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 Appendix: Detailed web flyers
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Fall/winter 2025 - visualizing algebra extended flyer
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.. raw:: html

   <h1>Visualizing Algebra Working Group</h1>

.. raw:: epub

   Visualizing Algebra Working Group:

.. raw:: latex

   {\huge Visualizing Algebra Working Group:}

..
   .. rubric:: Improve your mental model of functions in a fun,
               no-anxiety environment

.. rubric:: First informational meeting

.. admonition:: Meeting times/locations:

   | date: Mondays (starting October 6, 2025)
   | time: 7pm US/Mountain
   |       (6pm US/Pacific, 8pm US/Central,
   |       9pm US/Eastern)
   | location: https://meet.jit.si/math-working-group
   | catch-up sessions: Wednedays 7pm US/Mountain
   |                    Sundays 10am US/Mountain
   | info:   email: Mark Galassi <mark@galassi.org>
   |         phone: 505-629-0759 (voice only)


.. rubric:: Goal: building intuition for mathematics

Our goal in this working group is to build *agility and wide
experience in visualizing and solving equations.* It is aimed at
students taking the Algebra/Geometry sequence typical in high schools,
though more experienced students will also find much of interest.

This is a crucial part of developing the intuition for mathematics
that helps when you start using it in real research projects.

We start with a *review of previous algebra* aimed at understanding
*why* we were given certain rules.  Then we will spend most of our
time understanding the *structure and shape* of functions.

.. sidebar:: more details and sign-up

   .. _fig-qr-fall-2025:

   .. figure:: qr-fall-2025.png
      :align: center
      :width: 80%

      ..

   .. code-block:: text

      Questions and sign-up:
        Mark Galassi
        email: <mark@galassi.org>
        phone: 505-629-0759 (voice)

..
   % generate this with gnuplot:
   % set terminal pdf % [or png size 2560,1920]
   % set output 'x_times_sin_x2.pdf'
   % set samples 3000
   % plot [-8:8] x*sin(x**2) lw 4

.. _fig-x-times-sin-x2:

.. figure:: x_times_sin_x2.*
   :width: 50%

   Plot of :math:`x \sin(x^2)`.

This will take us on a tour of the pantheon of functions to develop a
feeling for their *visual* appearance and then their deep structure:
polynomials, rational functions, algebraic functions, transcendental
functions.

The tour of functions is visually and conceptually intriguing,
touching upon how equations bring about reduction in the dimension of
geometric figures by slicing them.

*Other topics* will include learning the *symbolic algebra* package
*sympy*, which we will use to study systems of equations and factoring
polynomials.

.. _fig-3d-slice:

.. figure:: 3d-slice.png
   :width: 50%

   A plane slicing a curved surface generates a 1-dimensional curve.

*No prerequisites* -- we do not assume knowledge of calculus, and we
introduce all the algebra ideas we use -- this is a fun, no-anxiety
romp through math.

Please get the word out to students interested in research technique.
We look forward to seeing you on October 6th!