Mathematical Science & Technologies » Education

Assembly Language and Embedded Systems Development

Assad Ebrahim — Sun, 02 May 2010 08:37:53 +0000

On the Value of Assembly Language, and Resources to get you started in Digital Logic, Computer Architecture, and Assembly Language programming.

Despite advances in programming technologies since the 1970s, there are still reasons to understand and learn assembly language programming. Contrary to what one may imagine, Assembly Language is not a relic of the past, [...]

Meta-Questions and Educational Success

Assad Ebrahim — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:53:29 +0000

Abstract

“It seems that students who are hard-working and otherwise successful, but whose milieu (peers, mentors, and home environment) are at once non-technical and disengaged from the ideas behind science and technology, are at a higher risk of disorientation, dissatisfaction, or disillusionment with mathematics and science.”

In this article, I will explore this conjecture, and suggest a [...]

A Course in the Philosophy and Foundations of Mathematics

Assad Ebrahim — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:36:30 +0000

An examination of mathematical methods and the search for mathematical meaning.

During your studies of mathematics, physics and engineering, you may find yourself distracted or troubled by meta questions about mathematics — questions that fall outside the syllabi of most of the coursework that you’ll take.

For those for whom this itch is persistent, what [...]

Why Zero Raised to the Zero Power IS One

Assad Ebrahim — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:56:16 +0000

The question of what value 0^0 should evaluate to has been discussed since the time of Euler (1700s). There are three candidate choices: 1,0, or “indeterminate” (i.e., throw an error).

In this article, I argue that the only reasonable choice (for discrete mathematics) is 0^0=1 (), and I’ll give a tangible, feel-the-grit-in-your-palms reason [...]

Teaching Mathematics “in Tunic”

Assad Ebrahim — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:04:11 +0000

…Thoughts on the Teaching of Exploratory, Topical Mathematics

Mathematics is a richly spun tapestry threaded with interconnections from a multiplicity of endeavors, perspectives, and disciplines, both theoretical and applied. Contrary to its typical presentation, mathematics is not a linear subject.

For an instructor, this presents a number of challenges: how best to address the non-linear, inter-woven [...]