Combinatorics and graph theory are cool
This semester I am teaching a course for freshman mathematics majors. The course is called Introduction to Formal Mathematics. One purpose of the course is to develop a tight-knit cohort of mathematics majors and another purpose is show them that mathematics is about more than “solve for $x$.” We do some problem solving, a little proof writing, and introduce them to a few topics they may or may not see in future courses. The course is a lot of fun. Feel free to check out the course webpage.
The last couple weeks we have been doing a little combinatorics and some graph theory. Today one of the students remarked something to the effect, “I liked math before, but this stuff is just so cool.” I agree. There is no reason why we couldn’t teach these topics to high school students or even middle school students. Unfortunately, we are too obsessed with trying to make sure students pass standardized tests and can take calculus in high school.
Dana C. Ernst
Mathematics & Teaching
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ
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Current Courses
MAT 226: Discrete Math
MAT 526: Combinatorics
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Flagstaff and NAU sit at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, on homelands sacred to Native Americans throughout the region. The Peaks, which includes Humphreys Peak (12,633 feet), the highest point in Arizona, have religious significance to several Native American tribes. In particular, the Peaks form the Diné (Navajo) sacred mountain of the west, called Dook'o'oosłííd, which means "the summit that never melts". The Hopi name for the Peaks is Nuva'tukya'ovi, which translates to "place-of-snow-on-the-very-top". The land in the area surrounding Flagstaff is the ancestral homeland of the Hopi, Ndee/Nnēē (Western Apache), Yavapai, A:shiwi (Zuni Pueblo), and Diné (Navajo). We honor their past, present, and future generations, who have lived here for millennia and will forever call this place home.