Fractions can quite literally serve as a puzzling component of mathematics. One of the reasons fractions are perceived to be difficult is what members of the math community call gap reasoning. Gap reasoning can limit students’ understanding of the problem. The method leads students to assess distances as equal by appearance over measurements. In their paper “Escaping … [Read more...] about Minding the gap to take the frustration out of fractions
Dr. William Bray, department head of mathematics, had a couple of productive years. In addition to his department duties, teaching classes and advising students, Bray has also published three papers. Old friends, new papers Bray collaborated with Dr. Boris Rubin, from Louisiana State University, for two of the papers. Bray has known Rubin for more than 20 years, having … [Read more...] about A scholarly year for our math department head
Sabrina Klement, a senior applied mathematics major, attended the Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics Jan. 25-27. This conference focused on how much women could do in a male-dominated field. Klement learned from both students and professors that presented. It also gave Klement new ideas on research. “Seeing examples of possible research … [Read more...] about Women in STEM: Mathematics edition
When we think back 20 years ago, we couldn’t imagine what we would have accomplished with technology. With advancement comes new snags and problems to address and fix. Dr. Xingping Sun, professor of mathematics, studies the combination of his first love, mathematics and his second, computer science. Hand in hand, Sun explores the effects they have on each … [Read more...] about Use math to learn about computer science
Every November, Missouri State University hosts one of few undergraduate mathematics conferences. MAKO, or Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma, is designed for students from all four states to share their research. Originally started as a National Science Foundation grant in 2005, it has grown into something much bigger. It started with five schools: MSU, College … [Read more...] about Students from neighboring states share love of mathematics