Math in Changing Times

From disruptive advancements in technology to the sudden increase of remote learning and working, how we teach, learn, and do math is evolving rapidly. In this presentation, Dr. Laurent Bernardin will discuss some of the ways Maplesoft is working to ensure that everyone who touches mathematics doesn’t just cope, but thrives in these changing times.

Dr. Laurent Bernardin is President and CEO of Maplesoft. He has been with Maplesoft for over 20 years and prior to his appointment to his current role, he held the positions of CTO and COO. Bernardin is a firm believer that mathematics matters. Under his leadership, Maple has grown from a research project in symbolic computing to a complete environment for mathematical calculations used by hundreds of thousands of engineers, scientists, researchers and students around the world.

An Integral View on Dimensional Analysis: Scaling Invariants for Parameter Reductions in Dynamical Systems

Dimensional analysis, also known as parameter reduction, is a recommended practice before analyzing a dynamical system, such as a physical system or biological model. The Buckingham Pi Theorem shows how linear algebra can be used to bring out dimensionless variables, as power products of the original variables, which simplifies the analysis. One issue that arises, however, is that the powers provided by the Pi Theorem can be fractional, resulting in roots, and thus they require some care when determining the regions of positivity of the variables.

In this talk, I will present an algorithm involving scaling invariants that performs a similar transformation into dimensionless variables, but the results only involve integer powers and so are much easier to work with. I will also provide a simple rewriting algorithm, in the form of substitutions, that can be used to find the induced equations in the dimensionless variables.

Dr. Evelyne Hubert is a research scientist at INRIA Méditerranée (France), with previous appointments at University of Waterloo, MSRI Berkeley, IMA Minneapolis, and Fields Institute Toronto. Her interests lie in algebraic computations and how to preserve and exploit symmetry. Her contributions are in nonlinear differential systems, differential invariants and moving frames, invariant theory, approximation, as well as geometrical modeling.  She is an editor of the Journal of Symbolic Computation and Foundations of Computational Mathematics. She also enjoys hiking, snorkeling and outdoor activities in general.

Two-Eyed Seeing: Mathematics and Indigenous Traditions and Cultures

Elder Albert Marshal of the Mi’kmaw Nation describes “two-eyed seeing” as the ability to see with the strength of Indigenous knowledge from one eye while seeing with the strength of Western knowledge from the other. This dual perspective can be applied to many aspects of life, including mathematics.

In this presentation, I will explore the concept of “two-eyed seeing” and the field of ethnomathematics, the study of the relationship between mathematics and culture first introduced by Brazilian educator and mathematician Ubiratan D'Ambrosio. I will address some of the dynamics between these two concepts and illustrate them with several examples. These examples will include a brief analysis of the geometry evident in a traditional Haida Nation hat, as well as the work of contemporary Salish artist Dylan Thomas.

In addition, I will discuss a project that used mathematical modeling of a traditional Tla’amin Nation stone fish trap to communicate cultural, engineering, environmental, and mathematical ideas. This project was a collaboration with the Tla’amin Nation and the Callysto Program, an online education tool that helps students in elementary and high school learn about and apply data science skills.

Dr. Veselin Jungic is a Teaching Professor at the Department of Mathematics, Simon Fraser University. He is a 3M National Teaching Fellow and a recipient of both the Pouliot Award and the CMS Teaching Award. Most of his research is in Ramsey theory and the field of mathematics education and outreach. Veselin has been an active promoter of mathematics among broad academic and non-academic communities. He has developed the Math Catcher Outreach Program, which aims to promote mathematics and scholarship in general by encouraging elementary and high school students to recognize how math is used in everyday life and how it forms the basis for many of our daily decisions and lifelong choices.

Another Famous Unsolved Problem: Improving Diversity in STEM

The lack of diversity in STEM fields has long been recognized as a concern. Decades ago, the focus was on trying to improve the gender balance (with some, but still insufficient success). Today, our understanding of the scope of the problem has evolved to recognize that many more groups are also missing from our classrooms, our lecterns, and our workforce. But for most people, it’s still very difficult to know what we, as individuals, can do about it, or even to recognize barriers that may be outside our own lived experiences.

For some insights into this complex issue, join our discussion panel to hear from colleagues whose experiences include in-depth study of the issues, creating and supporting programs to improve diversity, and personal experiences being a minority in the STEM world. Obviously, this is not a problem to be solved at a single discussion panel, but increased understanding is always useful, and you may even pick up some ideas you can use in your own schools and workplaces.

Panelists

• Lancelot Gooden, Durham Tech
• Veselin Jungic, Simon Fraser University
• Anita Layton, University of Waterloo
• Kyne Santos, Tiktok’s “onlinekyne”

Meet the Developers

Want to know more about what goes on behind the scenes at Maplesoft? This is your opportunity ask questions of senior members of the Maplesoft R&D team. The panel will include people who are highly involved with the development of various aspects of Maple, the Maple Calculator app, and Maple Learn. Between them, this panel has many (!!) years of experience developing products for doing, learning, and teaching math. This is meant to be an interactive session, so come with lots of questions!

Panelists

• Laurent Bernardin, President and CEO
• Andrew Smith, VP Product Development
• Erik Postma, Manager – Mathematical Software Group
• Paulina Chin, Software Architect
• Jürgen Gerhard, Senior Director – Advanced Research
• Paul DeMarco, Senior Director – Maple Development
• Karishma Punwani, Director, Product Management – Academic Market