THE NEWSLETTER OF THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA December 1999 Expert Panel Chooses ''Exemplary'' & ''Promising'' Math Programs An expert panel chosen by the US De­ at the web address below), has been in Volume 19, Number 9 partment of Education has completed a operation for a year. Mathematics pro­ review of 61 school mathematics pro­ grams were chosen as a focus of the first grams and has released a report naming year, with other reports to come. five "exemplary" programs and five The panel had an open admission process "promising" programs. The intention is In This Issue that encouraged applications from any to furnish schools, teachers, policy-mak­ mathematics programs that wished to be ers, and parents with guidance as to what reviewed. The report states that 61 pro­ 4 Finding Jobs for are the best mathematics programs. grams submitted applications (the list is Math Majors The evaluation was conducted by an Ex­ not given). The programs were reviewed pert Panel in Mathematics and Science using eight criteria that range from assess­ 5 Introducing Education set up at the direction of Con­ ment of content and learning goals to Mathwright gress "to evaluate educational programs measurable effectiveness in a variety of and recommend to the Secretary of Edu­ settings. One of the criteria required pro­ cation those programs that should be des­ grams to "reflect the vision promoted in 6 Fuzzy ignated as exemplary or promising." The national standards in mathematics educa­ Mathematics panel, which includes a wide range of tion." The panel specifically looked for education experts four of which are mem­ programs that conformed to the NCTM 7 SIGMAASare bers of the MAA (the full list can be found Expert Panel continued on page 3 Coming Mathematics at the AAAS in February 8 Four The year 2000 meeting of the American sia on mathematical topics related to cur­ Association for the Advancement of Sci­ rent issues. The Section A Committee is Mathematicians ence (AAAS), will be held on February looking for organizers and speakers who Elected AAAS 17 to 22 in Washington, DC, and as usual can present substantial new material in Fellows Mathematics will be present in the pro­ ways that are understandable to a general gram in a strong way. Many outstanding scientific audience. I invite you to attend expository talks by prominent mathema­ 9 Proposed Bylaw our Section A Committee meeting, from ticians will be featured, both in symposia 7:30 to 10:30 PM on Friday, February 18. Changes (three-hour sessions) and invited talks The committee meeting is open to all who sponsored by Section A (Mathematics). wish to stimulate interest in and activi­ 11 Employment Warren Page, an MAA member and Sec­ ties related to the mathematical sciences Opportunities retary of Section A of the AAAS, reports within AAAS. Please send me, and en­ that: "I have found the Program Commit­ courage your colleagues to send me, sym­ tee to be genuinely interested in sympo- posia proposals for the AAAS Annual Meetings." The Section A Committee is The Mathematical Association of America Postage paid at Washington, DC and eager to encourage more mathematicians , 529 Eighteenth St., NW additional mailing to participate in the annual AAAS meet­ Washington, DC 20036 offices ings, which are "showcases of American science" and include a broad range of symposia and talks on many fields. War­ ren Page can be reached by email at wxpny@aol,com or by fax at 914-746- 6446. A list of mathematics-related events planned for the AAAS meeting in Febru­ ary appears on page 7. • FOCUS December 1999 FOCUS FOCUS is published by the Mathematical Association ofAmerica in January, February, March, April, May/June, August/September, October, November, and December. Editor: Fernando GouvSa, Colby College; [email protected] Managing Editor: Carol Baxter, MAA [email protected] Please address advertising inquiries to: Carol Baxter, MAA; [email protected] President: Thomas Banchoff, Brown University First Vice-President: Anita Solow, Randolph-Macon Woman's College Second Vice-President: Ed Dubinsky, Georgia State University Secretary: Martha Siegel, Towson University Intrigued? Treasurer: Gerald J. Porter, University of Then consider joining a highly talented group of mathematicians who deduce structure where Pennsylvania it is not apparent, find patterns in seemingly rondom sets, create order out of chaos-these are Executive Director: Marcia P. Sward the mathematicians of the National Security Agency. They apply Number Theory, Group Theory, Associate Executive Director and Direc­ Finite Field Theory, Linear Algebra, Probability Theory, Mathematical Statistics, (ombinatorics, tor ofPublications and Electronic Services: and more to a world of challenges. They exchange ideas and work with some of the finest Donald J. Albers minds-and most powerful computers-in the country. Letters to the editor should be addressed to Fernando GouvSa, Colby College, Dept of If you like the idea of solving real-world problems, look into a career with NSA. Visit us at Mathematics & Computer Science, Waterville, ME 04901. booth 92/93 during the Joint Math Meetings. Send your resume and transcripts, in confidence, to: National Security Agency, Suite 6779, S23·(AMP), 9800 Subscription and membership questions should be directed to the MAA Customer Savage Road, Ft. George G. Meade, MD 20755·6779. Service Center, 800-331-1622; e-mail: [email protected]; (301) 617-7800 (outside U.S. and Canada); fax: (301) 206-9789. FOCUS is a benefit of MAA membership. The subscription price to individual members is $6.00, which is included in the annual dues. Visit our Homepoge at www.nsa.gov Copyright © 1999 by the Mathematical Notional Security Agency Association of America (Incorporated). Educational institutions may reproduce The science of Intelligence. Explore it. articles for their own use, but not for sale, EqooI Opportuntly EmploVe! NSA 1~{()Il1IllIIledIO (lAurel drverSify mlIS workpkxe POSlhOOs openro US ohlens cffl provided that the following citation is used: "Reprinted with permission of FOCUS, the newsletter of the Mathematical Association of America (Incorporated)." Periodicals postage paid at Washington, DC FOCUS Deadlines and additional mailing offices. February March April Postmaster: Send address changes to the Editorial Copy December 15 January 19 February 15 MAA, P.O. Box 90973, Washington, DC Display Ads January 4 February 4 February 22 20090-0973. Employment Ads December 30 February 2 February 18 ISSN: 0731-2040; Printed in the United States of America. 2 December 1999 FOCUS Dinner for Marcia Sward to Be Short Takes Held at National Meeting Training Teachers to use Technology a new world record. The 200 billionth On Saturday, digit of 1t turns out to be a 2. January 22, In September the Department of Edu­ 2000, a dinner cation awarded about $75 million in Look at ftp://www.cc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ will be held to grants to help prepare teachers to use README.ourJatesuecord to learn more honor Marcia technology in their classrooms. The pro­ about the current status of the project. Sward, who is gram, called "Preparing Tomorrow's Mars Orbiter Lost Because leaving the MAA Teachers to Use Technology," tries to of Inconsistent Units after serving as prepare teachers to use the computers its Executive Di­ that are present in so many classrooms. In what was widely described as a rector for the last "math error," NASA lost the $125 mil­ The majority of teachers report feeling Marcia Sward ten years. All lion "Mars Climate Orbiter" because the unprepared to use technology, perhaps participants at force exerted by the orbiter's thrusters because many college education depart­ the winter meeting are cordially invited was expressed in inconsistent units. ments have not been able to invest in to this send-off because the MAA wishes Engineers at Lockheed Martin ex­ upgrading computer equipment and re­ to demonstrate how much her dedicated pressed the thrust in terms of pounds of training faculty. service has meant to the organization and force, while scientists at the Jet Propul­ to the mathematics community. Cock­ More details about the P1Tf program, sion Laboratory assumed the numbers tails will be served at 7 p.m. (cash bar), including a list of programs that have were given in newtons. As a result, the followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m. at the been funded, can be found at the http:// satellite dipped 100 kilometers closer Marriott Wardman Hotel in Washington, www.ed.gov/teachtech/ web site. to Mars than had been planned and was DC. Tickets can be ordered directly on lost. Everyone involved was dumb­ Rose-HuIman Undergraduate your meeting registration form .• founded that such a mistake could hap­ Mathematics Conference pen. Reports are that software is now being developed to check for such er­ Expert Panel continued from page J This year's Rose-Hulman Undergradu­ ate Mathematics Conference will be rors in the future. Standards and the AAAS Benchmarks. held on March 17 to 18 on the Rose­ Another Fermat non-prime The evaluators emphasized that programs Hulman Campus in Terre Haute, Indi­ should have made a significant, measur­ ana. Frank Morgan and Nigel Boston In what he described as "the deepest able difference in student learning. will be the invited speakers. computation in history whose result was a simple yes/no answer," Richard Five programs were listed as "exem­ The conference aims to "spotlight and Crandall of the Center for Advanced plary": Cognitive Tutor Algebra, College celebrate the accomplishments and Computation at Reed College, together Preparatory Mathematics, Connected work of undergraduate mathemati­ with Ernst Mayer, formerly of Case Mathematics, Core-Plus Mathematics cians." Check the conference web page Western Reserve University and Jason Project, and Interactive Mathematics at http://www.rose-hulman.edu/Class/ma/ Papadopoulos of the University of Program. Five others were listed as HTMLlConflUndergradConf.html for Maryland, have verified that the 24th "promising": Everyday Mathematics, more information.