Math in the City

16 Pages·2017·21.71 MB·English

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FACULTY EARN NATIONAL RECOGNITION:
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DEPARTMENT OF
70% of Trustees; Wiegand is inaugural AWM Fellow
MATHEMATICS
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FACULTY NEWS Pages 8 and 9
80% 203 Avery Hall {
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ProcessLin+ Fall 2017 A publication of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Math in the City:
VIEW FROM THE
CHAIR Local businesses partner with students
to analyze data from new perspective
Tom Marley Dealing with large amounts of from a new perspective. Students
data can be complicated, and engage in a hands-on learning
It is my pleasure
finding data sets that are usable in the experience around current societal
once again to
classroom is especially problematic. issues of local and national interest.
bring you up to
For 10 years, the Department of Partner organizations provide
date on many of
Mathematics’ innovative course, data in a usable form and are con-
the wonderful
Math in the City, has provided sulted by the students throughout the
happenings in
student-led mathematical modeling course, thus creating strong connec-
2017 (being a
projects to help bridge that gap. tions between academia and industry.
prime number,
New Mathematics shirts for sale Math in the City, started by Students learn the basics and
after all!) among our students,
Associate Professor Petronela backgrounds of their projects, as well
faculty, staff, and alumni. In my 15
Radu in 2006, gives students as any needed programming skills, in
The graphic shows the state outline, filled with a penrose tiling modeled after the wooden wall piece in months as chair of the department, the opportunity to partner with lectures and then begin small-group
I have gained a broader and local businesses and government work. Each group has about three to
Avery Hall (see photo on Page 5) constructed by Earl Kramer, artist and emeritus professor of mathematics.
deeper appreciation for all of the organizations and analyze their data See CITY on Page 4
accomplishments and successes of
Unisex Jersey T-shirt by Bella+Canvas
our department’s community.
Price: $6.65 We celebrate victories both large
(plus tax and shipping)
and small in this newsletter. I enjoy
Color: Dark Grey
seeing productive collaboration and
Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL support, such as when a graduate
(Note: 2XL +$1.00, 3XL +$1.50 and 4XL +$2.50) instructor helps a student work
through struggles and grasp difficult
Unisex Jersey Long-Sleeve Hoodie concepts, or when a staff member
mathematics
helps put the finishing touches on the
Shirt (Soft, Thin Material) by Bella+Canvas budget for a faculty grant proposal.
CHAIR
Price: $12.65 (plus tax and shipping) See on Page 8
Color: Charcoal Black
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Order online from Dec. 22-Jan. 12!
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then all orders will be processed and shipped. I
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Math News is a newsletter published for the Nebraska Department Math News is produced and edited by Lindsay Augustyn and Alli Davis of the Center
of Mathematics community. To receive Math News via email, please for Science, Mathematics, and Computer Education. Copyright © 2017
register online. Comments regarding newsletter content should be
The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based upon any DEPARTMENT NEWS: Lai leads ALUMNI NEWS: Farrell compiles STUDENT NEWS: Schroeck returns
sent to Tom Marley ([email protected]), Chair, Nebraska Depart- protected status. Please see go.unl.edu/nondiscrimination.
NSF grant’s research team Page 3 complete works of Gardner Page 11 to China with scholarship Page 13
ment of Mathematics, 203 Avery Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0130. @UNLMathematics
16 Fall 2017 www.math.unl.edu/friends Fall 2017 1
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Degrees Myers, John (State University of New %
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York at Oswego) Characterizations of %
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Minimal Multiplicity via Ext-Algebras, %
Lucho Avramov December 2016:Westin Edrington, 0/100
COMMUTATIVE ALGEBRA Russell, Travis (United States Military EGruik, DEiatznmieal nG,u Jtaiererrde zG, aCsotoltno,n Z Hhaoowyeulla, n Times4 P0.5PTimes1PTimesTimes2P2 PTimesTimes1 P4PTimes0.5 PTimes
Academy) Abstract characterizations of
Andrew Huffman, Wenhao Lin,
Ahrendt, Kevin(Colorado School of ordered operator spaces, Allan Donsig
Mackenzie Martin, Hangquan Qian,
Walker resolves Betti number conjecture Mines)Solving Initial and Boundary
Tomlinson, CharlesExtremal Davis Rempe, Tyler Riggle, Lucas
Value Problems for a Self-Adjoint
Problems for Graph Homomorphisms Snethen, Kyle Stewart, Erik Wiedel, Gary
Difference Equation Involving Fractional
and Automata, Jamie Radcliffe Wright, Kangqi Zhang, Xiaoyu Zhong
Mathematicians have been come from a field k, which for our of making edge identifications on a Derivatives, Al Peterson
fascinated with polynomials purposes will be either the real rectangle as in the picture (see Figure Windle, Andrew (Rockhurst University) May 2017: Jaron Ahmann, Sydni
Akesseh, Solomon (Yale Law School,
for centuries. Surely you have fond numbers or the complex numbers. 2)shows that we need one point, two Cohomological Operators on Quotients Bechler, Christopher Beeman, Nathaniel
J.D. candidate) Ideal Containments
memories of those critters, expressions A module over k[x, . . . , x ] is the edges and one two-dimensional piece by Quasi-Complete Intersection Ideals, Benes, Cashous Bortner, Westley
like f (x) = x2 – 1 or h(x, y) = 5x2 + 3y2 analogue of a vecto1r spacen, and (the rectangle itself) to build a torus, uonn dLeinr eFalar tS Eyxstteenmssio inns P a2,n Bdr Iiantne rpolation Mark Walker Carpenter, Michael Courtney, Simon
Deng, Kenny Dobberpuhl, Steven
–2xy that you spent countless hours can be represented as a matrix (not and the Betti numbers of the torus T Harbourne
Emmerich, Brant Haupt, Roman
graphing, factoring, differentiating, necessarily square) whose entries are indeed
Falahola, Brittney (Stephen F. Austin Haynatzki, Nantu Hu, Joshua Hurlbert,
and integrating back in calculus. It are elements of k[x, . . . , x ]. One
1 n β(T) = 1, β(T) = 2, and β(T) = 1. State University) Characterizations of Alexander Johnson, Schuyler Judds,
turns out, there are many questions might hope to classify all modules 0 1 2 2017 (MAT): Desiree Anderson,
Gorenstein Rings Using Frobenius, Tom LeeAnn Kabler, Avi Knecht, Terran
about polynomials to which we still over the ring k[x1, . . . , xn] up to In algebra, the Betti numbers Marley Elizabeth Crabtree, Alexander Dostal, Merriman-Honerkamp, Mackenzie 4/21
don’t know the answers. But, thanks to isomorphism, much as the Jordan β(M), β(M), . . . of a module M Kyle Ediger, Cody Gregory, Kaitlin Metcalf, Tyler Minchow, Robert Moore
the efforts of Professor of Mathematics Canonical Form classifies all matrices ar0e the ra1nks of the free modules Ferraro, Luigi (Wake Forest University) Habermeyer, Masake Kane, Danielle II, Zhiving Mu, Fengji Nie, Marcus
Mark Walker, that list of open (with entries from k) up to similarity. occurring in its minimal free Stable Cohomology of Local Rings and Malson, Andrew Moser, Celia Newman, Pasell, Kathleen Pfankuch, Tanner
questions is now slightly shorter. But this is known to be impossible for resolution; that is, they are the small- Castelnuovo-Mumford Regularity of Mary Nuckolls, Scott Toovey, Ryan Treat, Pfeiffer, Jordan Pitcher, Erica Pribil, Zach
To describe Walker’s work, we’ll polynomial rings. Instead, one hopes est natural numbers β, β, . . . such Graded Modules, Luchezar Avramov Brett Troyer Rouzee, Christiana Spicer, Brooke Stelly,
need a little bit of background in to understand other invariants of that there exist an exac0t s1equence of Franke, Maranda (Center for 2017 (MS): Gary DeClerk, Paula Veronica Telega, Claire Tunakan, Austin
algebra. Note that if you add, subtract, such modules, and first and foremost modules of the form Communications Research) Languages, Egging, Kody Holmes, Su Ji Hong, Eric Vornhagen, Bicheng Wang, Qingheng
and multiply polynomials, you get among these are the Betti numbers. geodesics, and HNN extensions, Mark Hopkins, Robert Huben, Vince Longo, Zhang, Xiaotian Zhang, Kaivuan Zhao
new polynomials. (You can’t, however, Betti numbers of modules are the · · · → Rβ1 → Rβ0 → M → 0, Brittenham and Susan Hermiller Aurora Marks, Amadeus Martin, JD
August 2017: Andrew Apprich, West-
divide them and expect a polynomial algebraic analogues of the invariants Nir, Matthew Reichenbach, Alyssa
McKain, Brent (National Indemnity, ley Carpenter, Jennifer Hamblin, Jaewon
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seminal work of David Hilbert. Two of form
41%
Hilbert’s most famous theorems, the
0 → k[x, x]1 → k[x, x]2 → k[x, x]1 →
Hilbert Basis Theorem and Hilbert’s 1 2 1 2 1 2 Over the past five years...
M → 0 27
Syzygy Theorem, both proved in 1890,
concern properties of polynomial so that its Betti numbers are
rings. These results ushered in a 115
new area of research in mathematics Figure 1. β0(M) = 1, β1(M) = 2, and β2(M) = 1. 27
now known as commutative algebra
The fact that this list is identical to of our Ph.D. graduates
(the word “commutative” here refers
the list of topological Betti numbers of
to the fact that the multiplication were women
the torus is no coincidence — there is a
is commutative in these rings) and
graduate students
very real sense in which the module M
thrives to this day. In fact, over the past
two years there have been a remarkable we have described here is an algebraic at Nebraska received students 29
representation of the torus.
number of breakthroughs on several
The Hilbert Basis Theorem internships nationwide conference talks presented
long-studied problems concerning
and the Hilbert Syzygy Theorem,
polynomial rings, with Walker’s result were given nationally posters at national
mentioned above, imply that
being among them.
Before going further, we firm up • the free modules occurring 12 students and internationally and international
in the minimal resolution of
ndoentaottioe nth ae b pito. lWyneo’lml leiat lk r[ixn1,g . i.n . , xn] Figure 2. M have finite rank, so that were awarded by our graduate students conferences graduate students
the variables x, . . . , x where the For example, the representation the list of Betti numbers of
1 n external grants published research papers
coefficients in front of the variables of the torus (see Figure 1) as the result See BETTI on Page 6
2 Fall 2017 www.math.unl.edu/friends www.math.unl.edu/friends Fall2017 15
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Graduate student Erica Miller was Program The award recognizes the
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selected as the winner of the pre- Committee, strengths of Miller’s work, but to
80% journal award for the 2017 SIGMAA along with help Miller prepare her paper for Lai leads NSF grant’s research team
90% on RUME conference for her paper, another senior publication in a high-quality outlet,
95% “A New Methodological Approach for researcher in the she has been paired with experienced
NSF MODULE(S2)
97% Examining Mathematical Knowledge field, reviewed mathematics educator Megan Wawro, A$ 2 million collaborative research
98% for Teaching at the Undergraduate Miller’s work and an associate professor at Virginia Tech grant from the National Science
Level: Utilizing Task Unfolding and suggested it for University, who has numerous refereed Foundation (NSF) aims to improve the to apply mathematical knowledge to
99% ProcessLin+ CognSiItGivMe DAeAm oann Rd.U”ME was formed Erica Miller cfoorn tshidee prraeti-on publiMcaitllieorn’ss .a ward will be presented mschatohoelm teaatcichaelr esd nuactaiotinowni odfe .f uture high utenadcheringrga. dMuaOteD cUoLuErs(eSw2)o erxka immipnaecst hs ow
in 2001 for the purpose of encouraging journal award. at the next annual conference of the Yvonne Lai, assistant professor pre-service teachers’ development
quality Research in Undergraduate Miller’s paper was selected for the SIGMAA on RUME at the annual of mathematics at the University of of MKT, as well as what makes for
Mathematics Education (RUME) and award because of its strong, clear and awards banquet. The conference will Nebraska-Lincoln, leads the research effective professional development for
its application and teaching practices. extensive support of all claims and the be held Feb. 22-24, 2018, in San Diego, team for this five-year grant, alongside instructors who teach these courses.
Members of the 2017 Conference potential importance to the field. California. collaborators from the Association of “The MODULE(S2) research
Public and Land-grant Universities, team will study the implementation
Eastern Michigan University, Middle of the curricula to determine how
Undergraduate Putnam Participants Grace Chisholm Young and Tennessee State University, the instructors make decisions based on
Tyler Bienhoff, Derek Chew, John William Henry Young Award University of Arizona, and Utah State data about their students’ responses
TRENT BALLARD/UNL
Chrostek, Alex Heitzman, Caprianna Ben Drabkin and Rachel Zigterman University. Yvonne Lai leads the research team for to mathematically rich teaching
Awards Keeler, Zachary Warneke, Xuehua Steven Haataja Award for Mathematics of Doing, NSF collaborative grant MODULE(S2), simulations,” Lai said. “Results will
(Diana) Zhong Understanding, Learning, and which aims to improve the mathematical be used, multiple times per year, to
Outstanding Exposition
Educating for Secondary Schools improve the MODULE(S2) materials
education of future high school teachers.
Renneman/Luebbers Scholarship Jessalyn Bolkema
Chair’s Prize Awarded to an (MODULE(S2)) will create curricular during Networked Improvement
Shannyn Bird
outstanding senior mathematics major Outstanding Qualifying Exam modules in four specific areas and next five years. At Nebraska, these Community revision cycles
Cashous Bortner Drusilla Winchester Scholarship Jie Kang investigate the impact of using materials will be tested in courses such throughout the project.”
Samuel Carrasco these modules, with the goal of as Math 407 and Math 408. This project builds on efforts
Special Scholarships Awards Walter Mientka Teaching Award
informing nationwide efforts in To teach mathematics well, by the Mathematics Teacher
Note: 48 scholarships were awarded Ruby Matzke Wittemore Kody Holmes
teacher education. This collaboration evidence shows that teachers need Education Partnership. Also, the
for the 2017-18 academic year. Scholarship
Outstanding First-Year Student coordinates a research team, a to possess understandings of content Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship
Yi Xie
Dean H and Floreen G Eastman Award professional development team, and that are specifically applied in the program is providing co-funding for
Memorial Scholars Dr. Hubert Schneider Scholarship Erica Musgrave curriculum writing teams. work of teaching, referred to as MODULE(S2) in recognition of its
(for Nebraska high school graduates) Yuance He The curricula in algebra, geometry, mathematical knowledge for teaching alignment with the broader teacher
Bill Leavitt Award
Moriah Barta, Derek Baumfalk, Sylvia and Hans Jeans Su Ji Hong modeling, and statistics will be piloted (MKT). To develop MKT, pre- preparation goals of the Noyce effort.
Nora Breen, John Chrostek, Grace by more than 40 institutions over the service teachers need opportunities –Lindsay Augustyn
Mathematics Scholarship
Dickas, Matthew Dunn, Julianne Faur, Lloyd Jackson Award
Henry Recker and Karl Shaffer
Elizabeth Galliart, Brandon Geren, Marla Williams
Alex Heitzman, Claire Henrichsen, Chancellor’s Scholars Sixth KUMUNUjr draws broader audience
Emeritus Faculty Fellowship
Chun Yin Ho, Ian Howell, Alexandra Andrew Peterson, Anna Rolf
Gary DeClerk and Mohsen Gheibi
Janvrin, James Janvrin, Zachary Keck,
Superior Scholars
Naomi Kirkvold, Jared Ott, Jacob Othmer Graduate Fellowship The sixth annual KUMUNUjr universities, it has grown to include • Jenny Kenkel - University of Utah
Jaron Ahmann, Terran Merriman-
Piccini, Ethan Romery, Lawrence Laila Awadalla conference was held April 8-9, participants from the University • Andrew McCrady - University of
Honerkamp
Seminario-Romero, Edwin Schooler, 2017, at the University of Nebraska- of Arkansas, Colorado State, the Missouri-Columbia
An Tran, Elizabeth Tyler, Elizabeth Graduate Staff Awards/News Lincoln. University of Utah, and West Virginia • Jonathan Montaño - University of
Vandergriend, Brook Verbik, Nicholas Inspired by the KUMUNU University, among others. Kansas
Verdoni, Collin Victor, Marc Wade, conference for commutative algebra This year the conference hosted • William Taylor - University of
Zach Warneke, Brady Wilkerson, Program Awards Nan Caijoined the department in (so named because the conference about 30 participants, including nine Arkansas
Caitlin Wilkins June 2017 as the computer systems rotates among the Universities of speakers with research interests in
• Ashley Wheeler - University of
specialist. Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska), the the areas of commutative algebra,
Irwin Dubinsky Memorial Scholars & Fellowships KUMUNUjr conference is designed algebraic geometry, local cohomology, Arnaksas
Tyler Bienhoff Tom Danaherearned an Applause • Andrew Windle - University of
to shine a spotlight on the ongoing and characteristic p methods:
Senior Honors Thesis and Award from the College of Arts and Nebraska
research efforts of graduate students • Andrew Bydlon - University of
Graduated with Distinction Chancellors Fellowship Sciences in April 2016 and also was and postdocs in commutative algebra Utah Funding for this conference was
(directed by): Erica Musgrave one of six recipients of the Annual
and related areas. • Alessandra Costantini - Purdue made possible by NSF grant DMS-
Christopher Beeman (Wendy Smith) Applause Award in December 2016.
Don Miller Award for Outstanding Although the conference University 1708544 and the Office of Graduate
Joel Stebbins Fund Scholarship Teaching by a Graduate Student Marilyn Johnson received an was initially attended mainly by • Zach Flores - Colarado State Studies.
Henry Bauer Andrew Becklin and Erica Miller Applause Award in September 2017. participants from Midwestern University –Seth Lindokken
14 Fall2017 www.math.unl.edu/friends www.math.unl.edu/friends Fall 2017 3
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CITY biotic and abiotic factors that would SSSSSSSSSSSSttttttttttttuuuuuuuuuuuuddddddddddddeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnntttttttttttt NNNNNNNNNNNNeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwssssssssssss 2%
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keep population size in check. In this 1%
five students, who choose their group partnership, we will be seeing the data 0/100%
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The small groups meet weekly with come up with and how we can use the
the instructor and also keep in regular information in future projects.”
contact with the local business partner. When Rebarber first taught the
Each team constructs a model course in Fall 2015, the students
that captures the prominent features partnered with Dr. Tucker Zeleny
of the proposed problem; populates of Husker Athletics. The students
the model with the data provided by analyzed college football scenarios of
the local collaborator, transformed as NEBRASKA GAME AND PARKS when to blitz, when to go for a two-
The crew applies a chemical called
necessary; analyzes the model using point conversion after a touchdown,
rotenone to Pawnee reservoir to
appropriate computer software; and and what to do on fourth down.
eradicate white perch and gizzard shad.
draws conclusions from the model “Some of the work the students did
S
that addresses the proposed problem. Medical Center, and original findings verified preliminary results that we had OTO
To conclude each project, the students resulted from the students’ efforts. previously found ourselves, and some of Y PH
prepare a detailed written report and “The first offering of the course it was quite original,” Zeleny said. “At the RTES
give a public presentation describing had a project that looked at the three time, our Sports Analytics department OU 4/21
C
their work in front of an audience key risk factors for heart disease. They was very new, so the extra manpower
of mathematics faculty members, used a sample set of data from a UCLA provided by the class to investigate a few Scholarship sends Schroeck back to China
undergraduate and graduate students, of our ideas was helpful. It’s always great
study. The students began analyzing
and the local collaborator. to get some fresh eyes on a problem,
the data in several different ways and
“Our Math in the City students wound up splitting the data by men and the students did not disappoint with Thrill rides on a tower, sailing on worked with people from England, classes in Nanjing, but found that the
and postdoc instructors become highly their creative approaches.” the Pearl River, and staying in a Cyprus, Angola, and Costa Rica. students’ knowledge of and ability to
versus women. The data didn’t match.
employable and more visible because Other local partners over the five-star hotel: These adventures were Schroeck was eager to return to China. speak Mandarin was their unifying
The three key factors were different for
they are doing something different. years have been Nebraska Global but a few of the things Alex Schroeck, “I revisited the Forbidden City, factor.
men versus women. UCLA didn’t split
People look at their applications more and Beehive, and city, county or a Nebraska undergraduate math major, Tiananmen, the Great Wall, ancient “The only common language I
the data this way, and therefore didn’t
carefully,” said Radu, the department’s state government offices, such as the experienced in his studies in China so temples, and even an abandoned have with my classmates is Mandarin,”
find those results,” Radu said.
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worked with big data?’” Pawlowski had taught before,” said postdoc Yuan security and stability of the United from each other by language. Schroeck in daily life.”
in the City workshops on campus to
said. “Because of Math in the City I Pei, who taught the course in Fall 2016. States. He arrived in China in May realized that these experiences were Schroeck took his learning into
share their materials and students’
was able to not only say yes, but also to “Once the semester started I could 2017 and will return to Nebraska in tastes of the real culture, which tourists his own hands when he reached out
presentations. See more at: http://www.
provide examples and situations that feel the passion, higher than any other July 2018. don’t usually get to see. to a graduate student to learn how to
math.unl.edu/~math-mitc/.
showed them I was capable of coping courses before, from students as they The Boren Award is sponsored Schroeck seized opportunities to discuss higher math in Chinese, giving
The current semester’s projects
and analyzing big data.” were eager to participate in real-world by the National Security Education get out of the hostels and explore as the student English lessons in return.
analyze the invasive species of white
Justine Yeo, one of the Fall 2012 project using math and statistics.” Program, which is a major federal often as he could, and he was rewarded “By the end of the year I expect I’ll
perch fish, with 30 years of data from
students, discovered how much she Each fall, the class is in high initiative to build a broader and more with some incredible experiences. be able to sit in on an undergraduate
Nebraska Game and Parks collected
enjoyed working with data, which demand, Radu said. Students enjoy qualified pool of U.S. citizens with Schroeck treated himself to a few math lecture in Chinese and be able to
from the Branched Oak reservoir.
led her to pursue a graduate degree taking the lead on the projects, which foreign language and international nights in a five-star hotel, since they follow along,” Schroeck said.
focusing on survey research and Professor Richard Rebarber, who is are related to current events. skills. Schroeck’s interactions with the are much cheaper in China than in Schroeck knows that his selection
statistics and become a statistical teaching this course for the second time, “I learned that real life can get Chinese exchange students at Nebraska the U.S. He also rode the Canton Sky for the Boren Award was only made
research analyst for the Nebraska said the students look at the following pretty messy. Learning this, ironically, complemented his classroom lessons, Drop on Canton Tower in Guangzhou, possible with the help of his friend and
Department of Education. questions: How do we control the white was also what I enjoyed most about the and provided him with an insight into climbed the White Cloud Mountain, mentor, Jia Lu, and his mathematics
“The majority of my time is spent perch? What is an evolutionary stable course,” Yeo said. “From working with cultural norms, the language, and the and sailed across the city on the Pearl professor, Yvonne Lai, who provided
on developing surveys, cleaning and strategy? and How will the fish respond imperfect data, to learning an entirely fostering of intercultural relationships. River. He even traveled to the small helpful advice while Schroeck was in
managing data, performing statistical to changes in the environment? new programming language, to finding Schroeck’s interests in math, city of Yulin, which is famous for its her Modern Algebra course.
analyses, creating reports, and “White perch are very problematic value in understanding real-world foreign language, and national security dog-meat festival. Schroeck never tried While in Nanjing, Schroeck said
presenting results to clients for making to our fisheries in eastern Nebraska,” circumstances, this course was worth have led him to study in China more the meat, but he was treated to other he was “having the time of his life” and
informed decisions,” Yeo said. said Aaron Blank of Nebraska Game five courses and more to me.” than once. He previously attained meals by citizens who had never seen a added, “I am thrilled to have received
The first project tackled in Math and Parks. “Because these fish are his Teaching English as a Foreign foreigner before. the Boren [Award] to make it all
Contact Radu if your business would be interested
in the City in 2006 was medical trial not in their historic range, they avoid in being a partner on a future project. Language certificate in Beijing, where Schroeck was one of three possible.”
analysis with the University of Nebraska their historic predators and other –Lindsay Augustyn he lived with Russian roommates and English-speaking students in his – Alli Davis
4 Fall 2017 www.math.unl.edu/friends www.math.unl.edu/friends Fall2017 13
atwnkenocgalalayelMBCY ---- ttttnnnnoooorrrrFFFF ---- 1111 ---- rrrrttttllllsssswwwwNNNN ttttnnnneeeemmmmttttrrrraaaappppeeeeDDDD hhhhttttaaaaMMMM ---- 4444111188884444----88881111
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50% Class Notes Fill out a career profile online UNL Department PI MU EPSILON LECTURE
60% http://www.math.unl.edu/survey of Mathematics
70% Where bridges, nanomechanics
75% Dan Augustyn (BS ’99)is using the Aerospace Corporation in El Section of the Mathematical
80% his experience in mathematics to Segundo, California, and provided Association of America. She
90% draft future NFL players. Of the technical support for the U.S. Air received the award in April for & Maxwell’s legacy meet
95% 796 names recognized by the Force Space Program. He sustained her great success in teaching
97% NFL Players Association as active a traumatic brain injury while mathematics. She is currently
98% agents, he is the only one certified in mountain biking in Colorado in teaching mathematics courses to The 11th Annual Pi Mu Epsilon
99% ProcessLin+ taOhnffie a cstetta oitnren Loeiynf cNaonelndb. r oaHwsiksna sa. dAAmuuggiruuassttitoyynnn Laisan wd 1bina9 tc9hk8e ,t otwe Nahicechbher rpasrs’ok camo apllentegdde r .he Hi-meen trhooa lsml ove fmUunitduivdreeler se-siltecymh ooefo nWlt saiprseyc cotienaasliicsnht sOe rassth akthnoeds h . StreiL nSeutcr oetuinnr euN woisva .ts h1 ge, i 2vC0ehn1a7 br.lye sD Nr.. IClelaanrka
love for the game started with his a broad background in tutoring She is described by her peers as “a Professor of Computer Science and
grandfather who played football at mathematics and physics. After dedicated teacher who is deeply Mathematics at Smith College. She
attaining his teaching certificate,
Northern Colorado and later went interested in the preparation of our became a fellow of the American
he spent five years at LPS tutoring
on to referee and coach in small future teachers.” One of her favorite Mathematical Society in 2012 and
math and physics to highly gifted
Nebraska and Kansas towns. Read things about teaching is helping has been awarded the 2010 Robbins
elementary and middle school
more in the April 28, 2017, Lincoln students overcome any fears they Prize of the American Mathematical
students. He worked for six months
Journal Star article: https://tinyurl. have about math; she considers Society as well as the 2004 Moisil
as an online tutor for tutor.com, and
it a great success when any of Prize of the Romanian Academy. In
com/y8ygfcmt. Dan lives in Lincoln
has also tutored college students
her students can tell her that they addition, she heads the Laboratory for
with his wife, Lindsay, and they have
face-to-face. He lives near his learned to love math because of her Research in Kinematics and Geometry,
two young sons who keep the family
parents’ farm in Avoca, but makes which combines her research in
class. Read more at: https://tinyurl.
busy with their love for soccer.
it to Lincoln almost once a week. com/y7vrhbax combinatorial and computational CORBIN GROOTHUIS/UNL MATH
He stays involved at the University geometry with biology and robotics. Eleven students were inducted into the Nebraska Alpha Chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon
Kurt Meyer (BS ’88)went
by participating in the German Following the induction of 11 (PME) on Nov. 1, 2017; seven of whom are pictured here. Back row, left to right:
on to earn his master’s degree
Speaking Table and tutoring ROTC Receive Math News via email new undergraduate members into Ileana Streinu (PME lecturer), Micah Holmes, Jared Ott, Lawrence Seminario-
in Astronautics from George
students. the Nebraska Alpha chapter of Pi Mu Romero (PME chapter president), Derek Chew, Xuehua (Diana) Zhong (PME
Washington University and a Ph.D. If you would prefer to get this newsletter in Epsilon, Streinu gave the 11th annual chapter vice-president), Alexandra Seceleanu (PME faculty advisor); front row: Zoe
in Physics from the University of Amy Parrott (Ph.D. ’09)is the your inbox instead of your mailbox, sign up Pi Mu Epsilon address “Maxwell’s Fu, Claire Kamas, Carolyn Davis, Nora Breen. Inductees not pictured: Shannyn Bird,
Colorado (’97.) He has worked recipient of the 2017 Distinguished Problem, 150 years later: from bridges Andrew Daehling, Michael Purcell, and Elizabeth Spaulding.
online at http://www.math.unl.edu/friends.
as an aerospace engineer for Teaching Award from the Wisconsin to nano-mechanics.”
respecting embeddings, Streinu and
While the physicist James
her collaborators were able to find a
Campaign Code: 1LA&S17-MATH Clerk Maxwell is best known for his family of designs for auxetic materials,
I want to support the Nebraska Department of Mathematics. contributions to electromagnetism, special structures that expand in
Maxwell the mathematician is notable a perpendicular direction as they
Name __________________________________________________________________________ for writing two geometry papers. are stretched. This property, while
Maxwell’s papers form the basis for somewhat rare in nature, is familiar to
Address _________________________________________________________________________
the study of bar and joint frameworks children worldwide as a property of
City _________________ State _____ ZIP __________ Country ____________________________ and the interplay between rigidity the Hoberman sphere, a colorful toy
E-mail ______________________________ Phone ______________________________________ and flexibility. These frameworks which expands from a star to a sphere
can be represented as graphs, and via movement in one direction.
o Enclosed is my check for $_______________. Please make check payable to the University of Nebraska Foundation. their rigidity or flexibility refer to the One of the important objectives
o Please charge $________________ to my: o Visa oMastercard o Discover oAmerican Express possible embeddings of the graphs of the Pi Mu Epsilon lecture series is
in space. While redundant rigidity is to provide an opportunity for math
desirable for architectural structures LINDSAY AUGUSTYN/UNL CSMCE major undergraduates to meet a
like bridges, flexibility is essential for Ileana Streinu, Professor of Computer distinguished professor from another
Card Number Exp. Date Signature
nano-structures appearing in biology. Science and Mathematics at Smith university who can provide a glimpse
o I would like my gift to support the Mathematics Department Fund. This is an expendable fund that is In fact, some flexible structures can College, gave the 11th annual Pi Mu into their area of mathematics. The
used to support department priorities such as faculty and student professional travel and outreach activities. model the behavior of viruses, which Epsilon address on Nov. 1, 2017. series is organized by the Nebraska
must have enough flexibility to release Alpha Chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon,
o I would like my gift to support the Math Teachers for the 21st Century Expendable Fund. This is an their toxic load. In dimensions 1 and Maxwell’s problem, now a 150-year- currently celebrating the 89th
expendable fund used for tuition fellowships for Nebraska mathematics teachers (K-12) for graduate courses. 2, a necessary and sufficient condition old problem, still open to this day. anniversary of its founding, and is
can be given for minimal rigidity Streinu also discussed her own supported by the Department of
Please mail your contribution to: University of Nebraska Foundation, 1010 Lincoln Mall, Suite 300, Lincoln, NE 68508
of frameworks based solely on the extension of this problem to infinite Mathematics and the Nebraska Math
density of edges. While this necessary periodic structures. By solving an Scholars program.
Contributions also can be made at http://www.math.unl.edu/department/giving
condition holds in higher dimensions, analogue of Maxwell’s problem – Corbin Groothuis
it is not sufficient, which leaves for period and symmetry group and Alexandra Seceleanu
12 Fall 2017 www.math.unl.edu/friends www.math.unl.edu/friends Fall 2017 5
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The fourth Career Perspectives Lec- an opportunity to Tapestry, which was designed to
ture was presented by department be an elementary support managed-care organizations.
alumna Lisa Amen on Feb. 23, 2017. and middle-school Amen explained in her
Amen delved into how mathematics mentor in math presentation to undergraduates how Early on in life, Jeremiah (Jerry) during the 1970s, sold many puzzles
Farrell discovered his passion to periodicals such as the Saturday
is used in her career in the health care and language she used math at Epic for logical
for experimentation. The Hastings, Evening Post and Los Angeles Times.
technology field. arts, and during problem solving, troubleshooting
Nebraska, native can recall blowing up “Then, in 1996, Will and I were at a
A Lincoln native, Lisa graduated her junior and (being able to evaluate multiple
a neighbor’s fence with a test apparatus party, and he reminded me of the 1980
from Lincoln East High School in 2008 senior years, she variables and test multiple inputs), and
that involved 10,000 volts when he was puzzle. I quickly prepared the 1996
and graduated with High Distinction was a mentor to explaining workarounds or solutions.
from Nebraska in 2012, majoring in Lisa Amen a second-grader, After nearly four years at Epic, in grade school. At the time, he found election puzzle and sent it to Will, who
chemistry and physics much more was now editor of the New York Times
mathematics and minoring in Spanish. fifth-grader and Amen left in February 2016 and
exciting than arithmetic. puzzle. He loved it and ran it and
While Amen said she did not declare sixth-grader in math as well as to a moved to the San Francisco Bay
While Farrell was a student praised it for many years.”
a major in mathematics until her sixth-grader in language arts. Area. She started working as a Project
majoring in mathematics, chemistry, The Election Day crossword was
junior year, she had been consistently After graduation, Amen Manager with Stanford Health Care
Colleagues Jeremiah Farrell and Steve
taking math classes because “they considered joining the Peace Corps or on the Advantage product. Stanford and physics at the University of discussed at length in Allan Connor’s 4/21
Bloom at the 2016 “Celebration of
Nebraska-Lincoln in the early 1960s, The Crossword Century. Farrell’s most
made sense, and I liked the sense of becoming a high school mathematics Health Care Advantage is a Medicare
Mind” at Butler University
he came under the influence of Martin recent puzzle ran in the MAA Journal
accomplishment I always felt at the teacher, but Epic, a privately held health plan currently offered to
end of a semester,” Amen said. healthcare software company, found Medicare beneficiaries residing in Gardner’s “Mathematical Games” been at them all. The 450 participants in May 2017 and was composed with
During her time at Nebraska, her resume on Husker Hire Link, Santa Clara County. Amen now works column in Scientific American exchange essays and puzzles. his current chairman Bill Johnston. See
Amen was a grader for the math requested to interview her, and on the business side rather than the magazine. An avid solver of crossword Since Gardner’s death in May the puzzle at: https://www.maa.org/
department, worked in the Math ultimately offered her a job. technical side. She manages projects puzzles, Farrell’s passion for puzzles 2010, Farrell has participated amm_supplements.
Resource Center on the weekends, and Epic, located just outside that will either increase membership and recreational mathematics took off. in another annual group called Farrell has written puzzles for
tutored trigonometry for a semester. Madison, Wisconsin, has four career volume or improve member Farrell, professor emeritus of “Celebration of Mind,” which meets all many other books and newspapers,
She also spent six weeks in Guatemala paths: Developer, Quality Assurance, experience with the plan. mathematics at Butler University in over the world to celebrate Gardner’s such as Scott Kim’s puzzle column
the summer after her sophomore year, Implementation Services, and This lecture series is funded by Indiana, maintains a vast personal birthday (Oct. 21, 1914). for Discover magazine. He also was
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mathematicians and physicists who right for having designed the 1996 professor Matt Maurer have done
integers, and Conjecture, 1970s).The Betti December 2016,
grew up in the years 1956 to 1981. “Election Day” crossword in The New much work with the Indiana School
• the list terminates after n + 1 numbers of a non-zero, finite length Walker presented a
“I have all of Gardner’s works, York Times. One of the words had the for the Blind, teaching the students
steps, where n is the number module M over the ring k[x , . . . , x ] proof of the Total
1 n signed by him, since he was 16 years clue “lead story tomorrow”, with the problem solving with mathematical
of variables. satisfy β(M) . Rank Conjecture
i old,” Farrell said. “This includes his answer being 14 letters long. However, games and puzzles. Farrell also has
Since by the binomial Theorem, when char(k) = 2
Thus, attached to any finite length earlier stories in Esquire and Humpty the puzzle had two correct solutions: been active for over 20 years in the
, the BEH Conjecture at a conference
module M over the ring k[x, . . . , x ] is Mark Walker Dumpty magazines.” One could be “Bob Dole elected”, annual International Puzzle Party.
1 n immediately suggests a weak version of in Oberwolfach,
a finite list of positive integers Farrell corresponded with and the other could be Bill “Clinton Farrell credits geometry for
it, which is sometimes called the “Total Germany. The paper presenting
Gardner in the 1970s, and Farrell and elected”. All of the “crossing” words showing him that mathematics could
(β(M), β(M), . . . , β (M))
0 1 n Rank Conjecture.” his solution, “Total Betti numbers his wife, Karen, visited Gardner 20 were designed such that they could be be as exciting as science experiments.
which describes, roughly, the sizes of Conjecture 0.2 (Avramov’s Total of modules of finite projective to 30 times. In the September 1980 one of two different words, to make “It was amazing to be able to
the various free modules needed to Rank Conjecture, 1985).The sum of dimension,” was published in Annals Scientific American, Gardner quoted either answer as needed. construct proofs on my own,” Farrell
build M. This stands in analogy (and it the Betti numbers of a non-zero, finite of Mathematics, one of the top Farrell on his invention of the term “I got the idea for an election- said. “In 1952, I obtained a copy of
is actually more that just an analogy) length module M over the ring journals in mathematics, in August “emirp” (an emirp is a prime whose day puzzle for the 1980 election, Kai Nielsen’s book ‘Problems of Plane
with the situation in topology, where a k[x, . . . , x ] satisfies . 2017. His paper can be viewed in full reversal is a prime). pitting Reagan against Carter, and Geometry’ and worked every problem
1 n
compact CW complex of dimension n UNL’s Lucho Avramov promoted here: https://arxiv.org/abs/1702.02560. In 1993, Farrell and his wife and composed one. I sent it to New York in it. In 1973, after I was teaching
can be built from finitely many cells of the notion that the weak form of the Those attending the joint meeting their late friend Tom Rodgers formed Times editor Eugene Maleska, but he at Butler, Dr. Nielsen became my
dimensions 0 through n. BEH Conjecture is actually the more of the AMS-MAA in January of 2018 the biannual “Gatherings for Gardner,” was concerned that the independent chairman and signed his book for me.
In the 1970s, David Buchsbaum plausible conjecture, in part because can learn more about Walker’s result in which meets in Atlanta and started candidate Anderson might win and I still have it.”
and David Eisenbud and, of its relationship with the well-known Craig Huneke’s talk “How Complicated as an invitation-only event for people so rejected it. I then sent it to Games For more on Farrell’s works see,
independently, Geoffrey Horrocks, Toral Rank Conjecture in topology. are Polynomials in Many Variables?” connected with Gardner. Next April Magazine but then editor Will Shortz https://works.bepress.com/jeremiah-
formulated a basic question about There was little progress on which is part of the Current Events will be the 13th meeting, and Farrell had already prepared that magazine’s farrell.
the smallest possible values of Betti either conjecture over the years, and Bulletin Session on Jan. 12. is one of about six persons who has November issue,” said Farrell, who, – Lindsay Augustyn
6 Fall 2017 www.math.unl.edu/friends www.math.unl.edu/friends Fall 2017 11
atwnkenocgalalayelMBCY ---- kkkkccccaaaaBBBB ---- 2222 ---- rrrrttttllllsssswwwwNNNN ttttnnnneeeemmmmttttrrrraaaappppeeeeDDDD hhhhttttaaaaMMMM ---- 4444111188884444----88881111
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80% Chair’s Circle Mr. and Mrs. Gary and Constance Mr. Jon Riecke Roger & that collapsed in a huge pile of rubble
90% (donors above $5,000) Gilbert Robert J. Schwabauer, Ph.D. would have killed us. Fortunately the
95% Mr. Brian T. Bares Gary F. Gruenhage, Ph.D. Dr. Gopi B. Shah Sylvia Wiegand’s physicists were on holiday.)
97% Ms. Linda J. Bors Mr. Ernest E. Haight Drs. David and Muriel Skoug Journal The Nepali students were
Ms. Rebecca Harbison Ms. Mary E. Sommermeyer and Dr. wonderful; they escorted us to an
98% Ms. Amy S. Bouska empty field near the math building,
Dr. and Mrs. Randall K. Heckman Earl S. Kramer
99% Mr. and Mrs. James and Julia then to a lunch (in a tent) only two
Mr. Jack Hullett Dr. Julia St. Goar
ProcessLin+ M r . DRiacvhiadrsdo nD. Hitz Mrs. Marilyn Johnson Mr. Bartholomew Z. Stephens and Ms. Nepal: Math hours after the first earthquake.
After four scary days (64
Dr. W. James Lewis and Ms. Doris Drs. Erica L. Johnson and Howard Christina F. Sposato
aftershocks in the first 24 hours) of
Lewis Skogman Mr. and Mrs. Travis and Angela Stiens & Mountains
camping outside, dropping to the
Mr. Richard P. Marshall, Jr. and Mrs. Ms. Shannon Kelly Dr. and Mrs. Mel and Rosemary
COURTESY PHOTO ground during major aftershocks, and
Mary E. Marshall Mr. Jack Kennell Thornton Long ago, longtime friend Jugal Sylvia and Roger Wiegand in Tadapani, avoiding buildings, we managed to
Mr. Conrad Rennemann, Jr. Minshin Lee Mrs. and Mr. Mary and Douglas Verma (Purdue Ph.D., now view of Annapurna South (7,273 m) catch a flight home.
Mrs. and Mr. Ann and Scott Liberman Wadman professor and dean at IIT–Mumbai) and Hiuchuli (6,441 m). Meanwhile, Francesco Pappalardi
Friends Steven P. Lindblad, Ph.D. Drs. Judy L. and Mark E. Walker
said if we were ever interested in climbing it, but decided that staying (Roma III) and Michel organized and
Mrs. and Mr. Darlene and Ronald Mr. and Mrs. Jackson and Victoria
Mr. and Mrs. Mark and Kelly Allison trekking in the Himalayas, to ask him alive is preferable.) Then a quick two- secured funding for the Nepal Algebra
Machacek Wang
Ms. Kay Batta about it. In 2013, we asked. day descent to Lukla (an hour’s flight Project (NAP), a six-year program
Dr. and Mrs. Jack L. Beal Mr. James Maciag Mr. and Mrs. Dean and Teresa Way His response: “Contact Michel from Kathmandu), retracing our steps (2016-2021) of yearly 10-week
Mrs. and Mr. Cindy and Douglas Dr. Joseph M. Mahaffy Mr. Matthew Wiedel Waldschmidt” (ultrarunner, climber, of the five-day ascent. The landing graduate courses on fields and Galois
Beaman Drs. Tom and Kate Marley Drs. Roger A. and Sylvia M. Wiegand and number theorist at Paris VI). strip in Lukla is one of the scariest in theory, divided into five two-week
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis and Rita Bonge Mr. and Mrs. Arthur and Susan Mr. Adam Wigington Michel’s response: “Contact Ajaya the world – less than 1,500 feet long modules. The course is part of the
Dr. and Mrs. John E. Boyer Jr. Mastera Dr. and Mrs. Gordon Woodward and Singh” (professor at Tribhuvan and inclined at an angle of 12 degrees. M-Phil program at Tribhuvan and also
Ms. Virginia Brokaw Mr. and Mrs. James and Carole Margaret Kaiser-Woodward University in Kathmandu). Ajaya Once the plane turns into the canyon, carries credit at Roma III.
Dr. and Mrs. Karl E. Byleen Maxwell Dr. Nora Youngs immediately invited us to give math there’s no turning back; you have to We taught the first module of Year
Dr. James M. Carraher and Mrs. Ms. Carol McShane talks at Tribhuvan and also contacted land at Lukla. 1 on May 8-20, 2016. The students
Janice A. Carraher Drs. John C. and Glory L. Meakin Contributions to the math Gyanu Maharjan, a Nepali graduate In 2015 we trekked before were engaged, asked good questions,
Drs. Olgur and Ela Celikbas, Ph.D. Ms. Allison Miller department funds can be made student in rural development and FIWCCA with both Ajaya and Gyanu. and worked hard on the assigned
Mr. and Mrs. Rodney and Susan Dr. Ben C. Nolting at http://www.math.unl.edu/ informal travel agent. Our goal was Gokyo Ri (17,600 feet), homework (graded by graduate
Chandler Ms. Judith Ogilvie department/giving or through In 2014, after a few delightful with some of the best views of the students in Rome). We taught on
Dr. Leo G. Chouinard II Lt. Col. James A. Okins the mail (see Page 12 for donation days at IIT–Mumbai, we moved Everest range. In Machhermo, still a Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
to fit in a quick trip to the Khumbu
Dr. Aaron D. and Mrs. Elizabeth K. Mrs. and Mr. Laura and Steve Parn form). We invite friends of the on to Kathmandu. Nobody knew day’s hike from our goal, Ajaya had
on Friday-Monday: a brisk hike up
Crabtree Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Susanne much algebra, so we just tried to mild altitude sickness. He checked out
department to contribute to an to Namche (normally two or three
Rajendra B. Dahal, Ph.D. Pearl communicate the beauty of the OK at the health post there but was
existing fund or to contact Chair days), then a circuit up to the so-called
Mr. Thomas Danaher Ms. Amanda Potts subject, omitting elaborate technical advised to take a rest day. The next
Tom Marley to discuss creating a Everest View Hotel (“Cloud View” that
Mrs. and Mr. Lisa and Timothy Davis Mr. Donald Pribil details. The audience was receptive, morning, 2 feet of new snow ended
Mr. Taylor Faulkner Ms. Julia Read-LaBelle and Mr. Peter new fund for a specific purpose. and Ajaya convinced us to organize our trek. day), over to the Village of Khumjung
(site of the famous Hillary School),
Mr. Jonathan Fisher R. LaBelle Thank you for supporting the the first International Workshop and FIWCCA attracted
then back to Namche. The next day,
Ms. Patricia Fisher Mr. and Mrs. Frederick and Margaret activities of the Nebraska Conference in Commutative Algebra mathematicians from the Czech
one hour into the long hike back to
Kasey D. Fowler-Finn, Ph.D. Rickers Department of Mathematics. (FIWCCA) at Tribhuvan in April 2015. Republic, India, Italy, Korea, UAE, and
Lukla, the clouds broke, and we had a
After our visit to Tribhuvan, we USA. Most speakers communicated
fabulous view of Everest. The clouds
followed a trek itinerary from Gyanu, interesting mathematics without
returned though, and planes were
Toundykov accepts position in ‘big data analytics’ up the Khumbu Gorge to Namche blowing away the audience. Jugal’s
not flying out of Lukla. Desperate to
Bazaar, a bustling town perched on talk was the last on the morning of
get back to our classes, we hired a
a hillside at about 11,500 feet with the last day of the conference, April
Daniel Toundykov, former associ- inference are founded in areas closely concerning robotics, hydrogeology, and helicopter for about a zillion dollars.
no access other than on foot, then 25. At 11:56, four minutes before
ate professor of mathematics, has related to my research background: aeroelasticity. He taught a variety of In October 2016, we trekked to
to Tengboche; we attended a service the scheduled end of his talk, a 7.8
accepted a position in the Management mathematical analysis, measure theory courses and advised Math Club along Gokyo Ri, and saw amazing views
in the famous monastery. Next earthquake struck, and over 9,000
Analytics unit at the State Employees’ and nonlinear optimization,” he said. with Nebraska’s Pi Mu Epsilon Chapter. of Everest and its satellites. Ajaya
stop: Pangboche (hot showers at people died in the catastrophe.
accompanied us again, along with
Credit Union in Raleigh, North Caro- Toundykov was at Nebraska for Toundykov will hold an adjunct
13,000 feet!), then up to Amadablam Miraculously, all 60 conference
Rosi Rissner, an algebraist from
lina. Toundykov said his new position 10 years, the first three as a postdoc. faculty status in the department to Basecamp (15,000 feet) — amazing participants escaped safely under the
Graz and a participant in our second
may be broadly described as “big data His research dealt with models, both remain on the Ph.D. committees of his views of Ama Dablam, one of the fragile-looking concrete canopy over
IWCCA, at Tribhuvan, Oct. 17-28. No
analytics.” theoretical and numerical, of elasto- students Jessie Jamieson and co-advisee iconic peaks of the range. (It is shaped the entrance to the math building.
earthquakes this time, but a stellar cast,
“In fact, despite it being a new field dynamics, acoustics and fluid flow, as Andrew Becklin. The department will like the Matterhorn, but half again as (If we had been physicists, a similar
NEPAL
for me, data analysis and statistical well as some application-related results miss him greatly. high. Roger had toyed with the idea of canopy on the nearby physics building See on Page 8
10 Fall 2017 www.math.unl.edu/friends www.math.unl.edu/friends Fall 2017 7
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Lewis named AWARDS AND PROMOTIONS of five years. on Jan. 10, 2018, at the AWM 2%
The term begins Reception and Award Ceremony at %
1
AAAS Fellow Professor of officially on Feb. 1, the Joint Mathematical Meetings in 0/100%
MSuasthaenm atics 2of0 T1r8u.s Ttehees B hoaasr d Sgaon.u Dnlie.egdou. /Rmeaadth m-aowrem a.t https:// Times4 P0.5PTimes1PTimesTimes2P2 PTimesTimes1 P4PTimes0.5 PTimes
Jim Lewis is one of four Nebraska Hermiller complete fiduciary
faculty members who has been was awarded responsibility Assistant
named a fellow of the American a Willa Cather for the Society. Professor of
Association for the Advancement of Professorship. Among Mathematics
Science, the largest Hermiller is a Judy Walker other activities, Alex Zupan
general scientific
leading expert the trustees determine the annual was awarded a
society in the Susan Hermiller
in geometric budget of the Society, prices of FIRST Award from
world. COURTESY PHOTO
Fellows are The Symposium for South Asian Women in Mathematics (group photo shown here group theory and has supervised journals, salaries of employees, dues Nebraska EPSCoR
selected by peers from October 2017) in Kathmandu, Nepal, at Tribhuvan University was organized nine Ph.D. students. She has been (in cooperation with the Council), in 2016. The FIRST
for scientifically by Sara Faridi (Dalhousie), Dhana Thapa (Tribhuvan) and Sylvia Wiegand. graduate chair of the department registration fees for meetings, and Alex Zupan Award program
since 2013. investment policy for the Society’s is designed to
or socially
distinguished NEPAL of trekkers joined the sunrise jaunt. reserves. Election results may be help early career faculty initiate
From Page 7 The Office of the
achievements that Then down, down, down – about found here: http://www.ams.org/ their research programs and
Jim Lewis Executive Vice
advance science or from Austria, Canada, France, Iran, 15,000 difficult, slippery, uneven steps Chancellor is about-us/governance/elections/ compete more effectively for NSF 4/21
its application. Lewis, Aaron Douglas Romania, Saudi Arabia, UAE, UK, and to a jeep, which drove us to Pokhara election-results. Walker, Aaron CAREER grants. Approximately
sponsoring the
Professor of Mathematics, was selected the USA. A few speakers hit the mark, and our 45-minute flight back to Douglas Professor of Mathematics, six FIRST Award grants (limited to
participation
for distinguished contributions but many talks were too high-level Kathmandu. The 80 miles and 80,000 is also Nebraska’s associate vice $25,000 each) are awarded each
of 10 faculty
to mathematics and mathematics for the local audience. If we do a third steps were murderous for us old folks chancellor for faculty and academic year. Zupan has used the funds to
education, particularly his leadership IWCCA we’ll try a “summer school” with bad knees and Roger with a members in the affairs. She previously held the provide summer research support
and ability to bring diverse model: a week of instruction followed Big Ten Academic position on an interim basis. Her
sprained ankle. for a graduate student and a
stakeholders together in support by a week of gentle research talks. Alliance duties are described at https://
Next, we attended the Symposium Tom Marley postdoc, fund summer REUs for two
of positive change in mathematics In May 2017 we taught Module II Leadership go.unl.edu/math-walker-avc.
for South Asian Women in students, and purchase a 3D printer
teaching and learning. Read more at of Year 2 (NAP) and had another quick Development program for the
Mathematics (SSAWM), organized by to make mathematical models of
https://go.unl.edu/math-aaas. trip to the mountains, this time to the 2017-18 academic year, including Sylvia Wiegand
Sara Faridi (Dalhousie), Dhana Thapa concepts related to his research. In
AHSJJDLaacesunniiwrsemuueiniscaaLstactrr aenoheyynw r a FRt22 is oos00D es fu11as eiEo75nlrrseuH. vdoa cLreas Rtcbdet otei.ew ho rasWc enisfaas o mtcD h(jr oNoti eehlE-iep Sncetd Fuhha euNtt)adec y i Na iarA NntA tiSoc ioSsoFftFns i,nt ni ahs igalnte a n ndt Arctrerhoaaoingnneauhn dgglbtdaeIe ecnpb., s nl iueotOno arsvctuunci lrettruaoeiwe dfaSbsupic aendlhon rdge i c2Pl nasta0youtuy 1soaien n7rnidrn, yi t.Husw h teAsheei la e a lAlet, a A ndrnAnjaennodnypnyas,nu lpeasiatdopduap uebrwun rlaryenann ada (goWttrrTrfai eerpNvia sbheteO l hoipssnuupu at vretcol h acw owAeenth seh)ulso aesca sa tranltrn on mdifdnae h,S agw ieBytn t hllyrospv-ape iagztaainhreir.le dtes,S d m-mCSi mnAta.ahctWotleauhu lwd MonPentoh adimw.ia Dn,ae sssn .a TatDyhuheoenneeaaidmpv rdl ea,ep srarMar stoapdmitfanpeieeedrrrsossnl sche xtoch iiymEopra, xm oiadderfteecse em uvpftlertyoaaiol vgro7tmethep5m et mO hBmdeeffiieengarnpt c t Tftaeico ecarhrrnsstr a,m t.e hiiEarnei as no ctfh haitfM(nAoha amreWas u tW AehbMgmseeous)membr oFaneacee lr intnla clioao cltiafmsiwn os t snehs d eo f 2FAMcoo0dacl1luadr7sbk,ie o tZBdiruo arRpitntaeiotsanene lnw a grhrarceaashs nma eGtwa:r aSroircumdhpeo dggn rsraa annn tN.tSsF: Plate Control Strip© Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG 2013V15.0i (pdf)SuprasetterHeidelbergSaphira Thermal Plate Chemfree 101
P-12 Education Interagency Working Basecamp, with throngs of trekkers all the Czech Republic, Italy, and Iran. leadership development seminar. Sylvia Wiegand Program, which Mikil Foss and Petronela Radu:
Read more at https://go.unl.edu/ recognizes joint NSF investigator grant
Group, tasked with coordinating clamoring for the best views, then a Stay tuned! In Spring 2018, we teach
math-bigten. individuals who have demonstrated
efforts to improve P-12 STEM tough three days across to Ghorepani NAP Module I; we may try the “Three Brian Harbourne: Simons
a sustained commitment to the
instruction through efforts across and Poon Hill; amazing views indeed. Passes” trek and high point of Kala collaboration grant
Judy Walkerhas been elected support and advancement of
federal agencies. We were not alone: many hundreds Patthar (18,500 feet). Wish us luck!
as a Trustee of the American women in the mathematical Adam Larios: NSF individual
Mathematical Society for a term sciences. Wiegand will be honored investigator grant
CHAIR for our staff. And you’ll catch up on success, providing scholarships for our
From Page 1
some of the marvelous activities and students, helping support our outreach
NEW POSTDOCS in mathematics from the University of University
The point being, every member of career trajectories of our alumni. Do programs, providing funds for student
Genova. He earned a master’s degree (Ankara). She
our team is critical to the department’s you know what an “emirp” is, and awards, and supporting travel for
success, and I believe this message who first coined the term? If not, read students and faculty to meetings and Alessandro from the University of Kansas, and has held postdoc
comes through in this newsletter. Lindsay Augustyn’s wonderful profile conferences. One of the true joys of De Stefani his Ph.D. in mathematics from the positions at the
In these pages you’ll read about of alumnus Jerry Farrell on Page 11. this job is the opportunity to visit with University of Virginia. His research University of
national honors bestowed on our It truly is a pleasure to lead such an alumni and friends of the department. Dale Jansen interests are in commutative algebra, Virginia and
faculty, in addition to cutting-edge outstanding department and alumni If you plan to be on campus in the Postdoctoral with particular focus on singularities Politecnico di
research and innovative curriculum community. future and wish to stop by Avery Hall, Fellow Alessandro and methods in positive characteristic. Milano (Italy).
development made by members of Lastly, I would like to give a warm I would be more than happy to visit De Stefani was Pelin Güven Geredeli Pelin’s research
our department. You’ll learn about “thank you’’ to all of our generous with you and show you around the born and raised interests concern
the achievements and experiences friends for their many donations, department. in Genova, Italy. Pelin Güven Geredeli, originally the longtime and qualitative behavior
of our students, both undergraduate both large and small, over the years. I wish you all happy holidays and He earned a from Ankara, Turkey, obtained her of linear and nonlinear systems of
and graduate, as well as recognition Your contributions are critical to our best wishes for 2018. bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree Ph.D. in mathematics from Hacettepe partial differential equations.
8 Fall 2017 www.math.unl.edu/friends www.math.unl.edu/friends Fall 2017 9
atwnkenocgalalayelMBCY ---- ttttnnnnoooorrrrFFFF ---- 2222 ---- rrrrttttllllsssswwwwNNNN ttttnnnneeeemmmmttttrrrraaaappppeeeeDDDD hhhhttttaaaaMMMM ---- 4444111188884444----88881111
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{
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Lewis named AWARDS AND PROMOTIONS of five years. on Jan. 10, 2018, at the AWM 2%
The term begins Reception and Award Ceremony at %
1
AAAS Fellow Professor of officially on Feb. 1, the Joint Mathematical Meetings in 0/100%
MSuasthaenm atics 2of0 T1r8u.s Ttehees B hoaasr d Sgaon.u Dnlie.egdou. /Rmeaadth m-aowrem a.t https:// Times4 P0.5PTimes1PTimesTimes2P2 PTimesTimes1 P4PTimes0.5 PTimes
Jim Lewis is one of four Nebraska Hermiller complete fiduciary
faculty members who has been was awarded responsibility Assistant
named a fellow of the American a Willa Cather for the Society. Professor of
Association for the Advancement of Professorship. Among Mathematics
Science, the largest Hermiller is a Judy Walker other activities, Alex Zupan
general scientific
leading expert the trustees determine the annual was awarded a
society in the Susan Hermiller
in geometric budget of the Society, prices of FIRST Award from
world. COURTESY PHOTO
Fellows are The Symposium for South Asian Women in Mathematics (group photo shown here group theory and has supervised journals, salaries of employees, dues Nebraska EPSCoR
selected by peers from October 2017) in Kathmandu, Nepal, at Tribhuvan University was organized nine Ph.D. students. She has been (in cooperation with the Council), in 2016. The FIRST
for scientifically by Sara Faridi (Dalhousie), Dhana Thapa (Tribhuvan) and Sylvia Wiegand. graduate chair of the department registration fees for meetings, and Alex Zupan Award program
since 2013. investment policy for the Society’s is designed to
or socially
distinguished NEPAL of trekkers joined the sunrise jaunt. reserves. Election results may be help early career faculty initiate
From Page 7 The Office of the
achievements that Then down, down, down – about found here: http://www.ams.org/ their research programs and
Jim Lewis Executive Vice
advance science or from Austria, Canada, France, Iran, 15,000 difficult, slippery, uneven steps Chancellor is about-us/governance/elections/ compete more effectively for NSF 4/21
its application. Lewis, Aaron Douglas Romania, Saudi Arabia, UAE, UK, and to a jeep, which drove us to Pokhara election-results. Walker, Aaron CAREER grants. Approximately
sponsoring the
Professor of Mathematics, was selected the USA. A few speakers hit the mark, and our 45-minute flight back to Douglas Professor of Mathematics, six FIRST Award grants (limited to
participation
for distinguished contributions but many talks were too high-level Kathmandu. The 80 miles and 80,000 is also Nebraska’s associate vice $25,000 each) are awarded each
of 10 faculty
to mathematics and mathematics for the local audience. If we do a third steps were murderous for us old folks chancellor for faculty and academic year. Zupan has used the funds to
education, particularly his leadership IWCCA we’ll try a “summer school” with bad knees and Roger with a members in the affairs. She previously held the provide summer research support
and ability to bring diverse model: a week of instruction followed Big Ten Academic position on an interim basis. Her
sprained ankle. for a graduate student and a
stakeholders together in support by a week of gentle research talks. Alliance duties are described at https://
Next, we attended the Symposium Tom Marley postdoc, fund summer REUs for two
of positive change in mathematics In May 2017 we taught Module II Leadership go.unl.edu/math-walker-avc.
for South Asian Women in students, and purchase a 3D printer
teaching and learning. Read more at of Year 2 (NAP) and had another quick Development program for the
Mathematics (SSAWM), organized by to make mathematical models of
https://go.unl.edu/math-aaas. trip to the mountains, this time to the 2017-18 academic year, including Sylvia Wiegand
Sara Faridi (Dalhousie), Dhana Thapa concepts related to his research. In
AHSJJDLaacesunniiwrsemuueiniscaaLstactrr aenoheyynw r a FRt22 is oos00D es fu11as eiEo75nlrrseuH. vdoa cLreas Rtcbdet otei.ew ho rasWc enisfaas o mtcD h(jr oNoti eehlE-iep Sncetd Fuhha euNtt)adec y i Na iarA NntA tiSoc ioSsoFftFns i,nt ni ahs igalnte a n ndt Arctrerhoaaoingnneauhn dgglbtdaeIe ecnpb., s nl iueotOno arsvctuunci lrettruaoeiwe dfaSbsupic aendlhon rdge i c2Pl nasta0youtuy 1soaien n7rnidrn, yi t.Husw h teAsheei la e a lAlet, a A ndrnAnjaennodnypnyas,nu lpeasiatdopduap uebrwun rlaryenann ada (goWttrrTrfai eerpNvia sbheteO l hoipssnuupu at vretcol h acw owAeenth seh)ulso aesca sa tranltrn on mdifdnae h,S agw ieBytn t hllyrospv-ape iagztaainhreir.le dtes,S d m-mCSi mnAta.ahctWotleauhu lwd MonPentoh adimw.ia Dn,ae sssn .a TatDyhuheoenneeaaidmpv rdl ea,ep srarMar stoapdmitfanpeieeedrrrsossnl sche xtoch iiymEopra, xm oiadderfteecse em uvpftlertyoaaiol vgro7tmethep5m et mO hBmdeeffiieengarnpt c t Tftaeico ecarhrrnsstr a,m t.e hiiEarnei as no ctfh haitfM(nAoha amreWas u tW AehbMgmseeous)membr oFaneacee lr intnla clioao cltiafmsiwn os t snehs d eo f 2FAMcoo0dacl1luadr7sbk,ie o tZBdiruo arRpitntaeiotsanene lnw a grhrarceaashs nma eGtwa:r aSroircumdhpeo dggn rsraa annn tN.tSsF: Plate Control Strip© Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG 2013V15.0i (pdf)SuprasetterHeidelbergSaphira Thermal Plate Chemfree 101
P-12 Education Interagency Working Basecamp, with throngs of trekkers all the Czech Republic, Italy, and Iran. leadership development seminar. Sylvia Wiegand Program, which Mikil Foss and Petronela Radu:
Read more at https://go.unl.edu/ recognizes joint NSF investigator grant
Group, tasked with coordinating clamoring for the best views, then a Stay tuned! In Spring 2018, we teach
math-bigten. individuals who have demonstrated
efforts to improve P-12 STEM tough three days across to Ghorepani NAP Module I; we may try the “Three Brian Harbourne: Simons
a sustained commitment to the
instruction through efforts across and Poon Hill; amazing views indeed. Passes” trek and high point of Kala collaboration grant
Judy Walkerhas been elected support and advancement of
federal agencies. We were not alone: many hundreds Patthar (18,500 feet). Wish us luck!
as a Trustee of the American women in the mathematical Adam Larios: NSF individual
Mathematical Society for a term sciences. Wiegand will be honored investigator grant
CHAIR for our staff. And you’ll catch up on success, providing scholarships for our
From Page 1
some of the marvelous activities and students, helping support our outreach
NEW POSTDOCS in mathematics from the University of University
The point being, every member of career trajectories of our alumni. Do programs, providing funds for student
Genova. He earned a master’s degree (Ankara). She
our team is critical to the department’s you know what an “emirp” is, and awards, and supporting travel for
success, and I believe this message who first coined the term? If not, read students and faculty to meetings and Alessandro from the University of Kansas, and has held postdoc
comes through in this newsletter. Lindsay Augustyn’s wonderful profile conferences. One of the true joys of De Stefani his Ph.D. in mathematics from the positions at the
In these pages you’ll read about of alumnus Jerry Farrell on Page 11. this job is the opportunity to visit with University of Virginia. His research University of
national honors bestowed on our It truly is a pleasure to lead such an alumni and friends of the department. Dale Jansen interests are in commutative algebra, Virginia and
faculty, in addition to cutting-edge outstanding department and alumni If you plan to be on campus in the Postdoctoral with particular focus on singularities Politecnico di
research and innovative curriculum community. future and wish to stop by Avery Hall, Fellow Alessandro and methods in positive characteristic. Milano (Italy).
development made by members of Lastly, I would like to give a warm I would be more than happy to visit De Stefani was Pelin Güven Geredeli Pelin’s research
our department. You’ll learn about “thank you’’ to all of our generous with you and show you around the born and raised interests concern
the achievements and experiences friends for their many donations, department. in Genova, Italy. Pelin Güven Geredeli, originally the longtime and qualitative behavior
of our students, both undergraduate both large and small, over the years. I wish you all happy holidays and He earned a from Ankara, Turkey, obtained her of linear and nonlinear systems of
and graduate, as well as recognition Your contributions are critical to our best wishes for 2018. bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree Ph.D. in mathematics from Hacettepe partial differential equations.
8 Fall 2017 www.math.unl.edu/friends www.math.unl.edu/friends Fall 2017 9
atwnkenocgalalayelMBCY ---- ttttnnnnoooorrrrFFFF ---- 2222 ---- rrrrttttllllsssswwwwNNNN ttttnnnneeeemmmmttttrrrraaaappppeeeeDDDD hhhhttttaaaaMMMM ---- 4444111188884444----88881111
11118888----4444888811114444 ---- MMMMaaaatttthhhh DDDDeeeeppppaaaarrrrttttmmmmeeeennnntttt NNNNwwwwssssllllttttrrrr ---- 2222 ---- BBBBaaaacccckkkk ---- BCMYelyaalaglconekwnta
S
aphira Thermal Plate Chemfree 101HeidelbergSuprasetterV15.0i (pdf)© Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG 2013Plate Control Strip
4/21
Times4P0.5 PTimes1 PTimesTimes2 P2PTimesTimes4 P1PTimes0.5PTimes
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1%
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50% ThThThThThThThThThThThThThThThThThThThaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu tttttttttttttttttttooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnooooooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrsssssssssssssssssss FFFFFFFFFFFFaaaaaaaaaaaaccccccccccccuuuuuuuuuuuullllllllllllttttttttttttyyyyyyyyyyyy NNNNNNNNNNNNeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwssssssssssss
60%
70%
75%
80% Chair’s Circle Mr. and Mrs. Gary and Constance Mr. Jon Riecke Roger & that collapsed in a huge pile of rubble
90% (donors above $5,000) Gilbert Robert J. Schwabauer, Ph.D. would have killed us. Fortunately the
95% Mr. Brian T. Bares Gary F. Gruenhage, Ph.D. Dr. Gopi B. Shah Sylvia Wiegand’s physicists were on holiday.)
97% Ms. Linda J. Bors Mr. Ernest E. Haight Drs. David and Muriel Skoug Journal The Nepali students were
Ms. Rebecca Harbison Ms. Mary E. Sommermeyer and Dr. wonderful; they escorted us to an
98% Ms. Amy S. Bouska empty field near the math building,
Dr. and Mrs. Randall K. Heckman Earl S. Kramer
99% Mr. and Mrs. James and Julia then to a lunch (in a tent) only two
Mr. Jack Hullett Dr. Julia St. Goar
ProcessLin+ M r . DRiacvhiadrsdo nD. Hitz Mrs. Marilyn Johnson Mr. Bartholomew Z. Stephens and Ms. Nepal: Math hours after the first earthquake.
After four scary days (64
Dr. W. James Lewis and Ms. Doris Drs. Erica L. Johnson and Howard Christina F. Sposato
aftershocks in the first 24 hours) of
Lewis Skogman Mr. and Mrs. Travis and Angela Stiens & Mountains
camping outside, dropping to the
Mr. Richard P. Marshall, Jr. and Mrs. Ms. Shannon Kelly Dr. and Mrs. Mel and Rosemary
COURTESY PHOTO ground during major aftershocks, and
Mary E. Marshall Mr. Jack Kennell Thornton Long ago, longtime friend Jugal Sylvia and Roger Wiegand in Tadapani, avoiding buildings, we managed to
Mr. Conrad Rennemann, Jr. Minshin Lee Mrs. and Mr. Mary and Douglas Verma (Purdue Ph.D., now view of Annapurna South (7,273 m) catch a flight home.
Mrs. and Mr. Ann and Scott Liberman Wadman professor and dean at IIT–Mumbai) and Hiuchuli (6,441 m). Meanwhile, Francesco Pappalardi
Friends Steven P. Lindblad, Ph.D. Drs. Judy L. and Mark E. Walker
said if we were ever interested in climbing it, but decided that staying (Roma III) and Michel organized and
Mrs. and Mr. Darlene and Ronald Mr. and Mrs. Jackson and Victoria
Mr. and Mrs. Mark and Kelly Allison trekking in the Himalayas, to ask him alive is preferable.) Then a quick two- secured funding for the Nepal Algebra
Machacek Wang
Ms. Kay Batta about it. In 2013, we asked. day descent to Lukla (an hour’s flight Project (NAP), a six-year program
Dr. and Mrs. Jack L. Beal Mr. James Maciag Mr. and Mrs. Dean and Teresa Way His response: “Contact Michel from Kathmandu), retracing our steps (2016-2021) of yearly 10-week
Mrs. and Mr. Cindy and Douglas Dr. Joseph M. Mahaffy Mr. Matthew Wiedel Waldschmidt” (ultrarunner, climber, of the five-day ascent. The landing graduate courses on fields and Galois
Beaman Drs. Tom and Kate Marley Drs. Roger A. and Sylvia M. Wiegand and number theorist at Paris VI). strip in Lukla is one of the scariest in theory, divided into five two-week
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis and Rita Bonge Mr. and Mrs. Arthur and Susan Mr. Adam Wigington Michel’s response: “Contact Ajaya the world – less than 1,500 feet long modules. The course is part of the
Dr. and Mrs. John E. Boyer Jr. Mastera Dr. and Mrs. Gordon Woodward and Singh” (professor at Tribhuvan and inclined at an angle of 12 degrees. M-Phil program at Tribhuvan and also
Ms. Virginia Brokaw Mr. and Mrs. James and Carole Margaret Kaiser-Woodward University in Kathmandu). Ajaya Once the plane turns into the canyon, carries credit at Roma III.
Dr. and Mrs. Karl E. Byleen Maxwell Dr. Nora Youngs immediately invited us to give math there’s no turning back; you have to We taught the first module of Year
Dr. James M. Carraher and Mrs. Ms. Carol McShane talks at Tribhuvan and also contacted land at Lukla. 1 on May 8-20, 2016. The students
Janice A. Carraher Drs. John C. and Glory L. Meakin Contributions to the math Gyanu Maharjan, a Nepali graduate In 2015 we trekked before were engaged, asked good questions,
Drs. Olgur and Ela Celikbas, Ph.D. Ms. Allison Miller department funds can be made student in rural development and FIWCCA with both Ajaya and Gyanu. and worked hard on the assigned
Mr. and Mrs. Rodney and Susan Dr. Ben C. Nolting at http://www.math.unl.edu/ informal travel agent. Our goal was Gokyo Ri (17,600 feet), homework (graded by graduate
Chandler Ms. Judith Ogilvie department/giving or through In 2014, after a few delightful with some of the best views of the students in Rome). We taught on
Dr. Leo G. Chouinard II Lt. Col. James A. Okins the mail (see Page 12 for donation days at IIT–Mumbai, we moved Everest range. In Machhermo, still a Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
to fit in a quick trip to the Khumbu
Dr. Aaron D. and Mrs. Elizabeth K. Mrs. and Mr. Laura and Steve Parn form). We invite friends of the on to Kathmandu. Nobody knew day’s hike from our goal, Ajaya had
on Friday-Monday: a brisk hike up
Crabtree Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Susanne much algebra, so we just tried to mild altitude sickness. He checked out
department to contribute to an to Namche (normally two or three
Rajendra B. Dahal, Ph.D. Pearl communicate the beauty of the OK at the health post there but was
existing fund or to contact Chair days), then a circuit up to the so-called
Mr. Thomas Danaher Ms. Amanda Potts subject, omitting elaborate technical advised to take a rest day. The next
Tom Marley to discuss creating a Everest View Hotel (“Cloud View” that
Mrs. and Mr. Lisa and Timothy Davis Mr. Donald Pribil details. The audience was receptive, morning, 2 feet of new snow ended
Mr. Taylor Faulkner Ms. Julia Read-LaBelle and Mr. Peter new fund for a specific purpose. and Ajaya convinced us to organize our trek. day), over to the Village of Khumjung
(site of the famous Hillary School),
Mr. Jonathan Fisher R. LaBelle Thank you for supporting the the first International Workshop and FIWCCA attracted
then back to Namche. The next day,
Ms. Patricia Fisher Mr. and Mrs. Frederick and Margaret activities of the Nebraska Conference in Commutative Algebra mathematicians from the Czech
one hour into the long hike back to
Kasey D. Fowler-Finn, Ph.D. Rickers Department of Mathematics. (FIWCCA) at Tribhuvan in April 2015. Republic, India, Italy, Korea, UAE, and
Lukla, the clouds broke, and we had a
After our visit to Tribhuvan, we USA. Most speakers communicated
fabulous view of Everest. The clouds
followed a trek itinerary from Gyanu, interesting mathematics without
returned though, and planes were
Toundykov accepts position in ‘big data analytics’ up the Khumbu Gorge to Namche blowing away the audience. Jugal’s
not flying out of Lukla. Desperate to
Bazaar, a bustling town perched on talk was the last on the morning of
get back to our classes, we hired a
a hillside at about 11,500 feet with the last day of the conference, April
Daniel Toundykov, former associ- inference are founded in areas closely concerning robotics, hydrogeology, and helicopter for about a zillion dollars.
no access other than on foot, then 25. At 11:56, four minutes before
ate professor of mathematics, has related to my research background: aeroelasticity. He taught a variety of In October 2016, we trekked to
to Tengboche; we attended a service the scheduled end of his talk, a 7.8
accepted a position in the Management mathematical analysis, measure theory courses and advised Math Club along Gokyo Ri, and saw amazing views
in the famous monastery. Next earthquake struck, and over 9,000
Analytics unit at the State Employees’ and nonlinear optimization,” he said. with Nebraska’s Pi Mu Epsilon Chapter. of Everest and its satellites. Ajaya
stop: Pangboche (hot showers at people died in the catastrophe.
accompanied us again, along with
Credit Union in Raleigh, North Caro- Toundykov was at Nebraska for Toundykov will hold an adjunct
13,000 feet!), then up to Amadablam Miraculously, all 60 conference
Rosi Rissner, an algebraist from
lina. Toundykov said his new position 10 years, the first three as a postdoc. faculty status in the department to Basecamp (15,000 feet) — amazing participants escaped safely under the
Graz and a participant in our second
may be broadly described as “big data His research dealt with models, both remain on the Ph.D. committees of his views of Ama Dablam, one of the fragile-looking concrete canopy over
IWCCA, at Tribhuvan, Oct. 17-28. No
analytics.” theoretical and numerical, of elasto- students Jessie Jamieson and co-advisee iconic peaks of the range. (It is shaped the entrance to the math building.
earthquakes this time, but a stellar cast,
“In fact, despite it being a new field dynamics, acoustics and fluid flow, as Andrew Becklin. The department will like the Matterhorn, but half again as (If we had been physicists, a similar
NEPAL
for me, data analysis and statistical well as some application-related results miss him greatly. high. Roger had toyed with the idea of canopy on the nearby physics building See on Page 8
10 Fall 2017 www.math.unl.edu/friends www.math.unl.edu/friends Fall 2017 7