Maria Salcedo - An Introduction to Knot Theory
~~ Best Talk Award ~~
This talk will be a concise introduction to general concepts in
knot theory. Mathematical research of knotted ribbons will also be discussed.
Ted Stadnik - An Analytical Anomaly
Continued fractions can be used to create sequences of continuous
functions that converge pointwise to a function with a countably infinite number of
discontinuities. Variations of this problem and open questions will be considered.
David Gohlke - Modeling Bacterial Growth in the Presence of Toxins
~~ Best Talk Award ~~
Environmental factors such as the amount of available nutrients of
the presence of toxins play a large role in bacterial growth. Some strains of bacteria
have the ability to survive in environments in which other strains would not. This
presentation will focus on modeling growth curves of bacteria in different situations,
with the intent of finding accurate mathematical models. This research was undertaken in
the SURE program at Youngstown State University, sponsored by the National Science
Foundation.
David Martin - An Alternate Demonstration of Euler's Formula
~~ Best Talk Award ~~
Euler's formula, one of the most intriguing discoveries in the
history of mathematics, shows that the exponential and seemingly unrelated sine and
cosine functions are indeed fundamentally linked. One popular method of proving the
formula involves power series representations. Another involves differential equations.
This presentation will include an alternate demonstration requiring only an understanding
of calculus.
Tom Cochran - Math with Muscle
Smooth muscles are found throughout our bodies and are extremely
important in regulating blood flow in arteries and veins. This talk will touch upon some
of the mathematics discovered in experimental data acquired through a bio-mathematics
project dealing with the relaxation of smooth muscles at Youngstown State University
