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e-mail me: ross.folberg@pcc.edu
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Here are some sites that I have checked out. The reviews are my opinion but this is my page so who elses opimion should I give? If you don't agree with them you can e-mail me or better yet, make your own site. Some of the sites you might find interesting, some you might not.
Such is life.
Some math related sites:
I chose this site because many years ago someone asked me about why they used m as slope in the equation y=mx+b. I didn't know, so I asked a friend and a day later he gave me a sheet from "ask Dr. Math" that had some interesting insights. The response seemed well thought out and explored. I thought that was pretty cool so I decided to see what else was on the site.
After looking at and playing with things on this site (for a much longer time than I was aware of) I am more temped to ask what is not on this site. They have material for all ages and abilities (from kindergarten through advanced research). They have problems, chat, reference, games, and a showcase for students as well as similar areas for teachers, researchers, and even parents and citizens. I found some really cool notes/tutorials as well as some neat geometers sketchpad programs that could be used for tutorials or in building lesson plans.
For such a big site, I was amazed at how easy it was to navigate. It also has a pretty good search engine. I was able to find everything I had found in earlier surfing with no more than two attempts in the search engine. The search engine also was accurate in leading me to the type materials that I was hoping for.
It was clear that the site is also updated at least weekly. It is run by Drexel University in Philadelphia who looks like they have a large staff (and funding) to make this site as impressive is it is!
I highly recommend this site! Bookmark it and many of your long sought out questions can now be answered.
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I am into topology so and especially knot theory so The Knot Plot Site by Robert Scharein sparked my interest. I have seen the Knot Plot software work and its cool. The site does have some really nice images but its value seems to be limited to pretty pictures. I tried to download the software (I know it can be downloaded for free) but was sent to the PIMS site (Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences the Canadian counterpart to America's MSRI or Mathematical Sciences Research Institute ) and could not find the download from there. This was a more than a little disappointing.
Further investigation at the Knot Plot site revealed that the pictures are the focus here. The site does have a tangle calculator link but it led to a dead end. He also did not have a link to (or mention) Knotscape, which is a huge tool for calculating knots that was developed by Jim Hoste and Morwen Thistlethwaite with people like Jeff Weeks. He also did not have references or links to the papers or work by Conway, Alexander, Jones or Kauffman. These are the people that connected the pictures with the math. He did have a link to Dale Rolfsen's homepage but only because Dale was on his PhD committee.
I don't believe the site has been updated since May of 2000. But the author and his funding and his support (University of British Columbia and PIMS) are very credible so it is safe to believe the little information he does give.
The bottom line is if you want to actually do mathematics with knots it seems that this is not the site to reference, but if you really cool pictures to make you paper or presentation look dazzling this is a great site to pilfer from.
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The Geometry Junkyard is appropriately named. It is a collection of stuff from all aspects of geometry. It is so broad that people whose interest are not necessarily in geometry can probably find a link between geometry and their area. I have used the site before in finding references for a differential topology and geometric topology. There is no search tool so you kind of have to sift through the page but the author has sorted items into nice 'piles' to make the hunt easier. The site tends to be geared for graduate students and researchers but there are a few accessible links for a very curious budding mathematician.
The site is run by University of California Irvine Professor David Eppstein (He is a computer science professor there). His own work includes some nice graphics and interesting problems. Professor Eppstien seems to update the site frequently.
If you want to see what people are interested in cutting edge mathematics related (some times loosely) to geometry this is a good source (there is even an open problems section).
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ACME KLEIN BOTTLE - Where there's one side to every problem!
I am biased. I love this site! My family claims this is proof that I am a dork. Ok so a lot of what I love about this site is the topological humor (Well I am not into topology for the groupies!). If you want some good non-oriented zero volume humor this is the place to be. The site is actually there to sell glass Klein bottles that have been conveniently immersed into 3-space (for ease of shipping). My wife, the angel that she is, bought one of these beauties for me last year and it is very nice. The quality is nice and the loss of dimension allows me to store M&M's in it. I am hinting for a Klein stein (a pint glass Klein Bottle that has enormous uses in late night research). Every page written by the author is checkered with humorous tidbits (depending on your Euler class or if you're a twisted product). The site also has some cool links spread throughout.
The site is run by Cliff Stoll who runs the company out of his house. He has nothing to hide as he gives out his address, phone number and even directions. The site seems to be updated at least once a month. What could be a better way to expand your horizons than to grow in new dimensions.
Check out this site and if you are trying to think of something to spend your money on this is it. While you're at it, get one for me to.
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The Math Archives is exactly what it says it is. There are a ton of resources for both students and instructors. It is sponsored by the Mathematics Department at The University of Tennessee. I have focused on looking for activities for a student learning basic algebra. If you click on the link to Mathematical Topics it takes you to a table that has everything from basic arithmetic to graduate level topology. If you click on the Algebra link you are sent to a list of probably 70 various sites that spread the gamut. Some are like textbooks, some have cool interactive applets, a few are another varied collection of sites, and a few were dead. I liked Algebra1: Graphing Linear Equations , Algebra Flash! , and The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives for Interactive Mathematics - Algebra .
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MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive
The
MacTutor
History of Mathematics Archive is an impressive site. I took a history of
mathematics class a few years ago and this site was one of my best resources.
The site has lots of ways to follow history but to me the focus is on the people.
You can search by popularity, topic, or timeline. There is also a "Mathematicians
of the Day" page where you can see who was born or died on this day in history
and get a quote of the day. There is even a "Famous
Curves Page" so curve like the parabola can get their due recognition. I
like the timeline page. It is neat to see which people were alive at the same
time. I do wish that the time line had links to the individual's history but
you can't have everything. The individual history pages are fairly complete
and seems to agree with other history books that I have referenced. The subject
history is nice but the focus is on the people. If you want proofs or process
you will have to look elsewhere. Both the individual and subject pages do have
links for all the people mentioned. And not to many individuals are left out.
The site is run by John J O'Connor and Edmund F Robertson, both of whom are professors at The University of St. Andrews in Scotland. The site was last updated a month before I checked it out, but how often does history change? Based on my comparison of the information to other print references and its thoroughness and authors I trust the information presented.
To me, mathematics becomes even more interesting when it is tied into history and related to the culture and times that shaped mathematics and were shaped by the mathematics. Any one that is curious about mathematics or history and any one who is trying to seed that curiosity in others should bookmark this site.
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