Spri ngfi el d Col l ege

Vol ume 8, Issue 1

September/October 2014
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
Math, Physi cs, & Computer
Sci ence Departmental Newsl etter
WELCOME BACK!! HAPPY FALL!
Fall Semester 2014
Classes Begin Tuesday, 9/2
Last day to add first half activity courses Wednesday, 9/3
Last day to add full semester courses Monday, 9/8
Last day to drop first half activity course without with-
drawal grade
Monday, 9/8
Last day to drop full semester course without with-
drawal grade
Monday 9/15
Humanics in Action Day - No Classes Until 4:00 P.M. Tuesday, 9/23
Degree applications due in Registrar's office for De-
cember 2013
Friday, 10/3
Columbus Day - No Classes Monday, 10/13
Last day to withdraw from 1st half activity courses Friday, 10/10
Mid-semester grades due from faculty Week of October 13th
First half activity courses end Tuesday, 10/21
Second half activity courses start Wednesday, 10/22
Last day to add second half activity courses Thursday, 10/23
Last day to drop second half activity courses without a
withdrawal grade
Wednesday, 10/29
Spring semester early registration period Begins Monday, 11/17, more
info to follow
Last day to withdraw from Fall full semester courses Friday, 11/21
Thanksgiving Break Begins Wednesday, 11/26
Classes Resume Monday, 12/1
Last day to withdraw from second half activity courses Wednesday, 12/3
Classes End Friday, 12/12
Reading Days Saturday, 12/13 & Sunday
12/14
Exams 12/15, 12/16, 12/17, 12/18
December Degree Conferral Date Tuesday, 12/31
Final date for submission of Fall grades from faculty Monday, 12/22
Math, Physi cs, & Computer Sci ence Departmental Newsl etter Page 2
With
Math & Computer Science
the
Possibilities are Infinite!
CHAIRS CHAT BY DR. PETER POLITO


Whats Humanics in Action Day About?
Humanics in Action Day is the modern version of a Springfield College tradition, Student Work Week
and Creating Hallowed Ground, in which students and faculty members volunteered to make improve-
ments to the College's main campus, East Campus, and Lake Massasoit.
Humanics in Action Day was co-initiated and developed by the student leaders of New Student Orienta-
tion and 1998-1999 Distinguished Springfield Professor of Humanics Peter Polito. Together they devel-
oped this event to unite the people of Springfield College and its surrounding neighborhoods to work on community service projects. Human-
ics in Action Day first occurred on Sept. 10, 1998, and has become an annual event in celebration of community and civic engagement.
Each year, about 2,000 students, faculty, staff, and alumni fan out across the city of Springfield during a day to read to youngsters, clean
up vacant lots, repair sidewalks, and generally make connections with the community.

Welcome back everyone! It is so good to have our students back on campus!
We are so very pleased to have Dr. Tyler Markkanen join the Department. After only a
few short weeks in working with Dr. Markkanen, I feel that I have known him for a
much longer time. Perhaps, this is due to his very welcoming demeanor, his boundless
energy, and his demonstrated commitment to making contributions to the Department
and the College that will both enhance our departmental offerings and the educational
experience of our students. Be sure to learn more about Dr. Markkanen by reading his
profile, included in this newsletter.
The Department is energized and is already engaged in initiatives that will better serve
our students and do community outreach. One of these initiatives, currently in the
planning stages, is the organization of a Puzzle Day - a day that will be open to pro-
spective students who are interested in pursuing careers in computer science, mathe-
matics, and computer technology. More on Puzzle Day and other initiatives in a future
newsletter. Wishing everyone a wonderfully productive year!
Humani c s i n Ac t i on Day 2014
Humanics in Action Day will take place
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Page 3
volume 8, Issue 1
This fall semester the MPCS Department is pleased to welcome
its newest faculty member, Dr. Tyler Markkanen!

Tyler grew up in Canton, CT. He still has family in Connecticut,
and he enjoys going back to spend time with them. He complet-
ed his undergraduate degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
in Troy, NY and his Masters degree and Ph.D. at the University
of Connecticut in Storrs, CT. Tyler taught for both RPI and
UConn as a TA, and then taught for St. Mary-of-the-Woods Col-
lege in Terre Haute, IN. He has most recently taught at Man-
hattan College in Riverdale, NY. Tyler has taught a diverse array
of courses: Fundamentals of Mathematics, Precalculus, Calculus
I, II, and III, Differential Equations, Discrete Mathematics,
Linear Algebra, Mathematics for Elementary and Secondary School Teachers, Statistics, and
Undergraduate Mathematics Seminar. His favorite course to teach is Foundations of Math
and Introduction to Proofs because it is based in logic and gets at the roots of mathematics.
It also serves as a bridge between computational math (like Calculus and Differential Equa-
tions) and theoretical math (like Abstract Algebra and Mathematical Analysis).

When asked what Tylers favorite hobbies are, he listed some that are unique and extremely
interesting! He enjoys magic tricks, board games, and singing. He likes a cappella and early
music. Tylers favorite song is Let it Go from the Disney movie Frozen. His favorite band is
Of Monsters and Men, and his favorite sport is Ultimate Frisbee.

What surprises Tyler the most about teaching at SC? He was happily surprised to find the
intimate class size, the students eagerness to learn, and the overall fun he has leading discus-
sions. He also finds the positive energy that surrounds the students and their interest in
wellness and well-being really has jazzed him up. Its important to note that he states that
this is an unusual experience that he hasnt found at any of the other schools that he has been
a part of. This experience is unique to SC!

Tyler is really looking forward to this academic year and is excited to meet new people, stu-
dents, faculty, and staff. When asked what he would like to accomplish with his time at SC,
he answered that he would like to see the MPCS Department have a larger presence on campus
and out in the public. He would like to investigate the effect our teaching and research has on
the students and the College Community. We look forward to assisting him in this task and
are so pleased that he has joined our SC family! We also are looking forward to seeing his
magic tricks and hearing him sing!! WELCOME TYLER!
MPCS Dept. Welcomes Dr. Tyler Markkanen
Einsteins Quote of the Month

Two things are infinite:
The universe and human stupidity;
And Im not sure about the universe.
KILLER SUDOKU
Famous Mathematicians
Hermann Klaus Hugo (Peter) Weyl
(1885-1955) Germany, U.S.A.
Weyl studied under Hilbert and became one of the premier mathematicians of the
20th century. His discovery of gauge invariance and notion of Riemann surfaces
form the basis of modern physics. He excelled at many fields including integral
equations, harmonic analysis, analytic number theory, Diophantine approxima-
tions, and the foundations of mathematics, but he is most respected for his revo-
lutionary advances in geometric function theory (e.g., differentiable manifolds),
the theory of compact groups (incl. representation theory), and theoretical physics
(e.g., Weyl tensor, gauge field theory and invariance). For a while, Weyl was a disciple of Brouwer's Intui-
tionism and helped advance that doctrine, but he eventually found it too restrictive. Weyl was also a very in-
fluential figure in all three major fields of 20th-century physics: relativity, unified field theory and quantum
mechanics. Because of his contributions to Schrdinger, many think the latter's famous result should be
named Schrdinger-Weyl Wave Equation.
Vladimir Vizgin wrote "To this day, Weyl's [unified field] theory astounds all in the depth of its ideas, its
mathematical simplicity, and the elegance of its realization." Weyl once wrote: "My work always tried to
unite the Truth with the Beautiful, but when I had to choose one or the other, I usually chose the Beautiful."
http://fabpedigree.com/james/mathmen.htm#Weyl

For solution, please go to:
http://killersudokuonline.com/puzzles/2014/solution-