MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
Maryland-District of Columbia-Virginia Section
MAA Student Chapters Conference

Student Paper Session I
8:50 a.m. - 9:10a.m.
Saturday April 10, 1999

Room: B31:

Speaker: Devika Chawla, Georgetown University
Title: The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Protocol
Abstract: The talk will describe the key components of the SSL protocol. This protocol guarantees privacy by means of symmetric encryption of data, peer authentication using asymmetric cryptography, and connection reliability via message integrity checks.

Speaker: Paul Dosart, James Madison University
Title:Modeling Suspension Bridge Oscillations Using a Picard Iteration Technique .
Abstract: A modified Picard iteration technique is used to solve equations involved with torsional oscillations in suspension bridges. Oscillations are modeled for different situations, and the different methods of solving these equations are discussed. The Picard iteration technique's accuracy is evaluated in comparison with other traditional methods.

Room B34

Speaker: Melanie Hancock, St. Mary's College
Title: On Conway's Surreal Numbers
Abstract: An elementary, accessible exposition of John Conway's Surreal Number contruction.

Speaker: Sherman Mason, Virginia State University
Title: Atmospheric Research in the high plains of Northeastern Colorado
Abstract: This summer, a group of students from a group of schools performed atmospheric research in the high plains of northeastern Colorado. These students studied the trace gases associated with fertilization of corn fields in an attempt to gather an idea as to how over fertilization is affecting the atmosphere and the environment. The trace gases that will be studied are Nox SO2 O3 and NH3. Other activities include taking atmospheric particle counts in the corn field and at the equipment sight located on the edge of the cornfield, taking corn measurements to study the rate of corn growth during certain time periods and before and after fertilization. Leaf area indices and inferred aerial photographs of the corn field were also taken. This was used in order to determine where in the land the corn was growing better and where it was worse. This information was correlated with soil conditions taken before the corn was planted and will help to aid in spot fertilizing, in which fertilizer is applied only to places as needed. During the course of this project, the information that is gathered will be statistically analyzed in order to determine the daily, weekly and overall averages, standard deviations, maximums and minimums. Some statistical tests may be done in order to determine long term trends.

Room B36

Speaker: Henry Wm. Faxon, Bowie State University
Title: Measure that Angle
Abstract: My Research is Based upon Bernard R. Goldstein's translation of "The Astronomy of Levi ben Gerson (1200 - 1344)", dtd. 1985, Springer-Verlag. Levi ben Gerson is credited with inventing the Jacob Staff, a device used in the measurement of angles, chords and arcs. Through an ingenious scale that Levi ben Gerson developed, ratios are obtained, calculations in trigonometry performed, values are then obtained from a table of arcs and sines, and finally distances are noted between heavenly bodies, earthly points, too.
I have constructed a Jacob Staff based upon Levi ben Gerson's method of construction. I can describe and demonstrate the use of the staff plus perform the calculations necessary for the proper use of the staff. This area of research includes the History of Mathematics, 14^th C. use of ratios, trigonometry methods and the sexagesimal number system.

Speaker: Natisha M. Greenway, Bowie State University
Title: The Model Institution for Excellence.
Abstract: It is not known just when the systematic use of the 360 degrees circle came into mathematics, but it seems to be largely to Hipparchus in connection with his table of chords. Just how Hipparchus made up his table is not known, for his works are not extant (except for a commentary on a popular astronomical poem by Aratus). It is likely that his methods were similar to those of Ptolemy, for Theon of Alexandria, commenting on Ptolemy's table of chords, reported that Hipparchus earlier had written a treatise in twelve books on chords in a circle. Hipparchus developed a table of chord lengths, very similar to trigonometry tables during modern times. He also studied the angles of sides of triangles, which led him to develop methods for solving spherical triangles and advocate the use of latitude and longitude for position on the Earth.

Room B44

Speaker: Nabil Guffey, Bowie State University
Title: The Newtonian Orbits ot the Reimann Zeta Function
Abstract:We adapt Newton's Method to a certain expression closely related to the Riemann zeta function, so that whenever one starts with an arbitrary initial point in the complex plane, the resulting sequence of iterations produces an orbit that eventually converges to a zero of the Riemann zeta function. Thus to every point in the complex plane we can assign a specific color which is the same as the color of the zero to which its Newtonian orbit converges. The resulting graphical portrait (as seen through MAPLE) is a fascinating study in fractal geometry.

Speaker: Laura Schultz, Hood College
Title: The Weibull Distribution for Reliability Analysis
Abstract:It would certainly be helpful to know when your car is going to die, or to have an idea of when your refrigerator is going to stop running. It is possible, using probability and statistics, to get a prediction of when you are going to encounter problems with these systems. In the field of reliability technology, it has been found that some standard types of distribution can be used to model failure characteristics of technological systems. In particular, it has been shown that the Weibull statistical distribution may be used to predict the lifetime of many systems and their elements. I will discuss why the Weibull distribution is such an accurate tool for reliability analysis, how statistical models can be developed, and some practical uses of these models.