Mathematical Association of America
Allegheny Mountain Section
Serving Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia
Spring 2015 Meeting
April 10-11, 2015
Washington and Jefferson College
Washington, PA
Local Organizer
Meeting Information
Meeting Program
Student Talk Schedule and Abstacts of Student Talks (Friday)
Faculty Talk Schedule and Abstracts of Faculty Talks (Saturday)
Invited Speakers
- Barbara Faires, Westminster College and MAA
- Talk Title: "The First 100 Years"
- Abstract: On December 31, 1915, 104 delegates voted to form the Mathematical Association of America and the Monthly was formally transferred to the MAA. The mast head of volume 23, January 1916, issue reads: The American Mathematical Monthly, official journal of the Mathematical Association of America. In this talk, I will use The Monthly as a lens for highlighting the life of the MAA over these first 100 years.
- Dave Kung, St. Mary's College of Maryland
- Talk Title: "Harmonious Equations: A Mathematical Exploration of Music"
- Abstract: Mathematics and music seem to come from different spheres (arts and sciences), yet they share an amazing array of commonalities. We will explore these connections by examining the musical experience from a mathematical perspective. The mathematical study of a single vibrating string unlocks a world of musical overtones and harmonics-and even explains why a clarinet plays so much lower than its similar-sized cousin the flute. Calculus, and the related field of differential equations, shows us how our ears hear differences between two instruments-what musicians call timbre-even when they play the same note at the same loudness. Finally, abstract algebra gives modern language to the structures beneath the surface of Bach's magnificent canons and fugues. Throughout the talk, mathematical concepts will come to life with musical examples played by the speaker, an amateur violinist.
- Ron Wasserstein, American Statistical Association
- Talk Title: "Living with the Improbability Principle"
- Abstract: "The Improbability Principle: Why Coincidences, Miracles, and Rare Events Happen Every Day" is a stimulating 2014 book by distinguished statistician David Hand. Ron Wasserstein, Executive Director of the American Statistical Association, will talk about how this principle affects our lives and perspectives, the surprising ways in which our notions of such things as probability and coincidence can mislead us, and the dismaying realization that understanding this principle better does not necessarily change our thinking."
Registration
**Online registration is now closed. You can still register for the conference onsite.
Hotel Information and Driving Directions
There are several hotels available, but the blocks of rooms are only being held until mid-March (see hotel webpage for actual deadlines). If you haven't reserved your room already, make sure to book your room as soon as possible!
Hotel Information
Driving Directions
Parking and Campus Map
**Click on the map for a larger, printer-friendly version.
Allegheny Mountain Section
of the MAA
