| Description |
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The Undergraduate Mathematics Research Conference at Towson is a one-day meeting designed to promote undergraduate research in mathematics by showcasing completed original research, selected expository presentations, as well as research projects in progress. If you are an undergraduate student or a high-school student, you are welcome to attend the conference (with or without a talk). If you have participated in an original research project, you are invited to give a presentation about your research. The web page Advice for Presenters offers information about the length of the talk, the physical facilities, and some links to website for helpful hints in preparing your presentation.
In addition to student presentations, the conference features two invited faculty
talks and a panel on career opportunities in government, industry, and academia.
| Information |
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Location: 7800 York Road, Towson University, Towson MD
Time:10 am -- 5:30 pm
Registration starts at 9am.
Please fill out the online registration form if you are planning to attend.
Organizers: Sergiy Borodachov (sborodachov@towson.edu), Alexei Kolesnikov (akolesnikov@towson.edu), Nathan McNew (nmcnew@towson.edu)
| Plenary Speakers |
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Title: Nonstandard Finite Difference Schemes for a Nonlinear World
Abstract: Many real-world phenomena tend to be modeled via nonlinear models. In the late 1980's, Ronald Mickens of Clark Atlanta University introduced the concept of a nonstandard finite difference scheme (NSFD) as a methodology which would best approximate solutions to systems of nonlinear differential equations. This talk will uncover how to construct NSFD schemes for various nonlinear models, including the well-known models for the spread of a disease models and the model for the dynamics of the infamous Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
Biography: Dr. Talitha Washington is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Howard University. She is interested in the applications of differential equations to problems in biology and engineering, as well as the development of nonstandard finite difference schemes to numerically solve dynamical systems. She is the recipient of the 2019 BEYA STEM Innovator Award, MAA's 2018 Leitzel Lecturer, an ASI Fellow, and featured by NSF as a Woman History Maker. In 2019, she received the distinguished Outstanding Faculty Award from Howard University. Dr. Washington completed her undergraduate studies in mathematics at Spelman College and earned her master's and doctoral degrees in mathematics from the University of Connecticut.
Dr. Jason Rosenhouse James Madison University
Title: The Monty Hall Problem, Reconsidered
Abstract: The Monty Hall Problem is a classic brainteaser in probability. Imagine a game show contestant facing three identical doors. One of the doors conceals a car, while the others conceal goats. The contestant selects one of the doors, but does not open it. The host of the show then opens one of the other two doors, revealing a goat. The contestant is now given the options of sticking with the original door, or switching to the other unopened door. The problem is to determine what the contestant should do to maximize his chances of winning the car. The problem is famous because the correct answer (deliberately not revealed here) is very counterintuitive to most people. We will discuss the classic version of the problem, consider different approaches to its solution, and then present numerous variations on the basic scenario. Along the way we will learn how to think clearly about probability, without doing an excessive amount of calculation.
Biography: Jason Rosenhouse is a professor of mathematics at James Madison University, in Harrisonburg, VA. He received his PhD in mathematics from Dartmouth College in 2000, specializing in algebraic graph theory. He is the author/editor of seven books, including The Monty Hall Problem: The Remarkable Story of Math's Most Contentious Brainteaser, and Among the Creationists: Dispatches from the Anti-Evolutionist Frontline, both published by Oxford University Press. In 2020 he will begin a five-year term as the editor of Mathematics Magazine, published by the Mathematical Association of America. When not doing math, he enjoys chess, cooking, and reading locked-room mysteries.
| Contributed Talks |
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| Directions and Parking |
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Parking in the garages on campus is free on Saturdays. Take the skybridge into the 7800 York Road building.
Last modified 23 Augus 2019.