99th Annual Meeting of the Texas Section of the Mathematical Association of America Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX March 28 – 30, 2019 2019 Texas MAA TABLE OF CONTENTS CONFERENCE OVERVIEW ............................................................................... ii Conference Events at a Glance ......................................................................... ii WELCOME & SPECIAL THANKS ........................................................................ 1 INVITED LECTURES ....................................................................................... 2 Shortcourse: Dr William `Bus' Jaco .................................................................... 2 Invited Address: Dr William `Bus' Jaco ................................................................ 2 Student Forum: Dr Brandilyn Stigler .................................................................. 3 Plenary Address: Dr Suzanne Doree .................................................................... 3 Banquet Speaker: Dr Edward Burger .................................................................. 4 Invited Address: Dr Bryant Wyatt ..................................................................... 5 Invited Address: Mr Eli Luberoff ....................................................................... 5 OVERVIEW OF SESSIONS ................................................................................. 7 Friday Morning Sessions .................................................................................. 7 Friday Afternoon Sessions ............................................................................... 9 MATHEMATICAL ART DISPLAYS ....................................................................... 11 Selected Photos of the Mathematica Art Displays ................................................... 12 FULL SESSION DESCRIPTIONS .......................................................................... 14 Friday Morning Sessions .................................................................................. 14 Friday Afternoon Sessions ............................................................................... 23 NOTES ........................................................................................................ 31 PRESENTERS INDEX............................................................................ 33 99th Annual Meeting of the Texas Section of the MAA, Stephenville, TX i 2019 Texas MAA Conference Overview Conference Events at a Glance: Thursday, March 28 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM Registration open in the Mathematics Building Lobby 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM Registration open in the Thompson Student Center Lobby 12:30 PM - 4:00 PM Gerrymandering Symposium in Math 227 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Executive Committee Meeting in Thompson Student Center 130 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Student Activities in Thompson Student Center Ballrooms 5:00 PM - 5:30 PM Magic show with Dr Jim Kirby in Thompson Student Center Ballrooms 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM T3AMS in Thompson Student Center 027 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM Pizza in Thompson Student Center Ballrooms 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM Math Bowl in Thompson Student Center Ballrooms 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Shortcourse - Dr William `Bus' Jaco in Math 113 \Building a Regional Community to Support Mathematics Learning by Inquiry" Friday, March 29 7:30 AM - 11:00 AM Registration in the Mathematics Building Lobby 8:00 AM - 10:45 AM Student Breakouts in the Mathematics Building 8:00 AM - 10:45 AM Texas NExT in Math 310 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM T3AMS \Workshop on transition to math majors" in Math 315 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Student Forum - Dr Brandilyn Stigler in the Thompson Student Center Ballrooms \Is Math Really Everywhere?" 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Faculty Panel on Bylaws in the Thompson Student Center 027 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Texas NExT and Departmental Liaison Luncheon in the Thompson Student Center 027 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM T3AMS Luncheon in the Thompson Student Center 130 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Lunch on your own or in Dining Hall 1:15 PM - 1:30 PM Official Welcome by President Dottavio in the Thompson Student Center Ballrooms 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Plenary Address - Dr Suzanne Doree in the Thompson Student Center Ballrooms \The Curious Case of 2s and 3s: Dynamics on Weak Compositions" 2:30 PM - 6:00 PM Exhibits in Math 125 2:45 PM - 4:45 PM Faculty contributed papers in the Mathematics Building 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Math Circles by Dr Jane Long in Math 310 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Book signing with Dr Edward Burger in Math 125 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM Banquet - Dr Edward Burger in the Thompson Student Center Ballrooms \Making Up Your Own Mind through Practices of (Mathematical) Effective Thinking" ii 99th Annual Meeting of the Texas Section of the MAA, Stephenville, TX 2019 Texas MAA Conference Overview Saturday, March 30 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM Business Meeting in the Tarleton Student Center Ballrooms 8:30 AM - 9:25 AM Invited Address - Dr Bryant Wyatt in the Thompson Student Center Ballrooms \Thor onto Democritus: A Topological Isomorphism on Atoms and the Void" 9:30 AM - 10:25 AM Invited Address - Dr William `Bus' Jaco in the Thompson Student Center Ballrooms \The Study of Three-manifolds using Triangulations" 10:30 AM - 11:25 AM Invited Address - Mr Eli Luberoff in the Thompson Student Center Ballrooms \Knocking Down Barriers with Technology" 11:30 AM - 11:45 AM Conference Resolution - Dr John Sieben in the Thompson Student Center Ballrooms 99th Annual Meeting of the Texas Section of the MAA, Stephenville, TX iii 2019 Texas MAA Welcome & Special Thanks Welcome! Welcome to the 99th Annual Meeting of the Texas Section of the Mathematical Association of America! We would like to thank all of the speakers, attendees, and contributors to the conference. We hope you enjoy all of the sessions and receive valuable information that you can share with your colleagues. We welcome you to Tarleton State University, and Stephenville, TX. We anticipate that you will have a wonderful experience. Please let us know if we can assist you in any way. Dr. Eileen Faulkenberry Mr. Michael Warren Local Arrangements Chair Student Activities Chair Special Thanks! Program Layout: A special thank you to Dr. Keith Emmert for his hard work preparing the layout and contents of the program booklet. Student Activities Committee: Mr. Joey McMahan, Mrs. Courtney Holland, Mr. John Robinett, and Mr. Ed Smith. Local Arrangements Committee: Dr. Kathy Horak Smith, Dr. Scott Cook, Dr. Beth Riggs, Mrs. Nancy Summer, Mrs. Rose Ann Jackson, Mrs. Colleen Seaman, Mrs. Janice Groseclose, Mrs. Imelda Salinas, and Mrs. Diane Casey. Exceptional Thanks go to all the faculty and staff of the Tarleton State Mathematics Department, who have contributed in many ways, great and small, to ensure the success of this conference. 99th Annual Meeting of the Texas Section of the MAA, Stephenville, TX 1 2019 Texas MAA Shortcourse as well as Invited Address Dr William `Bus' Jaco - Regents Professor and Grayce B. Kerr Chair, Department of Mathematics, Oklahoma State University and Executive Director of the Initiative for Mathematics Learning by Inquiry Short Course: Thursday March 28th, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Thompson Student Center 219 Building a Regional Community to Support Inquiry Learning in Mathematics Abstract: The Initiative for Mathematics Learning by Inquiry (MLI) has provided seed funding to establish five (5) Regional Inquiry Learning Communities in Texas. The Short Course will be set up for active engagement; there will be five areas representing each of the five regions so that discussions can take place on the organizational aspects of a Regional Community. We will discuss a protocol that has worked: expanding seed money into more substantial funding, enhancing and scaling the community, the role of mentorship and cultural change, and sustaining the community through viable partnerships and collaborations. Invited Address: Saturday March 30th, 9:30 AM - 10:25 AM, Thompson Student Center Ballrooms The Study of Three-manifolds using Triangulations Abstract: We will introduce the notion of using triangulations for a combinatorial (discrete) approach in the study and understanding of three-manifolds. In particular, we introduce a combinatorial deformation theory for an algorithmic construction of the prime decomposition for any given closed three-manifold. We will provide a concurrent and analogous combinatorial deformation theory for surfaces that gives complete visualization of such combinatorial deformations and results in an alternative method for the classification of closed two-manifolds. Biography: William `Bus' Jaco is Regents Professor and Grayce B. Kerr Chair, Department of Mathematics, Oklahoma State University and Executive Director of the Initiative for Mathematics Learning by Inquiry. He holds degrees from Fair- mont State University (B.A. magna cum laude), Penn State University (M.A.), and University of Wisconsin-Madison (Ph.D.). He held faculty positions at University of Michigan and Rice University before joining the faculty at Oklahoma State University as Head in 1982. He is a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an Honorary Life Mem- ber of the American Mathematical Society, an Honorary Associate Member of the Moscow Mathematical Society and received Honorary Recognition for Service to St. Petersburg and Russian Mathematics and Mathematicians. He was recognized as the 2017 Eminent Faculty Member at Oklahoma State University and is an outstanding alumnus of Fairmont State University. He served as Head, Department of