GRCC student leads Mathematics Seminar today in Cook 102

The Grand Rapids Community College Mathematics Department is pleased to announce that it will host its last Mathematics Seminar of 2018-2019 on Wednesday, April 17, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in 102 Cook.    

Our speaker, GRCC student Luke Ellison, will be discussing Bayes’ Theorem.

Bayes’ Theorem actually is a theorem –it has a precise mathematical formulation that can be rigorously demonstrated– but its use has been controversial for more than 200 years. Luke’s presentation will emphasize historical background and applications, and thus will be accessible to a general audience. As is the case with all of our seminars, everyone is welcome!

Details:

• DATE: Wednesday, April 17
• TIME: 3:30-4:30 p.m. (Refreshments served at 2:14 p.m.)
• PLACE: 102 Cook
• SUBJECT: Bayes’ Theorem: Using Probability Theory to Quantify Uncertainty

Bayes’ theorem is a probabilistic equation that allows us to update our prior beliefs in the face of new evidence. This talk will explore the historical development and application of Bayes’ theorem including unique problems that it has helped solve. Specific areas of application include World War 2 codebreaking, authorship of the Federalist papers, and quantifying degrees of certainty in historical claims.

Final Mathematics Seminar of 2018-19 tomorrow in Cook

The Grand Rapids Community College Mathematics Department is pleased to announce that it will host its last Mathematics Seminar of 2018-2019 on Wednesday, April 17, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in 102 Cook.    

Our speaker, GRCC student Luke Ellison, will be discussing Bayes’ Theorem.

Bayes’ Theorem actually is a theorem –it has a precise mathematical formulation that can be rigorously demonstrated– but its use has been controversial for more than 200 years. Luke’s presentation will emphasize historical background and applications, and thus will be accessible to a general audience. As is the case with all of our seminars, everyone is welcome!

Details:

• DATE: Wednesday, April 17
• TIME: 3:30-4:30 p.m. (Refreshments served at 2:14 p.m.)
• PLACE: 102 Cook
• SUBJECT: Bayes’ Theorem: Using Probability Theory to Quantify Uncertainty

Bayes’ theorem is a probabilistic equation that allows us to update our prior beliefs in the face of new evidence. This talk will explore the historical development and application of Bayes’ theorem including unique problems that it has helped solve. Specific areas of application include World War 2 codebreaking, authorship of the Federalist papers, and quantifying degrees of certainty in historical claims.

Mathematics Seminar on April 17

The Grand Rapids Community College Mathematics Department is pleased to announce that it will host its last Mathematics Seminar of 2018-2019 on Wednesday, April 17, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in 102 Cook.    

Our speaker, GRCC student Luke Ellison, will be discussing Bayes’ Theorem.

Bayes’ Theorem actually is a theorem –it has a precise mathematical formulation that can be rigorously demonstrated– but its use has been controversial for more than 200 years. Luke’s presentation will emphasize historical background and applications, and thus will be accessible to a general audience. As is the case with all of our seminars, everyone is welcome!

Details:

• DATE: Wednesday, April 17
• TIME: 3:30-4:30 p.m. (Refreshments served at 2:14 p.m.)
• PLACE: 102 Cook
• SUBJECT: Bayes’ Theorem: Using Probability Theory to Quantify Uncertainty

Bayes’ theorem is a probabilistic equation that allows us to update our prior beliefs in the face of new evidence. This talk will explore the historical development and application of Bayes’ theorem including unique problems that it has helped solve. Specific areas of application include World War 2 codebreaking, authorship of the Federalist papers, and quantifying degrees of certainty in historical claims.

GRCC Mathematics seminar this afternoon

The Grand Rapids Community College Mathematics Department is pleased to announce that it will host its next Mathematics Seminar today from 3-4 p.m. in 102 Cook.

Our speaker, GRCC faculty member Alejandro Saldivar, will be discussing Linear Programming.

Linear Programming, developed in the 1940s to help with the war effort, found many uses in the post-war economy.  With the principle goal of allocating resources in the best possible way, it continues to find important applications in areas as diverse as airline crew scheduling, creation of investment portfolios, and developing communications networks.  It also possesses inherent mathematical beauty, and its fundamental principles are accessible to anyone who can graph lines and find points of intersection.  As is the case with all of our seminars, everyone is welcome!

Details:

• DATE: TODAY, March 27
• TIME: 3-4 p.m. (Refreshments served at 2:45 p.m.)
• PLACE: 102 Cook
• SUBJECT: Systems of Linear Equations, Linear Programming, and the Simplex Method

The Simplex Method is used to optimize logistic problems such as transportation scheduling.  In this talk, we review some history and insight into the method from geometric and vectorial points of view.

This talk is suitable for anyone with an intermediate algebra background.

Mathematics seminar tomorrow in Cook

The Grand Rapids Community College Mathematics Department is pleased to announce that it will host its next Mathematics Seminar tomorrow from 3-4 p.m. in 102 Cook.

Our speaker, GRCC faculty member Alejandro Saldivar, will be discussing Linear Programming.

Linear Programming, developed in the 1940s to help with the war effort, found many uses in the post-war economy.  With the principle goal of allocating resources in the best possible way, it continues to find important applications in areas as diverse as airline crew scheduling, creation of investment portfolios, and developing communications networks.  It also possesses inherent mathematical beauty, and its fundamental principles are accessible to anyone who can graph lines and find points of intersection.  As is the case with all of our seminars, everyone is welcome!

Details:

• DATE: Tomorrow, March 27
• TIME: 3-4 p.m. (Refreshments served at 2:45 p.m.)
• PLACE: 102 Cook
• SUBJECT: Systems of Linear Equations, Linear Programming, and the Simplex Method

The Simplex Method is used to optimize logistic problems such as transportation scheduling.  In this talk, we review some history and insight into the method from geometric and vectorial points of view.

This talk is suitable for anyone with an intermediate algebra background.

 

 

Mathematics seminar on March 27

The Grand Rapids Community College Mathematics Department is pleased to announce that it will host its next Mathematics Seminar on Wednesday, March 27, from 3-4 p.m. in 102 Cook.

Our speaker, GRCC faculty member Alejandro Saldivar, will be discussing Linear Programming.

Linear Programming, developed in the 1940s to help with the war effort, found many uses in the post-war economy.  With the principle goal of allocating resources in the best possible way, it continues to find important applications in areas as diverse as airline crew scheduling, creation of investment portfolios, and developing communications networks.  It also possesses inherent mathematical beauty, and its fundamental principles are accessible to anyone who can graph lines and find points of intersection.  As is the case with all of our seminars, everyone is welcome!

Details:

• DATE: next Wednesday, March 27
• TIME: 3-4 p.m. (Refreshments served at 2:45 p.m.)
• PLACE: 102 Cook
• SUBJECT: Systems of Linear Equations, Linear Programming, and the Simplex Method

The Simplex Method is used to optimize logistic problems such as transportation scheduling.  In this talk, we review some history and insight into the method from geometric and vectorial points of view.

This talk is suitable for anyone with an intermediate algebra background.

 

 

Mathematics Seminar today in Cook

The Grand Rapids Community College Mathematics Department is pleased to announce that it will host its next Mathematics Seminar on Thursday, February 21, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. in 103 Cook.

Our speaker is GRCC faculty member Brian Hadley.  For the title and abstract of his talk, please see below.

The realm of mathematical forecasting is vast but fundamentally based on common sense ideas: Examine historical trends, assume that whatever was responsible for creating the past will continue to operate beyond the present, then use mathematical and/or statistical techniques to predict the future.  Brian will discuss how this relates to classroom resource management.  As is the case with all of our seminars, everyone is welcome!

Refreshments will be served at 10:45 a.m.

Mathematical Forecasting and Classroom Resources

Forecasting student attendance in class has allowed for a reduction of wasted paper.

Each semester I print quizzes, test, and worksheets for class use. Unfortunately, some of this paper is wasted primarily due to absent students. As a solution to this problem, I began forecasting student attendance, greatly reducing the amount of wasted printing.

Forecasting is a mathematical model that allows for a prediction of future trends. We will examine various forecasting methods that can provide reliable guidelines to classroom attendance trends and result in the reduction of paper waste.

 

 

Instructor Brian Hadley to present Mathematics Seminar on Feb. 21

The Grand Rapids Community College Mathematics Department is pleased to announce that it will host its next Mathematics Seminar on Thursday, February 21, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. in 103 Cook.

Our speaker is GRCC faculty member Brian Hadley.  For the title and abstract of his talk, please see below.

The realm of mathematical forecasting is vast but fundamentally based on common sense ideas: Examine historical trends, assume that whatever was responsible for creating the past will continue to operate beyond the present, then use mathematical and/or statistical techniques to predict the future.  Brian will discuss how this relates to classroom resource management.  As is the case with all of our seminars, everyone is welcome!

Refreshments will be served at 10:45 a.m.

Mathematical Forecasting and Classroom Resources

Forecasting student attendance in class has allowed for a reduction of wasted paper.

Each semester I print quizzes, test, and worksheets for class use. Unfortunately, some of this paper is wasted primarily due to absent students. As a solution to this problem, I began forecasting student attendance, greatly reducing the amount of wasted printing.

Forecasting is a mathematical model that allows for a prediction of future trends. We will examine various forecasting methods that can provide reliable guidelines to classroom attendance trends and result in the reduction of paper waste.

 

 

Instructor forecasts student attendance at next week’s Mathematics Seminar

The Grand Rapids Community College Mathematics Department is pleased to announce that it will host its next Mathematics Seminar on Thursday, February 21, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. in 103 Cook.

Our speaker is GRCC faculty member Brian Hadley.  For the title and abstract of his talk, please see below.

The realm of mathematical forecasting is vast but fundamentally based on common sense ideas: Examine historical trends, assume that whatever was responsible for creating the past will continue to operate beyond the present, then use mathematical and/or statistical techniques to predict the future.  Brian will discuss how this relates to classroom resource management.  As is the case with all of our seminars, everyone is welcome!

Refreshments will be served at 10:45 a.m.

Mathematical Forecasting and Classroom Resources

Forecasting student attendance in class has allowed for a reduction of wasted paper.

Each semester I print quizzes, test, and worksheets for class use. Unfortunately, some of this paper is wasted primarily due to absent students. As a solution to this problem, I began forecasting student attendance, greatly reducing the amount of wasted printing.

Forecasting is a mathematical model that allows for a prediction of future trends. We will examine various forecasting methods that can provide reliable guidelines to classroom attendance trends and result in the reduction of paper waste.

 

 

Mathematics Seminar today in Cook

The Grand Rapids Community College Mathematics Department is pleased to announce that it will host its first Mathematics Seminar of 2019 on Wednesday, January 23, 3-4 PM in 101 Cook.

Our speaker is GRCC student Branden Wilson.  For the title and abstract of his talk, please see below.

The basic idea behind De Montmort’s Matching Problem:  A number of people attend a party.   Each wears his/her own (different) hat, which is tossed into a dark room.  As people leave the party, they fumble around in the dark, each person taking a randomly chosen hat.   A match occurs when someone is fortunate enough to grab their own hat.  Branden will discuss the probabilities associated with such events.  Participants at this seminar get to play cards and will be rewarded with a surprising appearance of one of the most famous numbers in mathematics.  All are welcome!

Refreshments will be served at 2:45 PM.

De Montmort’s Matching Problem

Probability theory originated in the analysis of games of chance, beginning with the correspondence of Pascal and Fermat on dividing stakes in games of dice (1654-1660), and continuing with the first book on probability, Huygens’s ‘On Reasoning in Games of Chance’ (1657).   Pierre Raymond de Montmort extended this work in his 1708 ‘Essay on the Analysis of Games of Chance,’ in which he considered probabilities in popular games of cards and dice.  Among the card games he analyzed was Treize (or Recontre).  It is for this analysis that de Montmort’s matching problem is named.  After a few rounds of Treize, I will present a solution to the problem using the inclusion-exclusion principle developed by Nikolas Bernoulli.

Student Branden Wilson to present Mathematics Seminar on Jan. 23

The Grand Rapids Community College Mathematics Department is pleased to announce that it will host its first Mathematics Seminar of 2019 on Wednesday, January 23, from 3-4 p.m. in 101 Cook.

Our speaker is GRCC student Branden Wilson.  For the title and abstract of his talk, please see below.

The basic idea behind De Montmort’s Matching Problem:  A number of people attend a party.   Each wears his/her own (different) hat, which is tossed into a dark room.  As people leave the party, they fumble around in the dark, each person taking a randomly chosen hat.   A match occurs when someone is fortunate enough to grab their own hat.  Branden will discuss the probabilities associated with such events.  Participants at this seminar get to play cards and will be rewarded with a surprising appearance of one of the most famous numbers in mathematics.  All are welcome!

Refreshments will be served at 2:45 p.m.

De Montmort’s Matching Problem

Probability theory originated in the analysis of games of chance, beginning with the correspondence of Pascal and Fermat on dividing stakes in games of dice (1654-1660), and continuing with the first book on probability, Huygens’s ‘On Reasoning in Games of Chance’ (1657).   Pierre Raymond de Montmort extended this work in his 1708 ‘Essay on the Analysis of Games of Chance,’ in which he considered probabilities in popular games of cards and dice.  Among the card games he analyzed was Treize (or Recontre).  It is for this analysis that de Montmort’s matching problem is named.  After a few rounds of Treize, I will present a solution to the problem using the inclusion-exclusion principle developed by Nikolas Bernoulli.

De Montmort’s Matching Problem subject of Mathematics Seminar

The Grand Rapids Community College Mathematics Department is pleased to announce that it will host its first Mathematics Seminar of 2019 on Wednesday, January 23, 3-4 PM in 101 Cook.

Our speaker is GRCC student Branden Wilson.  For the title and abstract of his talk, please see below.

The basic idea behind De Montmort’s Matching Problem:  A number of people attend a party.   Each wears his/her own (different) hat, which is tossed into a dark room.  As people leave the party, they fumble around in the dark, each person taking a randomly chosen hat.   A match occurs when someone is fortunate enough to grab their own hat.  Branden will discuss the probabilities associated with such events.  Participants at this seminar get to play cards and will be rewarded with a surprising appearance of one of the most famous numbers in mathematics.  All are welcome!

Refreshments will be served at 2:45 PM.

De Montmort’s Matching Problem

Probability theory originated in the analysis of games of chance, beginning with the correspondence of Pascal and Fermat on dividing stakes in games of dice (1654-1660), and continuing with the first book on probability, Huygens’s ‘On Reasoning in Games of Chance’ (1657).   Pierre Raymond de Montmort extended this work in his 1708 ‘Essay on the Analysis of Games of Chance,’ in which he considered probabilities in popular games of cards and dice.  Among the card games he analyzed was Treize (or Recontre).  It is for this analysis that de Montmort’s matching problem is named.  After a few rounds of Treize, I will present a solution to the problem using the inclusion-exclusion principle developed by Nikolas Bernoulli.

GRCC Mathematics Seminar TODAY in Cook 213

The Grand Rapids Community College Mathematics Department is hosting its November Mathematics Seminar TODAY, November 13, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in 213 Cook.

This month’s seminar will be lead by former GRCC student Katrina Teunis. Ms. Teunis will discuss her research on mathematical patterns in the folding of RNA.

Recent research in mathematical biology includes areas such as genomics, biochemistry and cell biology, heart physiology, kidney function, and protein folding.  Everyone is welcome!

Refreshments will be served at 2:15 p.m.

 

The Math Behind the Foldability of RNA

“This summer I was given funding to do some undergraduate math research on the mathematical patterns in how RNA folds. RNA, much like DNA, is made up of four building blocks called nucleotides: Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, and Uracil. These nucleotides form a string that likes to fold in on itself and bond together – Adenine with Uracil and Guanine with Cytosine. So, the order and number of nucleotides present will determine how many ways the string of RNA can fold. By assigning these properties to letters, we can study this in a general context. Doing this I was able to find several new ways of determining how many times a string will fold as well as how to build a string with a specific number of foldings. I was also able to find or strengthen connections between RNA and other areas of mathematics. In this talk, I will walk through how RNA folds, what I found in my research, and how RNA connects to other areas of mathematics. This research was funded by the Modified Student Summer Scholars Program from the Office of Undergraduate Research at Grand Valley State University.”

GRCC Mathematics Seminar tomorrow in Cook 213

The Grand Rapids Community College Mathematics Department is hosting its November Mathematics Seminar TOMORROW, November 13, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in 213 Cook.

Our speaker, former GRCC student Katrina Teunis, will discuss her research on mathematical patterns in the folding of RNA.

Recent research in mathematical biology includes areas such as genomics, biochemistry and cell biology, heart physiology, kidney function, and protein folding.  Everyone is welcome!

Refreshments will be served at 2:15 p.m.

 

The Math Behind the Foldability of RNA

“This summer I was given funding to do some undergraduate math research on the mathematical patterns in how RNA folds. RNA, much like DNA, is made up of four building blocks called nucleotides: Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, and Uracil. These nucleotides form a string that likes to fold in on itself and bond together – Adenine with Uracil and Guanine with Cytosine. So, the order and number of nucleotides present will determine how many ways the string of RNA can fold. By assigning these properties to letters, we can study this in a general context. Doing this I was able to find several new ways of determining how many times a string will fold as well as how to build a string with a specific number of foldings. I was also able to find or strengthen connections between RNA and other areas of mathematics. In this talk, I will walk through how RNA folds, what I found in my research, and how RNA connects to other areas of mathematics. This research was funded by the Modified Student Summer Scholars Program from the Office of Undergraduate Research at Grand Valley State University.”

GRCC’s November Mathematics Seminar next Tuesday in Cook 213

The Grand Rapids Community College Mathematics Department is pleased to announce that it will host its next Mathematics Seminar on Tuesday, November 13, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in 213 Cook.

November’s seminar will be lead by former GRCC student Katrina Teunis. Ms. Teunis will discuss her research on mathematical patterns in the folding of RNA.

Recent research in mathematical biology includes areas such as genomics, biochemistry and cell biology, heart physiology, kidney function, and protein folding.  Everyone is welcome!

Refreshments will be served at 2:15 p.m.

 

The Math Behind the Foldability of RNA

“This summer I was given funding to do some undergraduate math research on the mathematical patterns in how RNA folds. RNA, much like DNA, is made up of four building blocks called nucleotides: Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, and Uracil. These nucleotides form a string that likes to fold in on itself and bond together – Adenine with Uracil and Guanine with Cytosine. So, the order and number of nucleotides present will determine how many ways the string of RNA can fold. By assigning these properties to letters, we can study this in a general context. Doing this I was able to find several new ways of determining how many times a string will fold as well as how to build a string with a specific number of foldings. I was also able to find or strengthen connections between RNA and other areas of mathematics. In this talk, I will walk through how RNA folds, what I found in my research, and how RNA connects to other areas of mathematics. This research was funded by the Modified Student Summer Scholars Program from the Office of Undergraduate Research at Grand Valley State University.”