ANNOUNCEMENT
For More Information, Please Contact:
Donald Albers Richard Tchen
Mathematical Association of America the Math Forum
Office (202) 387-5200 (610) 544-3644
Fax (202) 387-5948 (610) 544-1358
Dalbers@maa.org richard@mathforum.org
To: Mathematical Sciences Community
Date: February 2000
Re: MATHEMATICS AWARENESS MONTH, April 2000
"Math Spans All Dimensions" is the theme of Mathematics Awareness
Month, April 2000, sponsored by the Joint Policy Board for
Mathematics (JPBM), with support from Wolfram Research, Inc.
For the first time, the MAM2000 poster will appear both on bulletin
boards and also on the computer screen as a fully interactive
document.
Mathematics Awareness Month provides the mathematical sciences
community with opportunities for promoting the importance and
versatility of mathematics, and its relationship to our daily lives.
JPBM invites you to use the electronic poster for MAM 2000 and the
related materials available on the MAM website to inform your
colleagues, students, and the general public about the value of
mathematics.
This year's MAM2000 electronic poster invites teachers and students
to explore mathematics in all dimensions by investigating the
contributions of eleven individuals who use mathematics in various
dimensions in their work. Starting with 0 dimensions and the
analysis of point clouds,the central figure of the poster moves from
1-dimensional worlds of geological core samples and racing car
geometry to the 2-dimensional worlds of Edwin Abbott Abbott's
"Flatland" and Pixar Animation Studios, to the 3 dimensions of
choreography and crystal geometry and gravitational lensing, on to 4
dimensions and higher, with cosmology, hyperspace, and Madeleine
L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time." Each part of the poster will be a
link to more information about the different individuals, and further
links to literature, electronic resources, and teaching materials at
different levels.
Mathematics Awareness Month is an excellent time to communicate with
broad audiences about the relevance of mathematics in their lives.
Here are some suggested activities:
* Design your own World Wide Web page, and submit it to be linked
to the MAM2000 website;
* Encourage your local math club, student chapter of the AMS, MAA,
or SIAM, or chapter of the Pi Mu Epsilon or Mu Alpha Theta, to organize
campus events related to the MAM2000 theme;
* Request that appropriate state and local officials issue a
proclamation declaring April 2000 to be Mathematics Awareness
Month in your locality - a sample proclamation can be found on the
MAM2000 website;
* Invite your local legislators and other elected officials to
visit your department -- public officials appreciate opportunities to
speak with faculty about their public policy concerns;
* Tailor the following sample news release to include details on
your MAM activities and mail it to your local print and broadcast
media outlets -- you can find media listings in the reference section
of your library, or work with your institution's public
information office;
* Check the MAM website for an extensive listing of past activities
and events.
Please help us share Mathematics Awareness Month by posting
announcements and reports of your MAM2000 activities on our
electronic mailing list /mam/mamlist.html.
The Joint Policy Board for Mathematics and its member societies -
the American Mathematical Society, the Mathematical Association of
America, and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics -
appreciate the involvement of the American mathematical sciences
community in Mathematics Awareness Month. We also thank Wolfram
Research, Incorporated, for sponsoring the publication and
distribution of the MAM2000 poster. The concept and design of the
MAM2000 electronic poster are due to Thomas Banchoff of Brown
University, MAA President; and Davide Cervone of Union College.
