MAA FOCUS March 2008
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MAA FOCUS March 2008 MAA FOCUS is published by the Mathematical Association of America in January, February, March, April, May/June, MAA FOCUS August/September, October, November, and December. Volume 28 Issue 3 Editor: Fernando Gouvêa, Colby College; [email protected] Inside Managing Editor: Carol Baxter, MAA [email protected] 4 Halmos Endowment Fund for the Carriage House Senior Writer: Harry Waldman, MAA By Gerald L. Alexanderson [email protected] Please address advertising inquiries to: 6 An Online Registration System for Section Meetings [email protected] By G. Jay Kerns, Jonathan Duran, Thomas E. Price, and D. P. Story President: Joseph Gallian 8 Teaching Time Savers: Using Preview Problems to Get Ahead of the Syllabus First Vice President: Elizabeth Mayfield, Second Vice President: Daniel J. Teague, By Marion Deutsche Cohen Secretary: Associate Martha J. Siegel, 9 Funding Available for Students Going to MathFest Secretary: James J. Tattersall, Treasurer: John W. Kenelly By Robert W. Vallin Executive Director: Tina H. Straley 10 Project NExT Reaches 1000 Fellows Director of Publications for Journals and 11 Developing Mathematical Habits of Mind Communications: Ivars Peterson By Annie Selden and Kien Lim MAA FOCUS Editorial Board: Donald J. Albers; Robert Bradley; Joseph Gallian; 12 Robert P. Balles Awards for IMO Team Participants Jacqueline Giles; Colm Mulcahy; Michael By Stephen Dunbar Orrison; Peter Renz; Sharon Cutler Ross; An- nie Selden; Hortensia Soto-Johnson; Peter 13 Undergraduates Win Awards at San Diego Stanek; Ravi Vakil. By Joe Gallian Letters to the editor should be addressed to Fernando Gouvêa, Colby College, Dept. of 14 Mathematicians Recruited for Climate Change Research Mathematics, Waterville, ME 04901, or by By Pat Kenschaft email to [email protected]. 15 Mathematics in Voting Theory at the 2008 Joint Meetings Subscription and membership questions By Eric Gottlieb, Brian Hopkins, and Michael A. Jones should be directed to the MAA Customer Service Center, 800-331-1622; email: 18 Mathematical Experiences in Business, Industry, and Government [email protected]; (301) 617-7800 (outside By Phil Gustafson U.S. and Canada); fax: (301) 206-9789. MAA Headquarters: (202) 387-5200. 20 San Diego Joint Mathematics Meetings in Pictures Copyright © 2008 by the Mathematical 24 The Undergraduate Poster Session at JMM 2008 Association of America (Incorporated). By Diana Thomas Educational institutions may reproduce articles for their own use, but not for sale, 25 My First Year as MAA President: A Report provided that the following citation is used: By Joe Gallian “Reprinted with permission of MAA FOCUS, 27 MAA Business at the 2008 Joint Mathematics Meetings: A Report the newsmagazine of the Mathematical Association of America (Incorporated).” By Martha Siegel, MAA Secretary Periodicals postage paid at Washington, DC On the cover: The MAA Carriage House at dusk. Photograph by Paul Burk and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Photography. Send address changes to MAA FOCUS, Mathematical Association of America, P.O. Box 90973, Washington, DC 20090-0973. MAA FOCUS Deadlines ISSN: 0731-2040; Printed in the United States August/September October November of America. Editorial Copy July 8 September 16 Display Ads July 10 August 20 September 24 Employment Ads June 11 August 13 September 10 2 March 2008 MAA FOCUS Mathematics Awareness Month to Focus on Voting By Ryan Miller hat makes your vote matter?” summer’s MathFest entitled “Math- “W ematics and the Geometry of Voting.” That‘s the question those eye-grab- bing orange posters you’ve probably As mentioned above, mathaware.org noticed around collegiate math depart- also hosts a voting exercise that is ments are asking. This is the theme for meant to show the outcome of an elec- April, which is Mathematics Aware- tion may more accurately reflect the ness Month. It’s a fitting choice. With voting method rather than the voters’ the ongoing primaries and caucuses wishes. The exercise provides three and upcoming presidential election separate ways to cast your ballot for on everyone’s mind, 2008 makes the your presidential candidate of choice, perfect year to display the relevance and then reveals the winners as chosen of mathematics to the many issues by each method. They are usually dif- raised by the processes of voting and ferent! vote-counting. Resources for this year’s Mathematics The Joint Policy Board for Mathemat- Awareness Month are designed to help ics (JPBM, comprised of the MAA, the explain what makes your vote matter, American Mathematical Society, the as well as how the voting system used American Statistical Association, and affects the outcome, regardless of the the Society for Industrial and Applied context of the voting. At mathaware. Mathematics), has chosen “Mathematics which preferences are expressed and org, you can download articles and es- and Voting” as the theme for this year’s some attempt is made to combine those says that deal with the relation between Mathematics Awareness Month. JPBM preferences into a general preference, math and voting, as well as an 8.5" x 11" has put together a web site at http://www. voting has occurred. When you apply for copy of the 2008 poster, titled “What mathaware.org containing a variety of a job, for example, those responsible for Makes My Vote Matter?” resources to help increase public under- hiring are voting for the candidate they standing of and appreciation for math- like most. The idea of Mathematics Awareness ematics. One of the pages asks visitors Month came about in 1986 when Presi- to vote for their favorite presidential This year’s featured activity is a video dent Ronald Reagan issued a proclama- candidates in three different ways, and contest encouraging participants to create tion establishing National Mathematics displays the results of the voting so far as a short piece to be hosted on YouTube Awareness Week. Extended to a month in tabulated by three different methods. that conveys their feeling on the connec- 1999, MAM activities are generally orga- tion between math and voting. The site nized on local, state and regional levels It’s important to note that “voting” is also hosts a number of video lectures on by college and university departments, something that happens in many contexts math and voting given by University of institutional public information offices, not at all related to politics. According California-Irvine professor Don Saari. student groups, and related associations to the MAM web site, any situation in Saari will be teaching a minicourse at this and interest groups. Alder Award Nomination Deadline Changed MAA Dues Will Not Increase for 2009 ominations for the Henry L. Alder The Awards Committee encourages N t the Joint Meetings, the MAA Awards for Distinguished Teaching by nominations in accordance with the pro- A Board of Governors approved a pro- MAA FOCUS Deadlines a Beginning College/University Faculty cedures outlined on the MAA web site. posal to put off increasing MAA dues Member are due October 1, 2008. The The Alder Awards are announced every August/September October November for 2009, reversing a decision made original deadline for these nominations year at the MAA MathFest, and winners Editorial Copy July 8 September 16 last year. We hope this will encourage was in December. are invited to make a presentation at that Display Ads July 10 August 20 September 24 MAA members to renew early and of- meeting. Employment Ads June 11 August 13 September 10 ten! 3 MAA FOCUS March 2008 Halmos Endowment Fund for the Carriage House By Gerald L. Alexanderson In 2003, Paul and Virginia In the fall of 2007, a Halmos gave $3 million to the small informal com- MAA to restore the Carriage mittee was formed to House, part of the headquarters discuss the launch of complex of the MAA in Wash- a capital campaign to ington, DC. A historic structure raise money for an en- dating back to the late 19th cen- dowment. When Vir- tury, the building over recent ginia Halmos heard of years had been used for a few this, she immediately offices and storage but it was decided to help out. not in good condition. Execu- After some discussion tive Director Tina Straley came she offered to establish up with the idea that it could, a matching grant that with a good deal of work, be would match gifts made converted to a small meetings by MAA members and center that would complement friends, offering two the two existing townhouses, The conference room on the first floor of the Carriage House hosts dollars for every dollar the Vaughn and Pólya Build- the larger meetings and distinguished lectures. Photograph by Paul contributed by others, ings. After extensive work on Burk Photography. up to a maximum of the outside and the construction $600,000. This would of a whole new interior, the require contributions Carriage House Conference of $300,000 from the Center was dedicated in April members, which would 2007. The donors’ interests fit go a long way to reach exactly with Straley’s ideas the desired total for for the building: to establish an endowment fund of a national center to promote over $1 million. More mathematical exposition, would be required to something that fits perfectly fund the programs ad- with the MAA’s mission. Paul equately, but that would Halmos was long known and be a good start. admired as a promoter of fine exposition, as evidenced by As is usually true of his writings on the subject and capital campaigns, be- his editing of book series and fore a public announce- journals over many years. Art Benjamin, with a group of students, during a Math Fair held last ment of the campaign, spring. Photograph by Ivars Peterson. the officers of the MAA Already the Carriage House were to approach in- is functioning well, with a and various planning subcommittees dividuals and founda- wide range of events being held there: a chaired by Art Benjamin (dedication tions that would be most likely to give funded lecture series (supported by the ceremonies), Bob Megginson (national significant amounts.