Tag: MATH

Abby Weston

Principles of Counting in Mathematical Proofs

This presentation introduces the Principles of Counting in Proofs, which is commonly referred to as Combinatorics. Combinatorics is the study of counting, arranging, and analyzing finite sets. The presentation will begin with a brief conceptual overview that answers the following questions: What is a set? What does it mean for sets to be disjointed? What is a tombstone in the context of a proof? The core concepts will include the Principle of Inclusion and Exclusion, the Permutation Rule, and the Combination Rule. For each concept, I will provide an explanation followed by a formal proof. This presentation is designed for an audience with some background in combinatorics or mathematical reasoning, though anyone with an interest in how counting and logic intersect is welcome to attend.

MATH 460, Mathematical Proofs and Reasoning

Connie Wilmarth

Pomajevich 103

1 – 1:30 PM

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Jackson Findlay

Game Theory, Economics and Tennis

This presentation provides an overview of game theory, an influential branch of mathematical economics that studies strategic interactions and decision making.  I introduce some basic tools used by game theorists, including strict and weak dominance and iterated deletion procedures, and discuss applications ranging from auction theory to sports. 

MATH 499, Senior Capstone

Connie Wilmarth

P003

1:30 – 2 PM

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Mackenzie Hunton

Gamification in the Math Classroom

A recent trend in K-12 education is gamification, or the use of games to motivate learning in the math classroom. This presentation surveys some practices and the current research into their effectiveness as a teaching tool.

MATH 499, Senior Capstone

Connie Wilmarth

P003

2 – 2:30 PM

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Andrew Lindley

Bushnell Cafeteria Offerings Survey and Analysis

This study seeks to improve the Bushnell dining experience by utilizing statistical methods. Using data gathered by a specific survey process, this project will uncover what meals students like, what meals students don’t like, and what can be done to better the cafeteria in light of these discoveries. The data collection design, data visualization, and statistical methods used in determining results will all be presented and explained. The end goal is an unbiased and accurate study that equips our staff to provide the best possible dining experience at Bushnell.

MATH499- Senior Capstone

Dr. Connie Wilmarth

10:30am – P003

Jackson Findlay and Liam Kerr

The Collatz Conjecture Reformulated and Shown Through Python code

Explanation of what the collate conjecture is and its long history. We will then take a different angle towards looking for progress on this unsolved math problem, through identifying patterns and elements we noticed when looking at alternative versions of the conjecture.

MATH407- Python and Data Structures

Dr. MTip Phaovibul

2:30pm – L204

Alessia Righi

Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity

This thesis examines the topic of Einstein’s special relativity. Starting from Aristotle’s ‘locus naturalis’ through Newton’s laws of dynamics all the way to Maxwell’s equations, the paper looks at the historical progress made in the human understanding of space and time, with a particular focus on the contradiction that brought Einstein to develop the relativity theory.

MATH 499 – Senior Capstone

Connie Wilmarth

11:30am-Noon Bucher Room

Courtney Weinberger

Actuarial P-Test

Actuaries need to be masters of probability. Hence the reason why the very first exam Actuaries will take is primarily on the mastery of probability. To master the different forms of probability, you must do several problems until you have the equations memorized. For the very first test, people interested in Actuarial work must master the conditional, discrete, continuous, and multivariable forms of probability. These forms of probability each have some unique difficult problems which will be shown and thoroughly explained. Additionally, all of these forms of probability have their own set of equations as well as requirements that must be fulfilled. Knowing when and where to use each form is crucial because of this reason.

MATH 499 – Senior Capstone

Connie Wilmarth

10:00am – 10:30am P103

David Schwartz

The Introduction of Statcast to Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball has been a driving force in American sports and statistical developments with the introduction of Statcast. Statcast uses the combination of doppler radar and video to obtain advanced statistics that are utilized for the development of baseball players. Prior to Statcast the general focus when it came to statistics in baseball were simple stats like Earned Run Average, Hits, Runs Batted In, etc. With the introduction of Statcast, we can focus more on predictive statistics that helps coaches scout players from a different perspective. For example, statistics like Expected Batting Average, Expected Weighted On Base Percentage, and many other recently introduced advanced stats that are discussed to show the benefit of using Statcast data for creating the most successful team possible. The introduction of Statcast, along with many other technological advances Major League Baseball has made created a window of growth for the baseball community as a whole by introducing new ways to analyze players and their development.

MATH 499 – Senior Capstone

Brian Carrigan

10:30am – 11:00am P103

Julia Kassing

Long-Term Financing and Capital Structure

The role of a financial manager is unique and vital in relation to a company’s ability to thrive. They must decide how best to utilize resources in order to maximize shareholder value. When a company needs an increase in capital, they may turn to a form of long-term capital financing. This is generally in the form of either debt or equity. In deciding how to obtain new capital, a financial manager must evaluate the health of the company, the desired level of risk and leverage, and the state of the greater economic environment. To delve into this topic, it will be imagined that Yeti Holdings, Inc. (YETI) requires increased capital. We will examine the company’s financial statements and the position of the firm in relation to both the current and projected economic conditions to determine in what matter the company should obtain new capital and the resulting implications of this decision.

MATH 499 – Senior Capstone

Connie Wilmarth

3:30pm – 4:00pm P103

Nicolas Cazares

Modern Approaches to Spinal Cord Repair

Spinal cords are one of the most sensitive parts of the human body and damage to them can massively hinder one’s quality of life. This presentation will go over medical research of spinal cord repair. The first section is an overview of what the spinal cord is including, cellular make-up, biological function, and detailed anatomy. The second section of this presentation will discuss the history of research within this field dating back to the 1960s. Following this I will look at modern approaches to spinal cord repair and discuss the pros and cons of each method.

MATH 499

Brian Carrigan

P103

1 – 1:30 PM

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Tiffany Hilkey

Infinity in Mathematics

I will be doing a comprehensive survey of infinity in mathematics. Infinity is much larger and more complex than human calculation can handle, but it happens to appear quite often in mathematics. It is introduced as a limit in Calculus, and this is usually the first real encounter with it. Looking at set theory and infinite sets reveals that infinity actually comes in different sizes, even though it is infinite. There are still things that mathematicians can’t figure out about infinity, and that goes to show how complex it is.

MATH 499, Senior Capstone

Connie Wilmarth

P114

Noon – 12:30 PM

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Payton Martin

Portfolio Management

In this presentation, we will explore vital concepts that are the building blocks of quantitative portfolio management. We will discuss the mathematical expression of expected return and risk on an investment and how they are used. We will examine weights within a portfolio and how risk is minimized while compromising as little as possible on expected return. Building blocks of the several-security model will direct us towards multiple interesting insights as well as lay the foundation for the beta factor and the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM).

MATH 499, Senior Capstone

Connie Wilmarth

L203

10:30 – 11 AM

View stream here

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Kevin Kaelin

Alternative Power Sources: Electrifying Commercial Aircraft 

In a world with an ever-increasing demand for transportation, solutions are needed to limit the amount of pollution generated by vehicles.  One solution for limiting emissions from vehicles is to make them electric.  This research seeks to answer this question: is an electrically powered jet engine feasible for commercial aircraft?  This project takes a standard CFM56-7B24 turbofan jet engine that powers a Boeing 737-800 plane and explores the conceptual use of electric motors to drive the fan and compressor assembly.  The overall weight of this concept is compared to the maximum operating weight of the Boeing 737-800.  The total amount of kilowatt-hours required is calculated as well as the total weight of batteries needed to satisfy the energy requirements of this concept.  Based on the findings of this research: current battery densities are too low to provide a weight-effective solution to petroleum-based jet fuel.   

MATH 499, Capstone 

Brian Carrigan 

P103 

2:30 – 3 PM 

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Scholar Lunch

Come to L203 at noon. If you’re one of the first to arrive, you can have free pizza. The meal’s entertainment consists of five minute talks by representatives from majors and minors across campus. Speakers will take a single idea they learned from their major or minor coursework, explain it, explain why it’s useful or beautiful, and explain why they personally love it. Scheduled speakers:

  • Ariana Henton, Music
  • Payton Martin, Math
  • Emily Morgan, Psychology
  • Gianna Rains, Communication
  • Madeleine Rosebrook, Spanish
  • Leah Sheets, Education

L203

Noon – 1 PM

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Joshua McCluskey

Applied Calculus in Medicine

Medicine utilizes calculus in many ways, through the use of derivatives we can optimize uses of material as well as calculate the effect of a surgery. angioplasty uses calculus to calculate the effect of widening an artery to increase blood flow. Calculus lets us know definitively to what extent the blood flow will increase. we can also use calculus in a crime scene. determining the time of death.

MATH 251, Calculus I

Connie Wilmarth

Banquet Room, Poster #8

10 AM – Noon

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Jonathan Messiers

A Bridge to Space: The Mechanics and Design Considerations for a Space Elevator

Achieving orbit is currently an extremely expensive and resource-heavy venture. Current rockets cost anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 to lift a single kilogram of payload to low earth orbit. A space elevator may be able to lift a kilogram to orbit for as little as $200. A space elevator is a cable anchored at the equator that extends into space past geostationary orbit, using the centrifugal force of Earth’s rotation to hold itself upright under tension. Such a cable may be constructed using materials with extremely high strength-to-weight ratios. The overall design of a space elevator consists of the cable itself, a counterweight to suspend the cable via centrifugal force, climbers to deliver payload to and from orbit, and a base station anchoring the cable to the Earth somewhere along the equator. Craft released from the space elevator at a height of 53,000 kilometers would be at escape velocity, allowing them to reach other celestial bodies without the thousands of tons of fuel and stages conventional rockets require for the same velocity. Challenges faced include weather conditions within the atmosphere, the effects of solar radiation on the cable, collisions with orbital debris, cable oscillations, research and development costs, and political complications.

MATH 499, Capstone

Brian Carrigan

SPS 100

2:30 – 3 PM

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Scholar Lunch

Come to L203 at noon. If you’re one of the first to arrive, you can have free pizza. The meal’s entertainment consists of five minute talks by representatives from majors and minors across campus. Speakers will take a single idea they learned from their major or minor coursework, explain it, explain why it’s useful or beautiful, and explain why they personally love it. Scheduled speakers:

  • Angela Cusano, Spanish
  • Mitchell Davis, Bible & Ministry
  • Kristyn Dodge, History
  • Garrett Kraal, Exercise Science
  • Payton Martin, Mathematics
  • Kaleb Miles, Biology
  • Alaina Thomson, Psychology
  • McKenzie Wirth, Communication

L203

Noon – 1 PM

Return to schedule

Scholar Lunch

Come to L203 at noon. If you’re one of the first to arrive, you can have free pizza. The meal’s entertainment consists of five minute talks by representatives from majors and minors across campus. Speakers will take a single idea they learned from their major or minor coursework, explain it, explain why it’s useful or beautiful, and explain why they personally love it. Scheduled speakers:

  • Brady Box, Education
  • Haley Cochell, Psychology and Philosophy
  • Alleya Harris, Exercise Science
  • Josh Higashi, Communication
  • Zeph Hollins, Biology
  • Delia House-Lopez, Music
  • Marina Irish, Business
  • Gabrielle Morales, English
  • Rosa Schmidt, Math

L203

Noon – 1 PM.

Back to the schedule

Hans Coburn

Solving The Rubik’s Cube, Analyzing The Fridrich Method

The Rubik’s Cube was made famous in the 1980s when they were distributed to stores nearly world wide. In 1982 the first speed cubing competition took place. Ever since, there have been different solving methods and strategies to decrease the number of moves needed to solve and lower the amount of time needed to solve it. One of the original competitors in that first completion, Jessica Fridrich, invented her own method for solving the cube. Over the years her original method has been added to by other speed cubers. That method, which is used to some degree by most every speed cuber today, is known as the Fridrich Method.

In this capstone, I will be setting out to analyze some of the very basic algebra behind the Rubik’s Cube. This will allow a better understanding of how to finish the last layer of the cube using the Fridrich Method. This final step in the method is the permutation of the last layer (also referred to as PLL). These PLL algorithms that will result are not the only algorithms needed to solve the cube using the Fridrich method; however, the same type of group theory is behind the construction of all algorithms for the cube. I will also include an intuitive guide to solving the cube that anyone can use to solve without the use of the internet to look up algorithms.

MATH 499, Capstone

Connie Wilmarth

PFB 103

2:30 – 3:00 PM

Hayley Leno

Cryptography: From Expanding an Empire to Winning World War II

This research looks at how mathematics, through cryptography, has affected our world history. From expanding an empire to possibly winning World War II, codes and ciphers have played an important role in world history. In general, the basics and key terms of cryptography are explained here, as well as example ciphers. One cipher explored here is the Caesar cipher. The creation, use and weaknesses of this easily broken, simple cipher are discussed. The Enigma, a far more complex code, is also discussed. This research looks at the creation and use of the Enigma and how, through mathematicians’ work, cracking the Enigma may have affected the outcome of World War II.

MATH 499, Capstone

Connie Wilmarth

PFB 103

2:00 – 2:30 PM

Chris Zirkle

The Revealing of the Infinite

The Revealing of the Infinite, is a brief look at the history, the mystery, and the revealing truths about the concept of infinity, as well as its practical uses. Since the start of mathematics, there has been much debate over the idea of infinity. Initially being too hard to grasp, for centuries it was deemed as being that of an illusion. Something that appeared to be there, but, in reality, was not. As history moved forward, and infinity’s presents remand prevalent in the world of mathematics, vital uses for it began to be discovered and applied, thus, changing the world forever. But, although paramount in applied mathematics, much mystery about its nature still remand unrevealed up until the late 1880’s, where more concepts about it essence were finally discovered. The ideas floating around about infinity during the late 1800’s, were essential in revealing small snap shot of what infinity is like, but it still remains, to this day, not a fully resolved mystery, and yet seems to hold the secrets of the universe inside of it.

MATH 499 Capstone

Connie Wilmarth

P114

11:30 AM

Shaneesa Applegate, Michelle Giron, Devyn Iglehart & Xiao Xiao

Beavers vs. Ducks Analysis Project

In this project the performance statistics of the University of Oregon football team and the Oregon State football team the last two season were analyzed. Along with pulling factual statistics information, a survey was conducted and passed it out to students/athletes and professors at Northwest Christian University along with a few non students. The questions asked through the survey were geared to figure out why they preferred one to another based off demographics. The data gathered through the survey was that people tend to like the team based off location rather than performance because it’s a sense of home pride. 

MATH 315

Tim Bergquist

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

Denise Barrett, Jessica Hirte & Sharaya Moretti

Drinking Habits on College Campuses

Drinking on college campuses can be a widespread problem. NCU is a small liberal arts college, which is right next to a larger public university, U of O. U of O campus has fraternities and sororities that tend to have higher rates of drinking. NCU does not have those environments, so there is likely not as much drinking. NCU campus is a Christian environment, which could have an impact. A survey was given to students at both campuses in order to gather information on their drinking habits. That information was compared to see the differences in drinking habits between schools. 

MATH 430

Tim Bergquist

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

Deborah Clark & Mindy McLeod

What Keeps People From Attending Church

We decided to do a survey to see if what Christians believe were the same reasons why non-Christians and people who identify as being Christian, but don’t attend church. The survey listed 10 reasons why people don’t attend church, with one of them being an open-ended. It also asked what can be done to get people to attend church. The project showed that there were some differences in what Christians believe about non-church attenders. 

MATH 315

Tim Bergquist

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

Trevyn DuBois, Emily Scotton & Skyler Waterman

Exploring Response Time of Various Domesticated Dogs

The goal of this study is to find the correlational relationships between different breeds, ages, and heights of various members of the Canis Familiaris (Domesticated dog) family in relation to the speed of learning a previously unknown behavior. It was hypothesized that at least the top 10 breeds would match the AKC standard. It was also hypothesized that the age of individual dogs would have a strong influence on this correlation. 

MATH 315

Tim Bergquist

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

Allison Duvenez

Ethnomathematics

The goal of this presentation is to broaden the scope of how mathematics can be used. Historically the information has been presented from a narrow frame of western culture. As an example of how there is meaning for mathematics within other cultures I will focus on the history of Native American and African tribes. It is the attempt to challenge the assumption that our western culture’s use of mathematics is more sophisticated or shows greater intelligence. Mathematics merely reflects the cultural need of a society. It is continually adapted through time by the culture at hand.

MATH 499, Senior Capstone

Connie Wilmarth

A201

10:30 – 11 AM

Gio Guzman, Ciara Wainwright & Remi White

The Effect of Weather on Wave Height in Hawaii

In our project we are studying the effect of the weather in Hawai’i & whether or not it affects the wave height in the ocean. Our hypothesis is that weather plays a huge part in this society. With the seasonal changes that Hawai’i sees it becomes a huge problem & people are really able to see the difference of the waves based upon the four seasons. We also decided to look at the four main islands of Hawai’i, such as Kaua’i, O’ahu, Mau’i, & the Big Island. Once we narrowed it down on how each of the islands can have their own difference in wave heights based upon the weather that that islands see. We also want to know how the two main seasons, summer & winter, effects the wave heights because of the different climate each island has. 

MATH 430

Tim Bergquist

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

Candis Hatfield & Joseph Piper

How Performance Affects Different Clubs’ Fan Attendance in the English Premier League

Using attendance and performance data from multiple years regarding numerous clubs in the English Premier League, we will analyze the data in an attempt to support our hypothesis. A lower attendance is expected from a team that is performing poorly, while a higher attendance is expected from teams on top of the table.

MATH 430

Tim Bergquist

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

Breanne Johnson, Karen Reynolds & Darcy Snyder

Feast or Famine? How Does a Person Prepare?

For our project we are conducting a survey looking at the relationship between Stress levels and eating habits of students one week prior to a major test. Specifically, we are considering whether the students consume additional food or a smaller amount, and of those who eat more food are they making healthier choices? Or preferring to go the junk food route. Our pool of subjects will come from NCU students who are enrolled in two different Psychology classes here at NCU. Both the Personality and Cognition classes that we chose have a random selection of students from all grade levels.

MATH 315

Tim Bergquist

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

Vickie Long

How Humans View Their Animals

For thousands of years animals have been part of human households. In the past they have held work roles, been used in religious ceremonies, and for security. Animals kept for the single purpose of companionship is a newer concept. This paper is meant to look at how humans of the 21st Century view their animals. Are the roles strict as in the past, or are these animals incorporated as a member of the household who also has jobs. The Survey of Animals will gather the data that will allow a small sample comparison. 

MATH 315

Tim Bergquist

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

Sergio Maldonado, Adrian Palacios & Nicholas Sullivan

Shots All Around

There are two aspects to perfect when playing the game of basketball; these two aspects are offense and defense. In our project we will be focusing on offense and more specifically the shooting percentage from the three-point line, the free throw line and overall shooting percentage from the field. Statistics have long been a part of the game of basketball and more specifically the NBA. The current study took 5 of the top teams from each the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference to compare shooting percentage and to see if there is a direct correlation to winning games. Comparing the shooting percentages of teams will allow us to see if a high shooting percentage is vital to winning games or are other aspects of the game such as defense.

MATH 315

Tim Bergquist

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

Nicholas Sammut

A Second Look at the Bible Reading Habits of the NCU Community: Motivations for Faith

For ACE Day this study will be a second look at the Bible Reading habits of the NCU community. The previous study used a survey to gather data of the same nature. However, the 2014 data analysis was conducted under the business Statistics Course (MTH 315) that limited the scope of the study. The present study looks deeper at several critical dynamics of the NCU community and Bible reading such as the motivations for faith and subsequent Bible reading.

MATH 430

Tim Bergquist

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

Alek Angeli

Using Olympic athlete ages to assess when peak performance is most attainable

The purpose of this data analysis was to determine whether there is a relationship between age and peak performance for summer male Olympic athletes within the sport of track and field. Much of the analysis focuses on a relation between Olympic athlete age and medals obtained. An analysis of individual Olympic athlete birthdates, Olympic record book keeping, and research articles involving peak performance and human development of emerging adulthood were observed in an attempt to associate age with peak performance. From the research it appears that individual peak performance is most attainable during mid- to later twenties.

MATH 315

Tim Bergquist

Vladyslav Boloban

Arsenal FC: The Years under Arsène Wenger

The purpose of this project is to analyze the performance of the English soccer team Arsenal FC under the management of Arsène Wenger over the last 20 years. The analysis of the performance is based on goals scored/allowed, games won/lost/tied, and trophies won. Based on the analysis it can be said that the team was successful, but in the last few years its performance has declined.

MATH 315

Tim Bergquist

Haley Cochell & Chelsea Taylor

Student Priorities: Physical, Educational, Social and the Factors that Influence Them

As of 11/10/2014 we have planned how we will be conducting the survey, where we will be conducting the survey, and to whom we will conduct the survey. We have figured out the factors that we will consider when processing the data. We will process our data by comparison between our factors and then demographics. Finally, we will begin surveying students on the 19th of November and completing this stage by November 26th.

MATH 315

Tim Bergquist

Kristin Fulbright

Lady Beacs – Northwest Christian University Women’s Soccer

She will be comparing and contrasting statistics from the past three seasons of the NCU women’s soccer team to determine whether the team is making a positive progression throughout the seasons or if they are backtracking. Some top categories she will be looking at are goals scored, shots and shots on goal, goals against, wins, ties and loses per season and games (minutes) played. She will also be looking at each season’s percentages, such as goals against and shots and shots on goal percentages. These will be key elements to determining whether the seasons have progressed positively or negatively.

MATH 315

Tim Bergquist

Gio Guzman, Ian Hawkford & Remi White

super bowl

Before the research began we brainstormed a few different research topics. The ideas consisted of how much revenue the University of Oregon football team brings to the state of Oregon, whether home-field advantage is actually a factor or not, and finally the topic we settled on, whether or not the NFL team with the best regular season record wins the Super Bowl or not. We all decided on this particular topic because the data, for the most part is easy to get ahold of via nfl.com. Whereas gathering numbers for the profit gained by the state from the U of O football team would be difficult and way below the surface.

MATH 315

Tim Bergquist

John Kennedy, Dave Lovan & Nicholas Sammut

Bible Reading Habits of Faculty, Staff, and Students at NCU

Reading the bible is an essential part of the Christian life, weather one pastors a church, or pastors a home, regardless if one is an undergraduate, a graduate, a faculty or a staff member: the bible delivers the guidance a Christian needs. In a 2014 study conducted by the American Bible Institute, a sample of 2,036 showed 53% read their bible 3-4 times per year. Of that 53% the twenty nine percent who reported to read at least 45 minutes per sitting were non-Christian adults. We look at the demographic at NCU to determine how often those affiliated with a Christian liberal arts University are reading the Bible.

MATH 315

Tim Bergquist