Perkins� talk was entitled �Searching the Oceans with Bayes� and concerned the mathematics underlying the search for a lost nuclear submarine in the Atlantic in 1968. The navy was unsuccessful in its search for the sub, and eventually turned to mathematician John Craven for help. Craven used two mathematical techniques, Bayesian Search Theory, coupled with the �wisdom of crowds� phenomena, to swiftly locate the sub. Dr. Perkins explained both of these techniques to the audience and highlighted ways in which they appear in literature and popular culture. Using examples from Tom Stoppard and video bloggers, Dr. Perkins was able to get across serious mathematical ideas in an informative and humorous manner, which was greatly appreciated by the overflow audience.

Dr. David Perkins

Dr. Perkins received his undergraduate degree from Houghton College in 1988, a Masters from South Dakota State University in 1997, and his PhD from the University of Montana in 2005. He has been on the faculty of Houghton since Fall, 1998. Dave also has a connection to Westminster College; his dad, Richard Perkins, taught in the Sociology Department at Westminster in the 1970�s, so this talk was something of a homecoming for Dave.

ACM EAST CENTRAL REGIONAL PROGRAMMING CONTEST

Nov 10-11, 2006

Three Westminster Students, Jeremy Alberth, senior computer science major, and junior computer science majors, Ryan Moore and Jake Romigh, competed in the 2006 ACM East Central Regional Programming Contest which took place on November 10-11, 2006, at Ashland University. Their team, the Stack Overflows, placed 24th out of 113 total teams.

Stack Overflows: Jake Romigh, Ryan Moore, and Jeremy Alberth

The contest took place at four separate sites: Ashland University, Sheridan University, University of Cincinnati, and University of Michigan/Dearborn and included teams from western and central Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Ontario. Contestants were given a set of eight programming problems and had five hours to solve as many as possible. Points were awarded based on the number of problems solved correctly, as well as the speed in which solutions were obtained. The Stack Overflows solved three of the eight problems, an amount matched by nine other teams. The winning team was Toronto 1, from the University of Toronto, which solved all eight of the problems. Second and third place went to the Tartans of Carnegie Mellon (who also solved eight problems) and Waterloo Black from the University of Waterloo (who solved seven problems). These top three teams will go on to compete in the World Finals this coming March in Tokyo.

This was the second best performance by a Westminster team, topped only by a 19th place finish in 2004 (a team which also included Alberth). The team coach was Prof. John Bonomo, Associate Professor in the Mathematics and Computer Science Dept. He also served as Co-Chief Judge for the contest, and oversaw the creation of the problem set. Dr. Bonomo personally wrote five of the eight problems used in the competition. More information about the regional contest, the final standings and the problem sets can be found at http://acm.ashland.edu/, while information about the world finals can be found at http://icpc.baylor.edu/icpc/

GEEK WEEK 2006

Nov 13-20, 2006

Westminster College�s 3rd annual Geek Week was held on November 13-20, 2006 in the Hoyt Science Center.

Geek Week is (as the name suggests) a week-long competition designed to challenge students' knowledge of the sciences. Teams of 3-6 students participated in a total of five competitions, one hosted by each of the five science departments: Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology. Each team's performance was tracked throughout the week, and at the end of the week, Chemistry�s Electrophiles were declared the �geekiest group on campus.� The Chemistry Department will host the Geek Week traveling trophy for the coming year.

The Mathematics and Computer Science Department was represented by two teams: The Denominators, consisting of Trista Houck, Dana Larson, Alison McNary, Heather Pate, Anna Sparacino, and Randy Sylvester; and the Mathletes, consisting of Amber Bollard, Larissa Fortna, Mark Gordon, Peter Lukich, Jon Maielli, and Rich Schrader.

Awards ceremony, distribution of T-shirts, and free pizza lunch (for those who participate) took place the following Monday, November 20th, during lunch.

Six Students Receive Grants for Undergraduate Research

November 3, 2006

Six Westminster students have received grants to further their undergraduate research from the Drinko Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

�Enhancing opportunities for undergraduate research is am important component of the work of the Drinko Center in enriching undergraduate education,� said Dr. Virginia Tomlinson, Westminster College associate professor of sociology and director of the Drinko Center. �The Undergraduate Research Initiative provides funding for students to conduct research and to present their research at regional and national conferences. So far this year six students have been awarded research grants.�

The Westminster College students who have received awards include: Bryan Bischof, Allison Baker, Ryan Barnes, Katie Meadows, Andrew Starosta, and Amy Wirtz.

Bryan Bischof

Bryan Bischof is a son of Steve Salvatora and Diana Salvatora, New Kensington. Bischof, a junior mathematics major, is a graduate of Valley High School. Bischof used the grant to present his research on �Blowing a Breaker: Lights Out in Many Dimensions� at the MathFest 2006 National Mathematics Association of America Conference in Knoxville, TN.

The Drinko Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning was developed to advance world-class teaching at Westminster and enrich K-12 education through outreach programs for area educators.

Dr. Lenox Presents Paper at Information Systems Educators Conference

Nov 2-5, 2006

Terri L. Lenox, Associate Professor of Mathematics, presented a paper co-authored with Charles R. Woratschek titled �Defining CS, IS, and IT: Are we there yet?� at the Information Systems Educators Conference in Dallas, Texas, Nov. 2-5, 2006. She will also chairing a papers session at the conference and is co-chair of the graduate student papers track.

Dr. Terri Lenox

ISECON (Information Systems Education Conference) is sponsored by the Association for Information Technology Professionals (AITP). It brings together information systems educators from around the world. ISECON, which has been held annually since 1982, is the largest, continuously running conference for IS Education.

Westminster College High School Programming Contest

October 5, 2006

Dr. John Bonomo

Eleven teams from four area high schools attended this year�s Westminster High School Programming Contest. The teams, consisting of 3 or 4 high school students each, worked for two and a half hours on six computer programming problems. Students submitted solutions and received feedback from the judges electronically, while an electronic score sheet displayed updated results throughout the contest. Scoring for each problem is based on the time since the beginning of the contest as well as the number of incorrect submissions. Westminster faculty member, Dr. John Bonomo, designed and ran the contest; Dr. Bonomo has been involved with programming contests on both the regional and international level. He recently served as a judge for the International Programming Contest which was held in San Antonio in April, 2006; this was his fifth time as an international judge.

Sample Problem: All Decked Out

First, Second, and Third Place Teams:

• Sarah Lambert
• Farhanah Sheets
• Eric Saut

• Greg Hogan
• Joel Grover
• Kevin Jeffries
• Andrew Krepps

• Adam Mihalcin
• Anthony Pulleo
• Ben Rakestraw

Participating Schools with Lists of Students and Coaches:

• Sarah Lambert
• Farhanah Sheets
• Eric Saut

• Jim Larson
• Ted Roman
• Devin Stubler

• Travis Dillan
• Alison Kretschman
• Kelly Rumbaugh

• Adam Mihalcin
• Anthony Pulleo
• Ben Rakestraw

• Greg Hogan
• Joel Grover
• Kevin Jeffries
• Andrew Krepps

• Michael Porschien
• Kevin Cowher
• Jared Romeo
• Kevin Hoffman

• Jonathan Haski
• Andrew Berg
• Brandon VanTassel
• Daniel Powell

• Evan Houk
• Justin Shaffer
• Ryan Fork
• Nicholas Wigg

• Jodi Pannutti
• Lindsay McQuiston
• Elissa Houk
• Brandi Taylor

• James Harding
• Ryen Wilkins
• John Catron
• Scott Whipkey

• Aaron Kupniewski
• Peter Milo
• Benjamin Ronallo
• George Shirk

Computer Science Students Participate in Service Learning Project LCCAP

October 2, 2006

Westminster College students in the Fall 2006 Systems Analysis (CS 221) and Spring 2007 Software Engineering (CS 351) have opted to work on a service-learning project in conjunction with the Lawrence County Community Action Partnership (LCCAP). LCCAP is composed of three agencies that seek �to involve the community in assessing local needs and attacking the causes and conditions of poverty.� Specially, these agencies are: 1) Lawrence County Social Services, Inc., 2) United Community Services of Lawrence County, Inc., and 3) Allied Coordinated Transportation Services, Inc.

LCCAP representatives, Emily Rowe, Kristen Lombardo and Georgiana Luce participated in a round table discussion with the CS students and Dr. Terri Lenox, Associate Professor of Computer Science, on Monday, October 2, 2006, as part of the regularly scheduled CS 221 class that day. The discussion was designed in an effort to provide detailed information to the students which would aid them in accurately defining project objectives and requirements. During the Fall 2006 semester, the seven CS 221 students, lead by Courtney Gilmore, will continue to collect information about LCCAP and redesign their existing web page for LCCAP�s clients and for internal use.

Round Table Participants:
(Row 1) Daniel Orrison, Courtney Gilmore, Emily Rowe, William Maxwell; (Row 2) Bill Shondelmyer, Chris Dymond, Georgiana Luce, Kristen Lombardo, Terri Lenox, Ed DeRose and Justin Smith.

Math-CS Internship Colloquium

September 14, 2006

A summer Internship Colloquium was presented by the Mathematics and Computer Science Department on September 14, 2006, in Hoyt Room 152. The talks focused on how the students obtained internships, responsibilities as interns, and what was learned as a result of their internships.

Bryan Bischof, Michele Fenske, Daniel Orrison, Allie Rook, Colin Campbell, and Courtney Gilmore

Student presenters were as follows:

Bryan Bischof , Junior Mathematics Major

Colin Campbell � Senior Physics Major/Mathematics Minor

Michele Fenske � Senior Physics Major/Mathematics Minor

Courtney Gilmore � Senior Mathematics Major

Daniel Orrison � Junior Business Admin. Major/CIS Minor

Allie Rook � Senior Mathematics Major

"My Life as a Frog" Subject of Faculty Forum

Sept 13, 2006

Dr. John Bonomo, Westminster associate professor of computer science, presented "A Problem-Filled Sabbatical or My Life as a Frog" Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 11:40 a.m. in the Sebastian Theater in the McKelvey Campus Center.

Dr. John Bonomo

Dr. Bonomo�s talk focused on two aspects of his fall 2005 sabbatical, namely, the known problems he intended to focus on during his sabbatical, including the plan to create programming problems for the International Collegiate Programming Contest, and the unexpected problems that interfered with this endeavor.

Bonomo, who has been with Westminster College since 1998, earned his undergraduate and master's degree from Catholic University, and a master's and Ph.D. from Purdue University. Bonomo is a frequent judge at the annual International Collegiate Programming Contest World Finals. He was a regional judge for five years, and an international judge six times -- in Hawaii, San Antonio, Los Angeles, Prague, Texas, and Shanghai.

Faculty Forum, established in 1990, serves as a venue for the exchange of ideas and information among Westminster College faculty. Speakers present their research, teaching ideas, lectures, performances, special programs, and uses of technology to keep faculty informed about the work of colleagues from many disciplines.

Mathematics and Computer Science Faculty Receive Promotions

Aug 2006

Two Mathematics and Computer Science faculty recently received promotions: Dr. Terri L. Lenox and Dr. C. David Shaffer.

Dr. Lenox has been promoted to Associate Professor of Computer Science and has been granted tenure. She has been with Westminster since 1999. She was previously an Assistant Professor of Computer Science, earned her under-graduate degree from Grove City College and her master's and doctorate degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. She can be reached at 724-946-7289 or by e-mail.

Dr. Shaffer has been promoted to Associate Professor of Computer Science and has been granted tenure. He has been with Westminster since 2000. He was previously an Assistant Professor of Computer Science, earned his under-graduate degree from Steven's Institute of Technology, and his doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh. He can be reached at 724-946-7292 or by e-mail.

Dr. Terri Lenox

Dr. David Shaffer

Congratulations Dr. Lenox and Dr. Shaffer!

DR. RICHARDSON ATTENDS INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF MATHEMATICIANS CONFERENCE IN SPAIN

August 18-20, 2006

Dr. Pamela Richardson, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, participated in the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) Satellite Conference on Associative and Nonassociative Algebraic Structures in Oviedo, Spain, from August 18-20, 2006. This international research conference featured invited addresses by leading nonassociative algebraists as well as special sessions in Lie theory, Jordan theory, and applications thereof. Dr. Richardson presented a paper entitled "Centroids of Quadratic Jordan Superalgebras" in the special session on Jordan theory.

Dr. Pamela Richardson

NATACHA FONTES-MERZ CO-AUTHORS ARTICLE

Aug 2006

Dr. Natacha Fontes-Merz, Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Westminster College, recently co-authored the article �The Norm of an Interpolation Operator on H8(D)� with Dr. Alfred Cavaretta, Professor of Mathematics at Kent State University. This article was published in Frontiers in Interpolation and Approximation, a book dedicated to the mathematician Dr. Ambikeshwar Sharma.

Dr. Natacha Fontes-Merz

Abstract: In this paper we describe our attempts at calculating the norm of an operator defined on the space of analytic and bounded functions on the unit disk. This operator is a generalization of an operator considered by Cavaretta and Sharma in their article �Optimal recovery of interpolation operators in Hardy Spaces,� Advances in Computational Mathematics, 2004.

DR. MERZ GETS ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN JOURNAL

May 2006

Dr. Natacha Fontes-Merz, Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Westminster College, recently wrote an article entitled �A Multidimensional Version of Tur�n�s Lemma,� which was published in the Journal of Approximation Theory, Vol. 140, Issue 1, May 2006, Pages 27-30.

more

Dr. Natacha Fontes-Merz

MathFest 2006

Aug 10-12, 2006

The following Mathematics faculty attended MathFest, the Annual Summer Meeting of the Mathematical Association of America on August 10-12, 2006, in Knoxville, TN: Barbara Faires, Professor of Mathematics, Natacha Fontes-Merz, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, and Dr. Pamela Richardson, Assistant Professor of Mathematics.

Westminster student Bryan Bischof, junior Mathematics major, also attended the meeting and gave a talk entitled �Blowing a Breaker: Lights Out in Multiple Dimensions,� which was based on joint research done earlier this year by Bryan and fellow Westminster student Andrew Polack, junior dual Mathematics and Computer Science major.

"The lights puzzle, from Tiger Electronics has served as an object of mathematical discussion. Conveniently, this game may be analyzed by using matrices with entries in modulo 2. Using the light pattern produced from one button press, it is possible to analyze each outcome and to construct a new matrix of light changes. The use of reduced row echelon form will lead to the target strategy of button presses. Furthermore, this is extended in complexity when conceiving a lattice of lights in R^3. It is further generalized to an n x n x ... x n puzzle," according to students Bryan Bischof and Andrew Polack. They were advised by Dr. David Shaffer, assistant professor of computer science.

Dr. Barbara Faires	Dr. Natacha Fontes-Merz	Dr. Pamela Richardson
Andrew Polack and Bryan Bischof

DR. CUFF PARTICIPATES IN EVALUATION OF ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMS

July 2006

Dr. Carolyn Cuff, professor and chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department, participated in the annual reading and scoring of calculus of the College Board's advanced placement (AP) examinations this summer at the University of Nebraska.

Carolyn Cuff

Each year the AP Program, sponsored by the College Board, gives more than one million capable high school students an opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses and examinations. Based on their exam performance, students can receive credit and/or advanced placement when they enter college.

Approximately 2.3 million examinations in 20 disciplines were evaluated by over 8,000 readers from universities and high schools.

"The reading draws upon the talents of some of the finest teachers and professors that the world has to offer," said Trevor Packer, executive director of the Advanced Placement Program at the College Board. "It fosters professionalism, allows for the exchange of ideas, and strengthens the commitment to students and to teaching. We are very grateful for the contribution of talented educators."

DISCRETE MATHEMATICS WORKSHOP ATTENDED BY DR. JOHN BONOMO

June 12-16, 2006

Dr. John Bonomo, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Westminster College, attended a summer workshop entitled: �Discrete Mathematics: Curricular Issue, Pedagogy and Nifty Examples.� The workshop was held at Messiah College on June 12-16, 2006 in conjunction with the EPADEL Section of the Mathematical Association of America.

Dr. John Bonomo

Various issues relating to the preparation of teaching discrete math were addressed at the conference. Participants also developed or refined their own outlines and syllabi for a discrete math course or sequence, were introduced to examples which connect mathematics to topics in other areas such as computer science, and worked in teams to create their own examples.

The workshop was directed by presenters Bill Marion, Professor of Mathematics at Valparaiso University; Susanna Epp, Professor of Math Sciences at DePaul University; and Peter Henderson, Professor of Computer Science at Butler University.