qua⋅ter⋅ni⋅on
noun /kwəˈtərnēən/ /kwä-/
quaternions, plural
- A complex number of the form w + xi + yj + zk, where w, x, y, z are real numbers and i, j, k are imaginary units that satisfy certain conditions.
- A set of four people or things.
Department News
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics has an annual newsletter, The Quaternion, in which we report news of the department (as a whole, and of individual members). Each issue also has a feature on a topic in mathematics and/or statistics, mathematics education, or something else of interest to the math/statistics community. The newsletter is distributed in late August or early September.
If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please contact Denise Marks.
If you would like to respond to an article, or discuss other Quaternion-related matters, please contact the editor, Greg McColm.
Current Issue. Gravitational Lensing and the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra
Past issues and features:
- Fall 2010. The Zen of Math Education
- Fall 2009. Technology in the (Large) Classroom
- Fall 2008. Carol Williams on Why Are the Atomic Clocks Running Fast?
- Fall 2007. Boris Shekhtman and Just a Thought about Poincaré.
- Fall 2006. Arcadii Grinshpan and An Old Answer to an Old Problem.
- Fall 2005. Boris Shekhtman on If Size Matters, Then How Large are the Primes?
- Fall 2004. Richard Stark and Greg McColm on The Ultimate Machinery of Life.
- Fall 2003. Fred Zerla on why he uses the graphic calculator in teaching.
- Fall 2002. Richard Stark on Leopard Spots, Emergent Properties, and Ghostly Mathematics.
- Fall 2001. Natasha Jonoska on Computing with Biomolecules. Greg McColm and Ken Pothoven on What Happened to Calculus Reform?
- Fall 2000. Boris Shekhtman on the Joys of Mathematics.
- Fall 1999. Vilmos Totik on approximation theory.
- Fall 1998. Chairman Marcus McWaters on the classification of USF as a Research I university.