Math Love Stories Season 1, Episode 3: From To-Do Lists to Permutation Groups — I’m on a quest to describe some of my favorite mathematics without any pre-requisites. In the first two episodes of this series, we explored the questions: What is Abstract Algebra? and What are “Algebraic Structures”? You may not think that multi-tasking and setting priorities have much to do with abstract…

Math Love Stories: Season 1, Episode 2 — The Context Behind the Definition of a Group — In our first episode, we took the 30,000 ft view on the question “What is Abstract Algebra?” A few major players made their entrances: equations, symmetries, permutations, and algebraic structures. My goal in this series is something akin to an “art appreciation” endeavor. My lofty aim is to make the…

Math Love Stories: Season 1, Episode 1 — “Why do you love me?” It’s a question that rarely has an answer. Do we ever really understand why we love something (or someone)? I tend to love things that don’t categorize easily, or come with tidy explainers. The word complicated has a negative connotation so instead, let’s go with…

I’m in love with a thing most people don’t understand, and I want to talk about it. — I’ve got this crazy idea that I want to be able to explain my favorite mathematical subject — abstract algebra — in a way that requires no pre-requisites. …

Yesterday was my birthday. I’m at that point of late middle-age where the number doesn’t mean much by itself. Yet I still become reflective around the time of year it increases. In childhood, birthdays indicate progress toward adulthood. Relatives are likely to comment on how much taller you are now…

Some Reflections on the Oddities of Faculty Life — With my first semester as a regular (non-administrative) faculty member wrapped up, I’ve been reflecting on some of the oddities of faculty life, along with some similarities and differences between life as a professor and life as a manager. Professor as Manager? As a manager (and a regular faculty member), conflict resolution is…

“What’s the best way to learn Python?” the student asked. — For context, I am a math professor who spent most of my career outside of academia, working in a variety of jobs solving “real-world” problems using math, stats, and a heavy dose of computing. So my students often ask me career-oriented questions, and I’m happy to be able to share…

The Why & How of It — As I near the end of my first semester of full-time (non-administrator) faculty life, my main takeaway seems to be — my goodness, I am tired of grading! Why give so many assignments, quizzes, and tests, then, you ask? Unfortunately, education is trapped in a cycle of constant assessment. University students taking a full load have to balance their attention between…

In Praise of Straightforward Math Exams — As a math professor, an unfortunately large part of the job is writing and grading quizzes and tests. It’s not the fun part, that’s for sure. But until higher education tosses grades aside altogether, continuous “scorekeeping” is part of the gig. Every faculty member has a different philosophy that guides…