Jeff Barton

Associate Professor of Mathematics

Office:

111 Olin Center

Contact Information:

Birmingham-Southern College
Box 549032
900 Arkadelphia Rd
Birmingham, AL 35254
Office Phone: (205) 226-3027
Office Fax: (205) 226 3079
E-mail: jbarton@bsc.edu

Brief Career Background:

I joined the faculty of Birmingham-Southern College in 1999 immediately following the completion of my Ph.D.

Educational Background:

As an undergraduate at Louisiana State University I completed a double major in mathematics and English with an emphasis in creative writing.

I attended graduate school in mathematics at the University of Texas at Austin where I earned my Ph.D. in mathematics in 1999. My disseration, "Analogs of the Beurling-Selberg Functions in N Dimensions and Their Applications," was completed under the supervision of Dr. Jeffrey Vaaler.

Interests:

I began my academic career interested in approximation theory and some of its applications in analytic number theory.

Recently I have beem drawn to the somewhat more applied area of mathematical epidemiology. More specifically, I have become interested in mathematical models for the spread of infectious diseases and how they can be used to make sound decisions in the management of epidemics.

Areas of Academic Interest:

Approximation Theory
Analytic Number Theor
Mathematical Modeling
History of Mathematics

Courses Taught:

MA 122

MA 150 Introduction to Mathematical Thinking (1)
An introduction to important mathematical ideas and their applications in the real world. This course is designed for non-mathematics/science majors and includes topics from a variety of mathematical areas at the discretion of the instructor. Possible topics include population modeling, the mathematics of interest and loans, environmental modeling, probability, statistics, and the mathematics of social choice. Prerequisite: MA 115 or placement. Fall, Spring.

MA 231 Calculus I (1)
A course in calculus emphasizing graphical, numerical, analytical, and descriptive points of view. Topics include functions, derivatives, definite integrals, and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. Prerequisite: MA 124 or placement. Fall, Spring.

MA 232 Calculus II (1)
A course in calculus emphasizing graphical, numerical, analytical, and descriptive points of view. Topics include definite integrals, approximation techniques, indefinite integrals, elementary differential equations, modeling, Taylor polynomials, and infinite series. Prerequisite: MA 231 or placement. Fall, Spring.

MA 310 Calculus III (1)
A course in calculus emphasizing graphical, numerical, analytical, and descriptive points of view. Topics include parametric equations, polar coordinates, vectors, multivariable and vector-valued functions, partial derivatives, multiple integrals, vector fields, and line integrals. Prerequisite: MA 232 or placement. Fall, Spring.

MA 317 Linear Algebra (1)
Systems of equations, matrices, determinants, eigenvalues, matrix factorizations, vector spaces, linear transformations, and applications. Prerequisite: MA 232 or consent. Spring.

MA 335 Transition to Higher Mathematics (1)
An introduction to the logic and methods used in advanced mathematics, with emphasis on understanding and constructing proofs. Prerequisite: MA 232. Spring.

MA 458 Introduction to Complex Analysis (1)
Complex numbers, analytic functions, Cauchy-Riemann equations, curves and integrals, Cauchy's Theorem and applications, Taylor and Laurent series, analytic continuation, Residue Theorem, harmonic functions, and conformal mappings. Prerequisites: MA 310 and 335, or consent. Fall 2004.

MA 461 Real Analysis I (1)
A rigorous treatment of sequences, limits, continuity, differentiation, infinite series, sequences and series of functions, uniform convergence and its implications for function series. Prerequisites: MA 310 and 335, or consent. Fall 2004.