Current Headlines
- FEATURE COLUMN and MATH IN THE MEDIA - FEBRUARY ISSUES
This month's Feature Column is "Crypto Graphics," by Bill Casselman. The February Math in the Media includes
Tony Phillips' Take ("Alice's adventures in algebra," "The wizard's clock,"
"Packing tetrahedra into a quasicrystal" and "A weekly math column in The
New York Times online"), Math Digest (summaries of media coverage of
mathematics and mathematicians), and Reviews. If you didn't catch Arthur Benjamin (Harvey Mudd College) on the Colbert Report on January 27, see the program online. (Photo: Richard Faverty/Beckett Studios.)
- NATIONAL WHO WANTS TO BE A MATHEMATICIAN CONTEST AT THE JOINT MATHEMATICS MEETINGS
Evan O’Dorney of Danville, California won $10,000 in the national Who Wants to Be a Mathematician Thursday, January 14 at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in San Francisco. Evan is a home-schooled junior who participates in the Berkeley Math Circle. He won the National Spelling Bee in 2007 and won silver medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad in 2008 and 2009. He’s a worthy recipient in that his career goal is to become a math professor. The money that he won will be split 50-50 with the Berkeley Math Circle. Evan made the finals of the competition along with Ben Zauzmer of Upper Dublin High School in Pennsylvania, who won $3000 for himself and $3000 for Upper Dublin's math department. Both were interviewed by San Francisco's KGO-TV and appeared on the news that night. See the video. (Photo of Evan by E. David Luria) See more highlights of the 2010 Joint Mathematics Meetings.
- MATHLETES AT THE WINTER OLYMPICS
NBC Learn and the National Science Foundation have teamed up to help students discover "The Science of the Olympic Winter Games" in a series of 16 videos narrated by NBC News anchor Lester Holt. A state-of-the-art high-speed camera captures astonishing images at rates of 1,500 frames per second of athletes in action, illustrating Newton's Three Laws of Motion, the Law of Conservaton and Angular Momentum, friction, drag, speed, and other scientific concepts. One segment, "Mathletes," (in the third row) features Williams College mathematics professor Edward Burger, "explains why math counts." Burger points out that "math is all around us whenever there is motion and quantities" and narrates how geometry is used in hockey, how artithmetic and averages are used in the scoring the figure skating competition, and how math can track the performance of speed skaters and perhaps influence their strategy. "The Science of the Winter Olympic Games" was launched on the NBC Today show December 11 and the videos will air over the course of the weeks leading up to the Winter Olympic in February 2010.
- NOTICES OF THE AMS--FEBRUARY ISSUE
 The issue features articles on differential geometry: "An Invitation to
Cauchy-Riemann and Sub-Riemannian Geometries," by John P. D'Angelo and
Jeremy T. Tyson; "Mathematics of the Gateway Arch," by Robert Osserman; and
"Model Theory and Complex Geometry," by Rahim Moosa. The issue also includes
"WHAT IS...a Halting Probability?" by Cristian S. Calude and G. J. Chaitin, and reviews of two books, "What Then? Plato's Ghost: The Modernist Transformation of Mathematics," and "Solving Mathematical Problems: A Personal Perspective."
- MATH HELPING TO FIGHT THE FLU
 Read how math is used to fight disease and listen to Mac Hyman (Los Alamos
National Laboratory and Tulane University) talk about "Resisting the Spread
of Disease"--specifically how math is used to help deal with the H1N1 virus.
The topic is one in the recent Mathematical Moment series of small posters.
- MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR UNDERGRADUATE EXPERIENCE
 Here are some ways to take advantage of your experience as an undergraduate: join a math club or a student math chapter; find and use a mentor; present a poster at a math conference (pictured here are undergraduate poster presenters with other participants and judges at the 2009 national SACNAS conference); attend local or national meetings of the professional societies (AMS, ASA, AWM, MAA, SIAM, SACNAS); write a math paper for an undergraduate journal (e.g. SIAM Undergraduate Research Online, Involve, Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Math Journal, Harvard College Mathematics Review); think about applying to a summer REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates program); ask the math department chair or a faculty member about resources available in the department and library; collaborate with your fellow math students on a problem; rent a math film; and consider graduate school -- compare mathematics graduate programs all over the U.S. and attend the annual Grad School Fair at the Joint Mathematics Meetings. See more resources to help you on your way.
- KEEP A LOOKOUT TO SEE NEW POSTINGS ON THESE WEBSITES:
- AMS GRADUATE STUDENT BLOG
 The AMS Graduate Student Blog is a blog by and for math graduate
students, managed by Frank Morgan, AMS vice-president, and professor of
mathematics at Williams College. "Graduate students are the future of the
AMS, and they have a lot to talk about," says Morgan. The Graduate Student
Editorial Board members are Asher Auel, Adam Boocher, Diana Davis, Daniel
Erman, Fernando Galaz, Brian Katz, Alex Levin, Kathryn Lindsey, Andrew Obus,
David Shea Vela-Vick, Clay Shonkwiler, Annalies Z. Vuong, and Tom Wright.
Morgan hopes that more graduate students from around the country will join
the board. The blog entries to date concern organizing a reading seminar,
how to give a good mathematics talk, advice for beginning teaching
assistants, navigating seminars and finding an advisor--topics of great
importance to graduate students, who are all are invited to join the
community by posting comments, questions and advice on the blog, hosted by
Williams College.
*Recently posted on the Grad Student Blog is an interview with Terence Tao.
- DISCOVERIES AND BREAKTHROUGHS INSIDE SCIENCE
How is math used to create special effects in movies? How does math used in origami help design the best way to fold an airbag for optimum deployment and compute the optimum configuration of space telescope lenses? How can math help allocate resources to best benefit all parties? How could math prevent icicles from forming on power lines? The AMS partners with the American Institute of Physics to contribute toward the production of Discoveries and Breakthroughs Inside Science, video segments on the latest discoveries and applications of mathematics that are aired on local TV news programs all over the country. The AMS page links to several of the video spots on mathematical applications.
- NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MATH CIRCLES
The National Association of Math Circles (NAMC) website is for the community of students, parents, teachers, and math circle organizers. Math circles join math-related professionals and motivated middle and high school students in informal after-school settings to work on interesting problems and topics in math. There are currently 58 math circles in the U.S. See the NAMC website to locate local math circles and search for summer math camps, math events, and math competitions--from regional to national to international Olympiads.
- PLUS MAGAZINE - NEW ISSUE
"If you have ever felt the need for speed, then this is the issue for you!
Andy Green tells us how maths is going to help him break his own land speed
record by driving a supersonic Bloodhound at 1,000mph. But if you prefer a
more sedate pace, then why not try your hand at juggling, search for a
Gomboc on the seashore, contemplate your bathroom floor, or just gaze out
at the horizon. And find out how probability can give you the winning edge,
whether you are playing the markets, or the beautiful game." From the editors of Plus.
- THE GNARLY GNEWS
The latest edition of this humorous math newsletter tells us about racing:
* Bikes (what went wrong on the Tour de France in 1904?)
* Cars (does the average speed of cars in the Indy 500 get bigger every year?)
* Horses, including steeplechasers (do you know how steeplechasing got its name?)
* Humans (was there ever an Olympic games solely for women?)
* Chariots (were the first chariot races in Greece or Rome?)
Read the Racing Issue of the Gnews and you'll find answers to all these questions.
- CHECK OUT THESE WEBSITES:
- MUSEUM OF MATHEMATICS
The new Museum of Mathematics--the only one in the U.S.--strives to enhance public understanding and perception of mathematics. Its dynamic exhibits and programs will stimulate inquiry, spark curiosity, and reveal the wonders of mathematics. The museum’s activities will lead a broad and diverse audience to understand the evolving, creative, human, and aesthetic nature of mathematics.
- WHEN WILL I USE MATH?
 Did you know that Art Garfunkel, of Simon & Garfunkel, has a Master's degree in math? The new website, When Will I Use Math?, hosted by Brigham Young University's Math Department, includes lots of interesting facts and valuable information on nearly 40 careers. For instance, if you are interested in being a computational biologist, the site lets you know the potential salary range, what math courses would be required, how math is used in the job, and other important information. Explore the website to see "how to succeed in math", "did you know?" and "resources for teachers." Image courtesy of the BYU Mathematics Department.
- FAMOUS MATHEMATICS MAJORS
Did you know that basketball player Michael Jordan started out as a math major, or that Teri Hatcher (Lois Lane on "Lois and Clark") was a mathematics and engineering major at DeAnza Junior College? See a list of famous individuals from the worlds of sports, entertainment, politics, writing and finance on this web page created by the Rose-Hulman Math Club.
- MATH EN JEU - A NEW INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA GAME
How does this online game work?
* create your own identity;
* launch a new game or join a game in progress;
* and it's started!
Math en Jeu was developed by SMAC (Sciences and Mathematics in Action), directed by Professor Jean-Marie De Koninck and a team at the department of mathematics and statistics of Université Laval, and is offered in English or French. "This is basically a board game with a mathematical flavor. Up to four players confront each other in a game by moving on a randomly created board. The players try to accumulate as many coins as possible before the time runs out. To be able to win coins, each player must answer mathematical questions. The more spaces in a move, the harder the question, and the more coins it is worth." See the Math en Jeu website to read more about how the game works, learn about the question bank, and start playing!
- WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE FICTIONAL MATHEMATICIAN?
The PLUS Magazine Blog asks the question and invites readers to pick from among a list of 18 fictional characters. The Square (Flatland)? Charlie Eppes (Numb3rs)? Professor Moriarty (Sherlock Holmes)? You can also view the results of the poll, which re-calculates on an ongoing basis the voter favorites. And if your favorite character isn't on the list you can submit a comment to the blog editors.
- L'EXPLOSION DES MATHEMATIQUES
 The Société Mathématique de France (French Mathematical Society) has translated into English "L'explosion des mathématiques," an illustrated booklet on the many applications of mathematics. Chapters include "What lies behind mobile phones," "Preventing waves from making noise," "From DNA to knot theory," "How to rationalize auction sales," "Puzzles for airline companies," "Financial options pricing," and more. Download individual chapters or the entire pdf of the English-language version of the "L'explosion des mathématiques" booklet.
- NUMB3RS MATH ACTIVITIES
 The Mathematics Department at Cornell University has developed a series of materials on math behind the TV show Numb3rs. To date there are over 60 topics related to episodes in the first four seasons, including "Counterfeit Reality," "In Plain Sight," "The Mole," "Pandora's Box," and "Tabu." (Image to left: Diagram from Cornell's "Tabu" of a "tabu search, a kind of local search in which one moves from point to nearby point, trying to find an optimal solution." Graphic used with permission.) Each topic includes a brief synopsis of the program's plot and how the mathematician character Charlie used math to solve the crime, a more in-depth look at the mathematics, and often a suggested activity or a "Tangent"--a tidbit of historical background or other application of the mathematics.
- MOVIES ON THE FUTURES CHANNEL
See a series of brief movies that connect math to the real world: "First one in the ballpark," "Air coasters," "Ingrid's cross-country practice," "Tetradice," "Response time," and "New car tips," are just a few of the topics.
- MATH DOCTORAL PROGRAMS WEBPAGE
The webpage has separate lists for doctoral programs in mathematics, applied
mathematics and operations research, statistics/biostatistics, and mathematics education. The page was created and is maintained by Sarah-Marie Belcastro.
- HELP AT DIFFERENT STAGES IN YOUR MATH CAREER
The Art of Problem Solving website lists mathematics scholarships including national
mathematics scholarship competitions, university-specific mathematics
scholarships, and links to other opportunities such as study abroad and
summer programs. Use the 2008 Assistantships & Graduate Fellowships in
the Mathematical Sciences to compare graduate math programs, see
stipend amounts, locate sources of support, and more. See what past math
majors are doing now, on the Early Career Profile
Network. See the AMS web page for job-seekers that
includes links to advice on how to develop your curriculum vitae, interview,
decide if teaching is for you, apply for jobs, and more.
- SELECTED MATH BLOGS
See these sites for interesting math blogs, and give the authors feedback:
bit-player, by Brian Hayes,
Senior Writer for American Scientist; Numb3rs, by Mark
Bridger, Northeastern University; What's New, by Terence Tao, University of California, Los Angeles; MathTrek Blogs, by Julie J. Rehmeyer, Science News Web Editor and Mathematics Writer; The Mathematical Tourist, by Ivars Peterson, MAA Director of Publications for Journals and Communications; Teaching College Math Technology Blog, by Maria H. Anderson, Muskegon Community College; and Carnival of Mathematics, hosted by WordPress.com.
- MATH FOR AMERICA - APPLY NOW. Math for America's 2010 Fellowship application is open for New York City, Los Angeles, San Diego and Washington, DC. The Math for America Fellowship provides aspiring math teachers a full tuition scholarship for a master's degree in mathematics education, stipends of up to US$100,000 over five years, in addition to a full time teacher's salary, and mentoring, leadership and professional development opportunities. The application deadline is FEBRUARY 5, 2010. To learn more about our program, visit www.mathforamerica.org.
- MOODY'S MEGA MATH CHALLENGE - INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE
Want to know if the stimulus act will work or whether ethanol is the right choice for U.S. energy independence? Need advice on how to beat Wall Street? If so, you may want to consult a high school student! These are topics that have been tackled in past Moody’s Mega Math Challenge competitions, where teams of students are given 14 hours to solve an open-ended, realistic, applied math-modeling problem focused on real-world issues, and are able to use any free, publicly available, and inanimate sources of information to help them. Registration is now open for the 2010 M3 Challenge, which will be held during the weekend of March 6-7, and the final deadline is FEBRUARY 26, 2010. The Challenge has expanded this year to include high schools along the entire East Coast, from Maine to Florida. Scholarship prizes have also increased—US$100,000 will be awarded in 2010. There are no entrance or participation fees and each high school may enter up to two teams of three to five students each. Each year’s topic is entirely unknown until teams download the problem at 7:00 a.m. on their selected Challenge day. They have until 9:00 p.m. that same night to research the problem, formulate assumptions, develop and test a model, analyze their findings, and summarize their response in a solution paper, which they upload to the Challenge website. The goal of this annual and entirely Internet-based Challenge is to increase interest in and encourage high school students to pursue studies and careers in applied mathematics, economics, and finance. Learn more about the M3 Challenge.
- DAVIDSON FELLOW SCHOLARSHIPS
The Davidson Institute for Talent Development is offering high-achieving young people (under 18 as of Oct. 1, 2010) across the country the opportunity to be named as 2010 Davidson Fellows, an honor accompanied by a $50,000, $25,000 or $10,000 scholarship in recognition of a significant piece of work in mathematics, science, technology, music, literature, philosophy or "Outside the Box." Applicants must submit an original piece of work recognized by experts in the field as significant (at least graduate-level work) that has the potential to make a positive contribution to society. The scholarship must be used at any accredited institute of learning. The deadline to apply is MARCH 3, 2010.
- 3/15/10: SMITH COLLEGE POSTBACCALAUREATE PROGRAM: "a chance--and a second chance--to study mathematics in the company of women." Women with bachelor's degrees who did not major in mathematics or whose mathematics major was light are invited to apply to this program that prepares and motivates women to help them determine whether they want to continue to graduate school in the mathematical sciences. The college reviews applications on a rolling basis. For September entrance the preferred deadline is MARCH 15, but applications are accepted through July 1.
- SIAM UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ONLINE - CALL FOR PAPERS. SIAM Undergraduate Research Online (SIURO) is a web-based publication devoted to undergraduate research in applied and computational mathematics. Topics include analysis, discrete mathematics, statistics, operations research, optimization, dynamical systems, modeling, and computation. Papers written by undergraduate students (or teams of students) are being accepted on an ongoing basis and will be posted online as they are accepted. The SIURO web site lists the editorial board and has instructions for authors, review policies, etc.
- STIPENDS FOR STUDY AND TRAVEL. The September 2008 issue of Notices of the AMS includes opportunities for graduate
support, postdoctoral support, travel and study abroad, and study
in the U.S. for foreign nationals. There are various deadlines throughout this academic year.
- ATTENTION STUDENTS!
If you are a member of the AMS, MAA, SIAM, AMATYC, AWM or CMS/SMC, please keep your contact information current on the online Combined Membership List. The directory is a
great networking tool, so be sure your mathematical colleagues all
over the U.S. and Canada can find you!
FOR POSTDOCS
- NSF-AWM TRAVEL GRANTS. This program enables women to attend research conferences in
their fields, thereby providing a valuable opportunity to advance their
research activities and their visibility in the research community. The
grants provide full or partial support for travel and subsistence for a
meeting or conference in the applicant's field of specialization. A
maximum of US$1,500 for domestic travel and US$2,000 for foreign travel will be
available. Women must hold a doctorate (or equivalent experience) and
have a work address in the US (or US home address, in case of unemployed
mathematicians). There are three award periods per year, with
applications due OCTOBER 1, FEBRUARY 1, and MAY 1.
- NSF MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS (MSPRF). The MSPRFs support postdocs in the mathematical sciences by enabling you to participate in research environments that will have maximal impact on your future development. There are two options for awardees: Research Fellowship and Research Instructorship. The deadline for full proposals is OCTOBER 21, 2009. The website provides details.
- NRC RESEARCH ASSOCIATESHIP PROGRAMS. The National Research Council of the National Academies sponsors a number of awards for post-doctoral and senior researchers at federal laboratories. There are four review cycles annually. The next submission deadline is NOVEMBER 1, 2009. The website has detailed program information.
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