Author Archives: Xander

About Xander

Xander is interested in pure mathematics and mathematics education. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics with an emphasis in statistics from the University of Nevada, Reno, and has completed a teacher preparation program at the same institution. After completing his student teaching, he was unable to find gainful employment as a teacher, and has therefore retreated behind the ivory walls of academia in order to complete a master's degree in mathematics. As part of a teaching assistantship designed to help defray the cost of his education, Xander is also teaching remedial algebra at the university.

Don’t Get Caught

Posted on 17 April 2012 by Xander

Sometimes, teaching can be very frustrating. Earlier this semester, I gave an exam. Of the forty or so students who are currently enrolled in the class, barely half managed a passing score (a middling C for those that are interested). … Continue reading →

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MMM LIX

Posted on 2 April 2012 by Xander
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Keep It Simple, Stupid

Posted on 26 March 2012 by Xander

I have a much younger sister who is currently taking calculus as a high school junior. Given that I have a little more mathematical training than anyone else in my family, she sometimes asks me for help with her homework. … Continue reading →

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MMM LVIII

Posted on 26 March 2012 by Xander
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Katja Sticking Out Her Tongue

Posted on 22 March 2012 by Xander

Apropos of nothing in particular, a recent picture of my daughter. The ribbon of drool is the most charming feature, I think.

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Education is a Ponzi Scheme

Posted on 22 March 2012 by Xander

Our education system is a massive Ponzi scheme. I may come across as a cynic for making this statement, and I may earn the ire of many, but bear with me for a moment. This is not a bad thing—in … Continue reading →

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Office Decoration

Posted on 15 March 2012 by Xander

My office is housed in the Davidson Math and Science Building at UNR. The building is relatively new, and has some design quirks, some of which are a bit annoying. For instance, next to the doorway of each office, there … Continue reading →

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Still Alive!

Posted on 14 March 2012 by Xander

Man… between my course load, my teaching load, and a four month old, I have been rather remiss in keeping this place up to date. C’est la vie, I suppose. At any rate, spring break is next week, and I … Continue reading →

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Spider’s Web

Posted on 17 January 2012 by Xander

My wife is an editor for the literary site Indie Ink. The goal of the site is to foster creativity in a non-judgemental and non-competitive manner. One way in which they do this is through a weekly writing challenge, where … Continue reading →

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The Collatz Fractal

Posted on 12 January 2012 by Xander

In the past, we have spent a significant amount of time discussing the Mandelbrot set and variations thereon. We saw that each Mandelbrot, multibrot, and Julia set can be characterized as a set of complex numbers that behave “nicely” with … Continue reading →

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