Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
6-1-2013
Abstract
I taught complex analysis for the first time in my career during the spring of 2013. I decided to do something “radical” and teach it as a lab-type course with a focus on geometric interpretations using the computer program Mathematica. The students and I met in a computer lab and, during most meetings, we spent a large portion of our time experimenting and exploring using Mathematica to visualize key concepts in complex analysis. Because of this, there was a heavy emphasis on viewing analytic functions as conformal mappings as well as considering associated vector fields and flows. Mathematica was used to make the concepts “come alive” through its animation capabilities. A description of some of these animations will be the main focus of this paper. I will also briefly discuss how I helped students learn more basic content through the use of many 10-minute video lectures (I also taught basic Mathematica code in these video lectures).
Recommended Citation
Kinney, William M., "Teaching Complex Analysis as a Lab-Type Course with a Focus on Geometric Interpretations using Mathematics" (2013). ACMS Conference Proceedings 2013. 6.
https://pillars.taylor.edu/acms-2013/6
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