MAA Invited Paper Sessions Descriptions
Current Trends in Mathematical and Computational Biology, organized by Raina Robeva, Sweet Briar College; Erin Bodine, Rhodes College; and Brian Walton, James Madison University; Saturday, 8:00–11:50 am. Mathematical and computational biology encompasses a diverse range of biological phenomena and quantitative methods for exploring those phenomena. The pace of research at this junction continues to accelerate and substantial advancements in problems from gene regulation, genomics, phylogenetics, RNA folding, evolution, infectious disease dynamics, neuroscience, growth and control of populations, ecological networks, drug resistance modeling, and medical breakthroughs related to cancer therapies have increasingly ensued from utilizing mathematical and computational approaches. Our session on current trends will sample from this diversity of important questions from biology and medicine and their mathematical treatments, with a goal of maximizing the range of topics and research methods presented at the session. Mathematical approaches will include deterministic and stochastic continuous dynamical models, as well as finite dynamical systems and combinatorial and algebraic methods. This session is sponsored by BIO SIGMAA.
L-functions and Other Animals, organized by Caroline Turnage-Butterbaugh, Duke University, and Maria Nastasescu, Duke University; Part A: Friday, 8:00– 10:50 am and Part B: Friday, 1:00 – 2:50 pm. The Riemann zeta function famously encodes the properties of the prime numbers, and generalizations of the zeta function, called L-functions, are ubiquitous in number theory. Yet like the Riemann zeta function, many properties of L-functions remain unproved. This session will highlight a variety of approaches to studying L-functions and to applying properties of L-functions to other problems in number theory. This session complements the MAA Invited Address by Lillian B. Pierce.
Role of Modeling in Understanding Environmental Risks, organized by Ben Fusaro, Florida State University; Wednesday afternoon. Systems and structures can collapse unexpectedly. The challenge is to quantitatively and qualitatively analyze such events and perhaps be in a better position to prevent or mitigate damage–dam collapse (Mariana, Brazil; Mosul, Iraq), mining & resource extraction (fracking, subsidence, ecosystem impact, occupational & public health), spread of disease (Ebola, TB, Zika, TB), nuclear power (Fukushima), etc. This session is sponsored by SIGMAA EM and and the SIAM Activity Group on the Mathematics of Planet Earth (SIAG/MPE).
New Directions in Quantitative Literacy for General Education, in honor of Lynn Steen, organized by Catherine Crockett, Point Loma Nazarene University; Gary Franchy, Southwestern Michigan College; and Andy Miller, Belmont University; Saturday, 8:30–10:50 am. In a number of influential books, articles, and collaborations at the turn of the twenty-first century, Lynn A. Steen (1941–2015) laid the foundation for contemporary quantitative literacy education. In Mathematics and Democracy (2001), he wrote, “Quantitatively literate citizens…need a predisposition to look at the world through mathematical eyes ….Quantitative literacy empowers people by giving them the tools to think for themselves, to ask intelligent questions of experts, and to confront authority confidently.”
Over the last two decades, a number of mathematicians have answered Steen’s and his colleagues’ calls to advance quantitative literacy education for college students, most commonly through universities’ general education programs. A number of mathematicians and educators have written new textbooks, designed new courses, founded or revived journals, connected quantitative literacy to new social contexts, and used quantitative literacy to reframe developmental mathematics. In this session, we will hear from some of these innovators and consider the future of quantitative literacy in general education programs. This session is sponsored by SIGMAA QL.
Office Hours with a Geometric Group Theorist, organized by Dan Margalit, Georgia Tech, and Matthew Clay, University of Arkansas; Part A: Wednesday, 9:00 – 10:50 am and Part B: Wednesday, 2:15–4:35 pm. Each talk will be a broadly accessible introduction to some topic within the exciting world of geometric group theory. The speakers are all contributing authors of the forthcoming introductory textbook Office Hours with a Geometric Group Theorist.
Random Polygons and Knots, organized by Jason Cantarella, University of Georgia; Thursday morning. Random knotting occupies an interesting corner of the intersection of mathematics, physics, and biology, as it provides a foundational model for knotted polymers like DNA. Recently, it has been proposed as a potentially powerful method for constructing examples in knot theory as well. The field has seen a lot of progress in recent years as new techniques are imported from other areas of mathematics and old problems solved. One of the appealing features of the area is that many of the techniques and arguments are fairly understandable for a general mathematical audience. In this session, a cross-section of speakers will deliver accessible talks from a variety of perspectives on the subject. This MAA Invited Paper Session accompanies Jason Cantarella’s invited address on the same topic.
Research in Improving Undergraduate Mathematical Sciences Education: Examples Supported by the National Science Foundation's IUSE: EHR Program, organized by Ron Buckmire, John Haddock, Teri (TJ) Murphy, Sandra Richardson, and Lee Zia, National Science Foundation; Directorate for Education and Human Resources; Division of Undergraduate Education; Friday, January 6, 8:00–10:50 am. In this Invited Paper Session, research and findings will be presented from projects funded by the National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education's Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) Program. The purpose of this session is to provide a venue for the mathematical sciences community to share recent research from innovations related to undergraduate mathematical sciences.
The session will highlight research from ongoing IUSE-funded projects, with a focus on the study of the teaching and learning of undergraduate mathematical sciences. Session topics will include research findings from one or more of the following themes related to undergraduate mathematical sciences education: (1) Systemic structures to support effective teaching and broadening participation; (2) Curricular and pedagogical innovations to strengthen student experiences in mathematical sciences learning; and (3) Effective use of digital tools and other sources as teaching and learning resources. Because some projects are in early stages of project development and analysis, research findings may be preliminary.
Technical Tools for Mathematical 3D Printing, organized by Elizabeth Denne, Washington & Lee University, and Laura Taalman, James Madison University; Thursday, 1:00–4:15 pm. Speakers will go through the nitty-gritty technical details involved in designing mathematical models for 3D printing, including the strengths and quirks of using software such as Rhino, Grasshopper, Cinema4D, and OpenSCAD. Session participants will learn multiple ways to produce models that reflect and illustrate their own mathematical research.