2014 Calculus Presentations

Today is the birthday of Karl Gruenberg born 1928 in Vienna, Austria. Gruenberg worked in finite group theory.

Today's quote is from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who said, "Music rhythms are mathematical patterns. When you hear a song and your body starts moving with it, your body is doing math. The kids in their parents' garage practicing to be a band, may not realize it but they are also practicing math."

For my AP Calculus Final, I assign the students to find a topic they love to do or have a strong interest in exploring. I am trying to convey the idea that mathematics exists in everything. All a person has to do is look for the mathematics. The students form groups and give their presentations on their agreed upon topic. These presentations are linked to their Youtube videos. Not all the topics have links due to video production scheduling. At the end of this blog, I also have links to the powerpoint presentations. The following are the opics various groups of students presented: Airplanes, Bowling, Cats, Counter-Strike, Disney, DQ Ice Cream, Golf, Hurdling, Income Gaps, Juggling, Math on the Beach, Pickleball, Ping Pong, Quadcopter, Searching for Sasquatch, Stellar High 5, and Volleyball.

The power points for the following topics are also linked at: Calculus Presentations.

Taking a Risk

Today is the birthday of Edward Titchmarsh born 1899 in Newbury, Berkshire, England. Titchmarch work was in analysis. He studied Fourier Series and Fourier Integrals. Titchmarsh is the author of today's quote. He said, "It can be of no practical use to know that π is irrational, but if we can know, it surely would be intolerable not to know."

I constantly lecture to my students the importance of taking a risk with the understanding that failure is a consequence. I must confess I am not a risk taker. My wife and my sons are. If I had not fell in love with my wife, I could very well see my self living in northern Minnesota, in some remote cabin, teaching mathematics in a small community.

I did take a risk this past week. I spoke at our high school's graduation ceremony. Speaking in front of a large group of people has never been on my bucket list and now, I can say that it never will. I am sharing my speech both in written form and as a Youtube video. I do so because I feel that this blog is a diary of sorts. I will let you be the judge of the speech. I am not a public speaker. I am aware of my mistakes and flaws.

Speech 5/27/2014

"Dr. Bittman, Mr. Martens, School Board Members, Staff and Faculty, Friends and Family of the graduates, and the Class of 2014.  (Cell phone rings) Hello?  Hi Mom. Thanks but the speech is not tomorrow night.  When? Ah… tonight.  Yes, oh right now… No, that’s ok. I think he’ll understand.  Yes, Mr. Martens has a mother too. Thanks again. Say hi to Dad. Yes, I love you, too.

I suppose you guessed that was my mom. She loves me. She always has. Both my dad and mom worked at creating an environment that prepared me for adulthood. Growing up, I looked forward to adulthood and its freedoms; but adulthood has its responsibilities.

When I was asked to speak at this graduation ceremony I pondered a great deal what would be my theme. I know math; really not much else. I thought of graduation speeches I had heard. One speaker sang, while another danced. When I suggested these ideas to my family. They reminded me that as a youth I was told to mouth the words in choir and in college, I almost failed ballroom dancing. I was dismayed. So I went for a walk with Rosie. Rosie is my dog and is a great listener. When I told her of my dilemma, her response was to wag and pant in her nonverbal dog way. I had to agree with Rosie. I would talk about what I knew: math and poetry. You see, Rosie knows that prior to our morning walk I work on a math problem and read a bit of poetry. Rosie is a pretty smart dog.

Mathematics is a way to solve problems. In a recent conservation with my dad, he conveyed to me his concern of the future generations’ ability to solve problems. He believes as do I that upon graduation we transition from celebration to responsibility. I assured him that our graduates, you who are in front of me now have the tools to solve problems, the problems within our relationships, the problems within our communities, our society, our world. I would not be in front of you; the faculty, the school board and the administration would not be in front of you; if we did not believe that to be true. We have placed our stamp of approval that you are ready for the next step; to help us solve problems, to be the stewards of our communities.

I believe problems are solved with the continued acquisition of knowledge, the ebb and flow of communication, hard work, and creativity.

You need to be life long learners; learning through experience and through education spawned by curiosity. Albert Einstein said, “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death” and Henry Ford quipped “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.  Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”

Knowledge is a powerful tool.

Being able to communicate is a two way street. You need to be understood, to be able create a conversation that is reasonable and sound, a conversation that is clear and easy to understand, and a conversation that is open to a response. Communication requires the ability to listen. That ability not only includes listening to those with whom you agree with but also listening to those who offer an alternative opinion.

As with real math problems, the problems that surround us will take time, hard work, perseverance, and focus but you have the tools and have the ability to gather more tools to address the problems before us. I suggest to my students that they work in groups. There is power within groups. When groups work at solving problems, they develop cohesiveness.  They become accustomed to each other’s rhythm… each other’s poetic meter. You have experienced these communities in our school whether you participated in any of our co-curricular or extra-curricular activities. As these communities solved problems , you became connected to your peers.  You became part of the larger dynamical community we call high school. Last week was the birthday of Edward Lorenz, a-would be mathematician who decided instead to study meteorology. Lorenz initiated the idea of chaos theory.  Lorenz termed chaos theory as “the butterfly effect” in his presentation, “Does the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?” You are part of the “butterfly effect”, your actions affect the dynamical system we call community.

A community has gathered around you tonight. They solved the problem of your education. Did it take time? Yes, about 13 years. Did it take hard work? Yes. Look around you, look at this community that is proud you, you are worth their time and their efforts.

Be creative in your problem solving. Allow yourself to take a risk, to view the problem from different vantage points. Being innovative and entrepreneurial will mean you will come to dead ends and at times, fail but creative people are resilient and strong.

I am aware that not everyone becomes problem solvers in the same manner. You will create your own path or take paths less traveled but we are all of the same fabric, the cast of the same play. I was struck this year by an advertisement from Apple for the IPAD. The ad had Robin Williams reciting a scene from the movie in “The Dead Poets Society” in which he plays John Keating.  In this scene he quotes one of my favorite poets, Walt Whitman.

Robin Williams states, "We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love these are what we stay alive for."

By your birth you became members of the human race, with this graduation you have become part of its solution.  You will determine how you will be part of it.

I will finish with this poem by Walt Whitman

'O ME! O life!... of the questions of these recurring;
Of the endless trains of the faithless--of cities fill'd with the
foolish;
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I,
and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light--of the objects mean--of the
struggle ever renew'd;
Of the poor results of all--of the plodding and sordid crowds I see
around me;
Of the empty and useless years of the rest--with the rest me
intertwined;
The question, O me! so sad, recurring--What good amid these, O me, O
life?

Answer.

That you are here--that life exists, and identity;
That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.

You will contribute a verse.

What will your verse be?'"

http://youtu.be/OopKEYQus9Y