RHA/VMI FAQ
Who are you?
Professor of math, chaos theory.
What do you do?
Write books, cdroms, websites, do math research, applications, education, and history.
How did you get interested in math?
My mom and an illness saved me from MA around age 15. I owe a lot to Nicky, a math professor from the University of Vermont, who tutored me for two years in place of high school.
What is VM?
Visual Math, VM, refers to the coordination of multiple modes of intelligence and representation, cognitive styles, for the purpose of communication of mathematics. For example, the dynapic technique coordinates visual, verbal, and symbolic modes.
What is the VMI?
The Visual Math Institute, or VMI, is devoted to visual math research and education, including computation math, computer graphics, and interactive enironments. A connection with MA was discovered in teaching, and followed up in grant research from 1975 to 1982.
How did the VMI get started?
- 1974
- Evan Schaffer, first graphics terminal, 4006 green screen
- course in calculus with text by David Smith
- programming in basic, plotter primitives such as lift pen, etc
- 1975
- Vismath Project, grants
- Brian Beach, Peter Broadwell
- 1980
- NSF grant, grant passing, Kristina
- Chris Shaw, Dynamics, the Geometry of Behavior 1982-88, 92
- 1985
- chaos theory, MIMI project funded
- 1988
- Chaos, Gaia, Eros, Math 181, John Dee, Euclid
- 1992
- NASA project, MPP
- 1994
- retirement, move to Old Sash Mill in downtown Santa Cruz, www arrives
- party announce package idea
- JPX, Euclid Project
- 1995
- the Ross School, turning to school curricula
How is the VMI funded?
Over the years there have been grans from vasrrious state nd federal agencies. Since 1992, suppport has come primarily from my fees for lectures, consulting, and book royalties.