MATH AWARENESS MONTH - APRIL 2000

MATH SPANS ALL DIMENSIONS

Announcement - Feb. 2000

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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.


Mathematics Awareness Month is sponsored each year by the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics to recognize the importance of mathematics through written materials and an accompanying poster that highlight mathematical developments and applications in a particular area.