Top Nav Top Nav Footer Nav
Back toTop
Menu

Doug Riley

Doug Riley

Associate Professor of Mathematics

Doug RileyOffice:

112 Olin Center

Contact Information:

Birmingham-Southern College
Box 549032
900 Arkadelphia Rd
Birmingham, AL 35254
Office Phone: (205) 226-3028
E-mail: [email protected]

Brief Career Background:

Doug Riley began his teaching career as a tutor in the Quantitative Reasoning Center at DePauw University. After graduating in 1991, he worked for a short while as a Systems Analyst at the Allison Transmission Division of General Motors before starting his graduate work at the University of Kentucky in 1993. In 1999, Dr. Riley joined the faculty of Birmingham-Southern College. Dr. Riley has continued to work with undergraduates through his teaching, advising, and research. He has sponsored a variety of individualized research projects, Vail Research Fellowships, and senior conferences.

Educational Background:

1999 Ph.D. Mathematics, University of Kentucky
1995 M.A. Mathematics, University of Kentucky
1991 B.A. Mathematics and Computer Science, DePauw University

Areas of Academic Interest:

  • Computational Number Theory
  • Dynamical Systems
  • Fluid Dynamics/Navier-Stokes
  • Mathematical Education

Courses Taught:

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 240 Discrete Structures (1)
An introduction to concepts fundamental to the analysis of algorithms and their realizations. Topics include set theory, induction, recursion, graphs, networks, and Boolean algebra. Prerequisites: CS 250, or MA 231 and CS 170, or consent of the instructor. Fall, Spring.

MA 254 Connecting the Dots (1)
An entry-level course on developing mathematical models to fit real-world data. To solve these problems, we study polynomial interpolation, trigonometric interpolation, splines, linear regression and the method of least squares. To obtain an overall theory to explain these methods, a function space perspective is adopted. Computers will play a central role in the course and every method discussed will be visualized. Prerequisite: MA231, high school calculus, or consent. 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 311 Differential Equations (1)
An introduction to the study of ordinary differential equations with emphasis on solution techniques and applications. Whenever possible, numerical, qualitative and analytical methods are discussed, and students are encouraged to make use of computers in solving some of the problems. Prerequisite: MA 310 or consent. Fall.

MA 454 Numerical Analysis (1)
An introduction to numerical methods of solution and their analysis. Topics include computer arithmetic, propagation of error, systems of linear and non-linear equations, numerical integration, curve fitting, and differential equations. Prerequisites: MA 310 and a computer science course numbered CS 170 or above, or consent.