Address for
snail mail:
Ivan Blank
Kansas State University
Dept. of
Mathematics
138 Cardwell
Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506-2602
Office: Cardwell Hall 27
Phone: (785) 532-0536 (A
bad way to reach me.)
E-mail: blanki@ZZZmath.ksu.edu
(A good way to reach me.)
(Take out the "ZZZ"
which is just there to avoid email from robots.)
Office Hours: Always on First
Day Handouts
Check individual course pages
Summer 2000: Lift off grant from the Clay
Institute. ($12,000) June 1, 2005 - May 31, 2008: NSF Grant, DMS -
0501770.
Free Boundary Problems Arising in Material Science.
($84,000)
Mathematically Correct
is a "web site devoted to the concerns raised by parents and scientists
about the invasion of our schools by the New-New Math and the need to restore
basic skills to math education." H.O.L.D.
or Honest Open Logical Debate on math reform is an organization which is also
in favor of more traditional pedagogy in mathematics. If want a crash course in some of the history of
the reform movements which have plagued Mathematics over the past century, then
I would suggest A Brief
History of American K-12 Mathematics Education in the 20th Century by David
Klein. (It took me a couple of hours to read, but it is very well written and
very well documented. It should be required reading for all parents and all
educators!) A much faster read can be found in James
Milgram's Testimony to the Senate. (Milgram is a professor of Mathematics
at Stanford.) For a more general introduction to the decay
within American education I would suggest reading Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why
American Children Feel Good about Themselves but Can't Read, Write, or Add, by
Charles J. Sykes.
Humar is my own
particular brand of humor. Do not click here if you cannot take a joke!
(Perhaps I should steal a line from South
Park and state that due to
its content, this page should not be viewed by anyone!)
For links to a zillion sites with news,
dictionaries, encyclopedias, and generally information you may want, I suggest
that you click Here.
If you're making a webpage, then this page
on html
may be helpful.