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Annual Mathematics Presentation Days: Formula for Success



(left to right, back row: Jeremy Hale, Mac Hildebrand, Troy Hadlock, Cass Sisco, Luke Harding, and Dr. Ray Head; front row: Miss Sandra Draper, Evan Hoyt, Kayla Whiteley, Britney Worrell; not pictured: Luke Vanaman and Joseph Good)
Over the last two weeks, upper-level mathematics students have presented their defense of an assigned concept during the annual Mathematics Presentation Days. According to Dr. Ray Head, professor of mathematics and computer information systems and chair of the Department of Mathematics, “The presentations were very successful. The presenters had to work hard in learning the concepts in depth so that they could explain them to a general audience. In doing so, not only did they learn new concepts, but also gained knowledge of what is required for them personally to learn new mathematical concepts in depth.”


Cass Sisto
Sophomore Cass Sisto gave his presentation on the Approximation of Solutions to Differential Equations. “I prepared computer programs with Visual Basic to show different approximation techniques. The math department really appreciates the chance to show off our work every year at the Math Presentation Days. As a small department, it’s our chance to shine and encourage people to remember the beauty of mathematics and how they relate to God’s creation.” After graduation, Cass would like to pilot an F-35 in the Air Force. He recognizes that his math degree will help him acquire his ultimate long-term goal of becoming an astronaut or an engineer.


Mac Hildebrand
“After getting an introduction and some reading material from Dr. Head, I dove into my topic of the Calculus of Variations,” said sophomore Mac Hildebrand. “I was initially disappointed because I knew nothing about my topic and it contained some tough concepts, but after doing some more research and example problems, I’ve enjoyed seeing the usefulness and application of the topic.” Mac plans on attending seminary after graduation. “I hope that my mathematics undergraduate degree will provide a good foundation in logic and analytical skills that will be helpful when studying the Word of God.”

Presenters and topics included:

Mac Hildebrand Calculus of Variations in Computation
Luke Vanaman Use of the Monte Carlo Method in Computation
Kayla Whiteley Some Computations in Actuarial Science
Dr. Ray Head The Mathematics of Hermann Weyl
Evan Hoyt RSA Algorithm
Britney Worrell Group Theory Applications in Number Theory
Troy Hadlock Finding Prime Numbers
Luke Harding Computations in Linear Algebra
Cass Sisto Approximation of Solutions to Differential Equations
Joseph Good Prolog Models of Sets and Trees
Jeremy Hale Exploring Abstract Machines in Prolog
Miss Sandra Draper Rings and Fields

Congratulations on your successful presentations!