Spring 2010 Lectures

Professor Alexander Smith is the Chair of the Mathematics Department, UW-Eau Claire. He earned his Ph.D from the University of California at Berkeley, B.A form Oxford University. His areas of interest are: Complex manifolds, HyperKahler Geometry and Symbolic Computation. He has been teaching at the UW-EC since 1990.

Jennifer:
• Professor of Mathematics, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (1995-present. I was promoted to the rank of Professor in 2006.). I teach a variety of courses for prospective teachers including Number Systems, Fundamentals of Geometry and Measurement, Data Exploration and Analysis, Probability and Statistics, Infinite Processes, Modern Algebra (abstract algebra), Modern Geometry (Euclidean and non-Euclidean) and the Senior Seminar for Elementary and Middle School Programs. I do research in the field of undergraduate mathematics education, and I serve the university community and the community of practicing teachers and educators.
• National Author with the McGraw-Hill Companies for a series of textbooks for prospective elementary and middle grades teachers. Summer 2008 – present.
• Mathematics Department Tutor Lab Director. I hire and supervise approximately twenty undergraduate tutors and the graduate student coordinator of the lab. We serve students in mathematics courses through Calculus III, and the lab logs approximately 3000 tutoring visits each academic year. Fall 2007 – present.
• Mathematics Department Graduate Program Coordinator. My work includes planning graduate offerings, advertising and promoting the program, and advising the graduate students for the Master of Science in Mathematics Education. Fall 2008 – present.
• Faculty Athletic Representative for the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. The FAR checks and validates eligibility of student athletes. Fall 2005 – Spring 2008.
• Project NExT (New Experiences in Teaching) Director for Wisconsin, 1999 to 2001. This program is designed to support new mathematics faculty members in their roles as teachers and scholars. Each year I recruited participants and I organized two events: a three-day fall workshop and a spring luncheon and panel discussion.

Stephen:
Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. June 2002–Present. Courses taught include Euclidean and Non-Euclidean Geometry, Calculus, Discrete Mathematics, Linear Algebra, Topology,Geometry and Measurement for Elementary Teachers, Data Analysis and Statistics for Elementary Teachers, Business Calculus, Liberal Arts Mathematics, Precalculus, College Algebra. Visiting Scholar, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, Berkeley, California. Fall 2004. Participated in part of a semester-long program on Hyperplane Arrangements through University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Sabbatical. Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Fall 1996–June 2002.

Past Lectures: ("Mass Points: Geometry by Physics"), ("Wine bottles and Pizza sharing"), ("Choosing Your Ideal Companion and Other Probabilistic Surprises"),

Elgin Johnston <http://www.math.iastate.edu/ehjohnst/>  earned his PhD in 1977 from the University of Illinois at Urbana, where he worked in approximation theory and complex analysis. He is currently Associate Chair of the Mathematics Department at Iowa State, Problem Section Editor for Mathematics Magazine, and Chair of the Committee on American Mathematics Competitions. His areas of active interest include problem solving, complex analysis, and working with mathematically gifted pre-college students. His leisure activities include biking, brewing beer, playing guitar, and reading history, mysteries, and science fiction

Bruce Riley has been a member of the Mathematics Department at UW-La Crosse since 1985, teaching the usual array of general education mathematics courses through the calculus, and upper level courses in applied and computational mathematics, as well as probability and mathematical statistics courses. His research interests are in the areas of applied and computational mathematics, and approximation theory. Currently, he is serving the university as the Interim Dean of the College of Science and Health.

Spring 2010 Lectures

Fall 2009 Lectures

Past Lectures: (You Took How Many? NIM Type Games), (a2 + b2 = c2 Says Who?), (Two men thinking about math recreations)

Past Lectures: "The Golden Ratio", "Finding the Odd Weight", "Worms, Blocks, and Harmony", "Honey, Where Shall We Sit?" and "One Potato, Two Potato, ..."

Past Lectures: "Rational Approximations to Irrational Numbers", "The Quadratic Equation and Beyond", " A Collection of Diophantine Problems", "Some Sums"

Spring 2009 Lectures

Past Lectures: (#74 "The Tower of Hanoi Puzzle"), (#7"Some Binary Curiosities") , (#43"How many Coconuts?--The Famous Monkey, Sailors, and Coconuts Problem") , (#63"Some (Sum) Numerical Curiosities for 2007"), (#16 "Two men thinking about math recreations")

Previous Lectures: (Probability Puzzlers), (Mathematical Elegance - The Secret Life of Mathematicians), (Painting, Parity and Persistance), (The case of the migrating umbrellas), (Mathematics - A Study of Pattern)

Fall 2008 Lectures

Previous Lectures: (Wine bottles and Pizza sharing) , (Choosing Your Ideal Companion and Other Probabilistic Surprises)

Previous Lectures: (Dirty Children, Unfaithful Husbands, and Similar Problems) , (Triangular Miracles)

Spring 2008 Lectures

Fall 2007 Lectures

Spring 2007 Lectures

( Brain Teasers, Trivia, and Math Puzzlers, Score Totals Brainfreeze Puzzles WSJ article )

Fall 2006 Lectures

Spring 2006 Lectures

Fall 2005 Lectures

Spring 2005 Lectures

Fall 2004 Lectures

Spring 2004 Lectures

Fall 2003 Lectures

Spring 2001 Lectures

Lecture # 7

Fall 2000 Lectures