Profile of <span>Frank Swenton</span>
Office
Gamliel P. House 208
Tel
(802) 443-3421
Email
fswenton@middlebury.edu
Office Hours
On Leave 2023-24

Courses Taught

Course Description

Mathematical Foundations of Computing
In this course we will provide an introduction to the mathematical foundations of computer science, with an emphasis on formal reasoning. Topics will include propositional and predicate logic, sets, functions, and relations; basic number theory; mathematical induction and other proof methods; combinatorics, probability, and recurrence relations; graph theory; and models of computation. (CSCI 0145 or CSCI 0150) (Juniors and Seniors by waiver) 3 hrs. lect./lab

Terms Taught

Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022

Requirements

DED

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Course Description

Theory of Computation
This course explores the nature of computation and what it means to compute. We study important models of computation (finite automata, push-down automata, and Turing machines) and investigate their fundamental computational power. We examine various problems and try to determine the computational power needed to solve them. Topics include deterministic versus non-deterministic computation, and a theoretical basis for the study of NP-completeness. (CSCI 0200 and CSCI 0201) 3 hrs. lect./disc.

Terms Taught

Fall 2022, Spring 2023

Requirements

DED

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Course Description

Object-Oriented Programming and GUI Application Development
In this coding-intensive course students will deepen their understanding of data structures, algorithms, and object-oriented programming concepts through development of GUI (Graphical User Interface) applications. After a brief introduction to C++ and our development environment, Qt, we will immerse ourselves in them through work on an array of application development projects. Along the way, we will be introduced to a number of software development principles and build an understanding of fundamental object-oriented concepts in C++, including classes and inheritance, templates, pointers, constructors/destructors, and ownership. (CSCI 0202 or by waiver) 3 hrs lect./disc.

Terms Taught

Spring 2021, Fall 2021

Requirements

DED

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Course Description

Communication: From Analog to Digital and Back Again
In this seminar we will undertake an interdisciplinary study of the nearly ubiquitous process of communication—that is, the transmission and receipt of information. This will run the gamut from oral to written to digital language; from humans to cells to subatomic particles; from hearing to sight to touch; and from its first origins into the modern day. Throughout, we will observe the interplay between the analog world in which we physically live and the increasingly digital world that humanity has created through modern technology, and we will attempt to gain a larger perspective on the transformation that has taken place, along with its effects. 3 hrs sem.

Terms Taught

Fall 2020

Requirements

CW

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Course Description

Independent Study
Approval Required

Terms Taught

Winter 2020, Winter 2021, Winter 2022, Winter 2023, Winter 2024

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Course Description

Calculus II
A continuation of MATH 0121, may be elected by first-year students who have had an introduction to analytic geometry and calculus in secondary school. Topics include a brief review of natural logarithm and exponential functions, calculus of the elementary transcendental functions, techniques of integration, improper integrals, applications of integrals including problems of finding volumes, infinite series and Taylor's theorem, polar coordinates, ordinary differential equations. (MATH 0121 or equivalent) 4 hrs. lect/disc.

Terms Taught

Fall 2019

Requirements

DED

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Course Description

Linear Algebra
Matrices and systems of linear equations, the Euclidean space of three dimensions and other real vector spaces, independence and dimensions, scalar products and orthogonality, linear transformations and matrix representations, eigenvalues and similarity, determinants, the inverse of a matrix and Cramer's rule. (MATH 0121 or equivalent) 3 hrs. lect./disc.

Terms Taught

Fall 2021

Requirements

DED

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Course Description

Multivariable Calculus
The calculus of functions of more than one variable. Introductory vector analysis, analytic geometry of three dimensions, partial differentiation, multiple integration, line integrals, elementary vector field theory, and applications. (MATH 0122 and MATH 0200 or by waiver) 3 hrs. lect./disc.

Terms Taught

Fall 2019, Spring 2020

Requirements

DED

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Course Description

Real Analysis
An axiomatic treatment of the topology of the real line, real analysis, and calculus. Topics include neighborhoods, compactness, limits, continuity, differentiation, Riemann integration, and uniform convergence. (MATH 0223) 3 hrs. lect./disc.

Terms Taught

Spring 2020

Requirements

DED

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Course Description

Advanced Study
Individual study for qualified students in more advanced topics in algebra, number theory, real or complex analysis, topology. Particularly suited for those who enter with advanced standing. (Approval required) 3 hrs. lect./disc.

Terms Taught

Winter 2020, Spring 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Winter 2024

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Course Description

Topology Seminar
Topology is the rigorous mathematical study of shape at the most fundamental level—for example, the shapes of the letters I and U are topologically equivalent, but neither is equivalent to that of the letter O. In this senior seminar students will encounter topological objects such as manifolds, braids, and knots, studying them using tools ranging from combinatorial to geometric to algebraic. Working independently and in small groups, students will gain experience reading advanced sources and communicating their insights in expository writing and oral presentations. This course fulfills the capstone senior work requirement for the mathematics major. (MATH 0302) 3 hrs sem.

Terms Taught

Fall 2020

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