Spri ngfi el d Col l ege

Vol ume 8, Issue 2

November/December 2014
FACULTY

Dr. Peter Pol i to,
Dept. Chai r
Schoo-Bemi s 118
Ext. 3313

Professor Ni na Di ni
Schoo-Bemi s 125
Ext. 3267

Prof. Jeff Gagnon
Schoo-Bemi s 114
Ext. 3648

Dr. Zenobi a Loj ew-
ska
Schoo-Bemi s 104
Ext. 3192

Dr. Andrew Perry
Schoo-Bemi s 125
Ext. 3193

Dr. Fi des Ushe
Schoo-Bemi s 116
Ext. 3668

Donna Wi sni owski
Dept. Adm. Assi st.
Schoo-Bemi s 109
Ext. 3117
Math, Physi cs, & Computer Sci ence
Departmental Newsl etter
FACULTY

Dr. Peter Pol i to,
Dept. Chai r
Schoo-Bemi s 118
748-3313

Professor Ni na Di ni
Schoo-Bemi s 125
748-3267

Professor Jeff Gagnon
Schoo-Bemi s 114
748-3648

Dr. Zenobi a Loj ewska
Schoo-Bemi s 104
748-3192

Dr. Tyl er Markkanen
Schoo-Bemi s 121
748-3228

Dr. Ei l een McGowan
Schoo-Bemi s 104
748-3343

Dr. Andrew Perry
Schoo-Bemi s 125
748-3193

Dr. Fi des Ushe
Schoo-Bemi s 116
748-3668

Donna Wi sni owski
Dept. Adm. Assi st.
Schoo-Bemi s 109
748-3117
Classes meeting during any of the standard time periods listed below will have final exams in their
regularly assigned classrooms at the times indicated below.
Class Starting Days / Times Exam Dates / Times
M, W, F

8:00 a.m.
Mon. 12/15 8:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m. Tues. 12/16 8:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m. Wed. 12/17 10:15 a.m.
11:00 a.m. Mon. 12/15 10:15 a.m.
12:00 p.m. Tues. 12/16 10:15 a.m.
1:00 p.m. Wed. 12/17 12:30 p.m.
2:00 p.m. Mon. 12/15 12:30 p.m.
3:00 p.m. Tues. 12/16 12:30 p.m.
T, R

7:30 a.m.
Wed. 12/17 8:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m. Mon. 12/15 2:45 p.m.
10:30 a.m. Tues. 12/16 2:45 p.m.
1:00 p.m. Wed. 12/17 2:45 p.m.
2:30 p.m. Thu. 12/18 8:00 a.m.
*Thursday evening classes will have their final exams on Wednesday, 12/17. The classroom assignments
for Thursday evening exams will be distributed in October, 2014.
*Final exams for M, T, W evening classes will be scheduled as follows: Classes normally scheduled
at 4:00 pm will take their final exams at 5:00 pm on Monday, 12/15, or Tuesday, 12/16, or Wednesday,
12/17 in regularly assigned classrooms. Classes normally scheduled at or after 6:30 pm, will take the
exams during regularly assigned class times in regularly assigned classrooms on the dates December 15,
or 16, or 17.
*Classes with nonstandard time periods will follow the exam schedule of the pattern to which the
starting time and day most closely conforms.
*On Thursday, December 18, 2014, final exam make-up times are available. If students have veri-
fiable time conflicts for any exam schedule, they may arrange for a make-up period through their
course instructor. Students can also arrange for a make up time if they have three or more exams
scheduled on the same day.
*Make-up exam times: Thursday, December 18, 2014, at 10:15am & 12:30 p.m.
FALL 2014 FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE
Math, Physi cs, & Computer Sci ence Departmental Newsl etter
Page 2
CHAIRS CHAT BY DR. PETER POLITO
With
Math & Computer Science
the
Possibilities are Infinite!
Youre Invited!
The Annual MPCS Open House will be held Thursday,
Dec. 11 and Friday, Dec. 12. Stop by Donnas office,
SBSC 109, to sample some tasty treats made by members
of the department! Celebrate the end of the semester
and the coming of a New Year!
Dr. Ushe Needs your Help!
Please donate any cans to Dr. Fides Ushe in her effort to raise funds for school children in her native
Malawai, Africa. She has a receptacle to collect cans outside her office, Schoo-Bemis 116, or you can
drop off your donations to Donna in Schoo-Bemis 109. Your trash can become treasure to these chil-
dren!
Its hard to believe that we are in the month of November and approaching the holiday season and the
end of the semester! Once mid-semester is reached, it seems that the remainder of the semester
just flies by so quickly. Both students and professors in the Department have been extraordinarily
busy as usual. Seniors are beginning to plan their futures upon graduation from Springfield College by
doing job searches, preparing resumes, or looking at graduate schools in order to further their educa-
tion. Since our majors are in the STEM fields, there are fortunately many opportunities for our gradu-
ates in computer science, mathematics, and mathematics and computer technology. How fortunate our
graduates are to not only have been educated in their discipline, but to have also received a balanced
general education that is based upon the unique mission of Springfield College- education in spirit,
mind, and body for leadership in service to others. For our graduates, this provides them with the
soft skills that are essential for success beyond the technical skills.
This time of the year brings upon each of us a range of emotions- joy, sadness for those who are no
longer with us, and the anxiety that accompanies both the holiday season and the conclusion of an aca-
demic semester. We somehow do get through it all and return spring semester with renewed energy
and an excitement of the things to come- interesting courses, special events, and for some graduation!
Spring semester is a wonderful semester because of all the transformations that occur, both in our
natural world and in our personal lives. I wish each and every one of you a successful conclusion to your
fall semester, a joyous holiday season, and a successful start to your spring semester!
Best Wishes,
Peter Polito
Page 3
vol ume 6, Issue 2
Student Spotlightby Donna Wisniowwski
Tim Johansmeyer
Senior Mathematics Secondary Education major Tim Johansmeyer is an extraordinary stu-
dent and human being who believes in giving back to the community any way he can.
Where are you from? Tim is from Norton, MA and went to Norton High School. He says
that he has always been interested in Math and that for him, it came easy and he has always
been good at it.
Why did you come to Springfield College? Tims sister, Laura, (who is 2 years older)
came to SC as an Athletic Training major. Tim and his family visited Laura often and
those visits sparked Tims interest in coming to SC. He liked the fact that the College of-
fered a Math major, had small, intimate classroom sizes, and that he could compete in
Track & Field. SC also offered Tim the opportunity to contribute to his fellow man with
plenty of community service programs.
What clubs do you belong to? Tim is the current President for Habitat for Humanity. He helps organize an alternative
Spring Break opportunity for SC students to travel to an impoverished area and build and/or repair lodging for individu-
als or groups who truly need a helping hand.
Tim is also a member of the Education Club and has been a New Student Orientation Leader.
What sports do you play? Tim is Captain of the Track & Field Team. He competes in long jump, triple jump, and the
400-meter. Tim also competes in Intramural soccer and volleyball.
What is your favorite class and why? Student teaching is Tims favorite class this semester. He is doing his practi-
cum at Minnechaug High School in Wilbraham, MA. He enjoys interacting with the high school students and really
loves the art of teaching! Tim currently teaches Freshman Algebra classes and some Junior Algebra II class.
Tims favorite SC Math class was Calculus. Tim found Calculus fascinating and thinks that it really shows the beauty
and symmetry of Mathematics.
What life lessons do you feel SC has taught you? Tim has learned to plan and not procrastinate and to always take
advantage of opportunities that are presented to you.
What is your favorite SC happening? Tim loves the Taste of SC! He enjoys eating the great food that is offered
while in the company of his friends and the fun atmosphere.
What do you want to be? Where do you want to live? Tim wants to teach high school math and coach Track & Field.
He will probably look for a job close to home in Norton, MA in order to save money while living at home so he can
eventually have his own place.
What are your after graduation plans? Tim will eventually get his Masters Degree. He plans on getting a job first.
He would also like to get a dog, continue with community service, do more triathlons, and play disc golf.
Professors perspective:
Dr. Ushe Tim is one of the most hard-working, conscientious students that I have ever had!
Dr. Perry Tim is one of the best students that I have in Abstract Algebra. He has great math intuition and hes a dili-
gent student. He reminds me of a symphony orchestra in that he puts everything together as a math student: he remem-
bers what he has learned from his previous classes, studies hard in his current class, thinks deeply, and performs at the
highest level. He is able to solve unfamiliar problems through creative and critical thinking.
Lastly: Tim personifies the Humanics philosophy. When he graduates this May, we are all confident that the world
around him will instantly become a much better place to be because of his spirit and because of all that he is able to offer
his fellow man.
Famous Mathematicians
KILLER SUDOKU
For solution, go to: http://killersudokuonline.com/puzzles/2014/solution-D2lq1yv2923.gif
Math Jokes
Jacobi was a prolific math-
ematician who did decisive
work in the algebra and
analysis of complex varia-
bles, and did work in number theory (e.g. cubic
reciprocity) which excited Carl Gauss. He is
sometimes described as the successor to
Gauss. As an algorist (manipulator of involved
algebraic expressions), he may have been sur-
passed only by Euler and Ramanujan. He was
also a very highly regarded teacher. In mathe-
matical physics, Jacobi perfected Hamilton's
principle of stationary action, and made other
important advances.
Jacobi's most significant early achievement
was the theory of elliptic functions, e.g. his
fundamental result about functions with multi-
ple periods. Jacobi was the first to apply ellip-
tic functions to number theory, producing a
new proof of Fermat's famous conjecture
(Lagrange's theorem) that every integer is the
sum of four squares. He also made important
discoveries in many other areas including the-
ta functions (e.g. his Jacobi Triple Product
Identity), higher fields, number theory, alge-
braic geometry, differential equations, q-
series, hypergeometric series, determinants,
Abelian functions, and dynamics. He devised
the algorithms still used to calculate eigenvec-
tors and for other important matrix manipula-
tions. The range of his work is suggested by
the fact that the "Hungarian method," an ef-
ficient solution to an optimization problem
published more than a century after Jacobi's
death, has since been found among Jacobi's
papers.
Like Abel, as a young man Jacobi attempted to
factor the general quintic equation. Unlike
Abel, he seems never to have considered prov-
ing its impossibility. This fact is sometimes
cited to show that despite Jacobi's creativity,
his ill-fated contemporary was the more bril-
liant genius.

http://fabpedigree.com/james/mathmen.htm#Jacobi
Carl G. J. Jacobi
(1804-1851) Germany
How many outlines of triangles of all sizes and shapes can you
trace in the figure?
Solution: http://www.mathsisfun.com/puzzles/cubic-outlines-solution.html
Puzzle Fun