Dear GMS,
I hope this email finds you well.
We will have a seminar on January 2, Monday (next week) between 11:30 and 12:30 at 225 St. Paul's (different room!!!!). We are a bit more flexible this semester, so you may see weekly or biweekly seminars depending on speaker request/availability. Lunch will be served as usual.
Our speaker will be @Irushi Jayathunga<mailto:Irushi.Jayathunga@umanitoba.ca>. You can find more information about her talk below.
Title: Enhancing Mathematics Education through Context-Based, Learner-Centered Approaches
Abstract: In this talk, the context-based, learner-centered approach we introduced in the classroom to teach mathematics will be discussed. By incorporating real-world examples and activities that connected mathematical concepts to practical applications, we aimed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and its real-world use. To measure the success of these methods, we used pre-and post-course student surveys to assess changes in students' understanding, engagement, and attitudes toward mathematics. The pre-course survey gathered insights into students' prior experiences and challenges, while the post-course survey evaluated their perceptions after experiencing the context-based approach. Our findings provide valuable insights into how these methods can enhance student learning, offering a foundation for refining and improving context-based teaching strategies in mathematics education.
See you all in the seminar!
GMS Website<https://sites.google.com/view/umgradmathsociety/> / Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/umgradmathsociety/>
Sincerely,
Berkant<https://cnnk.xyz>
GMS Executive
Dear GMS,
I hope you are all doing well.
We will have a seminar on 26th of January, Monday in 123 St. Paul's between 11:30 and 12:30. Our speaker is @Homer De Vera<mailto:deverahf@myumanitoba.ca>. This is going to be the first talk of this semester. Lunch will be served as usual.
The details about his talk are below.
Title: Minimizing Kemeny's constant for partial stochastic matrices with a single specified column
Abstract: Given a finite, discrete-time, time-homogeneous Markov chain on n states with an irreducible transition matrix T, we may compute Kemeny's constant K(T) in terms of the eigenvalues of T. Kemeny's constant on such matrices may be interpreted in terms of the expected number of steps to get from a random initial state to a random destination state, and hence, may be viewed as average travel time on a network when the states of the Markov chain are viewed as vertices on a graph. We similarly define K(T) in terms of eigenvalues of a stochastic matrix T having a single essential class, an extension of irreducible stochastic matrices. Suppose we have a partial stochastic matrix where some entries are specified and the rest are unspecified, how do we choose values for the unspecified entries so that the resulting stochastic matrix has a single essential class and K(T) is minimized? Steve Kirkland solved this question for partial stochastic matrices where the only specified entries are the diagonal entries and where the only specified entries are in a single row. In this talk, we present our results for the case where the only specified entries are in a single column. This is a work in progress with Prof. Kirkland.
We have slots available for interested speakers! Please fill out this form<https://forms.gle/gMgGoqTcBnadxhwu9> if you are interested.
See you all in the seminar!
GMS Website<https://sites.google.com/view/umgradmathsociety/> / Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/umgradmathsociety/>
Sincerely,
Berkant<https://cnnk.xyz>
GMS Executive
