Visitor Talk Mathemtics Department, Monmouth University Wednesday, 17 September 2014, 2:45 pm, Howard Hall 309 DR Brian Winkel, Emeritus, MathSci, USMA, West Point NY Director SIMIODE – M&M’s Can Drive the Study of Differential Equations and More! SIMIODE-Systemic Initiative for Modeling Investigations and Opportunities with Differential Equations ( a community of teachers and learners who are interested in teaching and learning differential equations through modeling scenarios and technology up front and throughout the process.

First using M&M’s to model death and immigration modeling, estimating parameters, long term behavior, solving difference and differential equations, and model validation. The idea is to investigate a reality FIRST which then leads to differential equations models, NOT to grind out techniques for differential equations and maybe never apply them or motivate them with real world activities. (a) sublimation of carbon dioxide (b) modeling a falling column of water (c) LSD in the body and its effects on simple mathematics skills (d) Time for ant to build a tunnel of length x – simply register and for teachers join the Teachers Group and for students join the Students Group.

M&M’s Simulation - Death and Immigration Process Each person has 2 cups (one live and one extra) and 1 plate, every other person has one medium bag M&Ms’ Open M&M bag and equally divide. Place half in person 1’s live cup and half in person 2’s live cup. Place 50 M&M’s in a cup (live cup) and (a)gently toss them out onto a desk, (b)discard all the M&M’s which have an ‘m’ facing up – they die – place them in the extra cup, (c)note the number remaining and place them in the live cup, (d)immigrate 10 from extra cup into the live cup, (e)go to (a)..... When to stop?????

Here we go....