Theodore Shifrin
Department of Mathematics
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
(706) 542-2556
Fax: (706) 542-5907
Email: shifrin@math.uga.edu
Office: 444 Boyd Graduate Studies
Office hours:
Monday 10-11
Tuesday 11-12, 3-4
Wednesday
Thursday 1-2 [except 4/12]
Friday 10-11, 1-2
or by appointment
I'm Professor of Mathematics
at
. I am now the Associate Head
of the Mathematics Department. I received the Lothar Tresp
Outstanding Honors Professor Award in 2002 and 2010, as well as
the Honoratus Medal in 1992. I was one of five recipients of
the 1997 Josiah
Meigs
Award for Excellence in Teaching at The
University of Georgia. I was the 2000 winner of the Award for
Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics,
Southeast section, presented by the Mathematical Association of
America. My research interests are in differential geometry and
complex algebraic geometry. You may consult my current Vita and
Publication List and contact me by email if
you'd like any preprints or reprints.
If you'd like to see the "text" of my talk at the MAA Southeastern
Section meeting, March 30, 2001, entitled Tidbits of Geometry Through the Ages, you may
download a .pdf
file.
I am the Honors
adviser for students majoring in Mathematics at The University of
Georgia. I also advise Honors freshmen and sophomores majoring in
Computer Science, Physics, Physics & Astronomy, and
Statistics. If you would like to see how the Honors Program at The
University of Georgia has recently garnered national attention,
you might try the cover story of the September 16, 1996 issue of U.S. News
& World Report, p. 109. (I have a personal stake in
this, of course.)
Long ago, I wrote a senior-level mathematics text, Abstract
Algebra:
A Geometric Approach, published by Prentice Hall
(now Pearson) in 1996. You might want to refer to the list
of typos and emendations. Please email me if you find
other errors or have any comments or suggestions.
Malcolm Adams and
I just completed the second
edition of our linear algebra text, Linear
Algebra:
A Geometric Approach, published by W.H. Freeman in
2011. Our approach puts greater emphasis on both geometry and
proof techniques than most books currently available; somewhat
novel is a discussion of the mathematics of computer graphics. As
we find out about them, we will be maintaining a list
of errata and typos.
My textbook Multivariable
Mathematics:
Linear Algebra, Multivariable Calculus, and Manifolds
was published by J. Wiley & Sons in 2004. The text integrates
the linear algebra and calculus material, emphasizing the theme of
implicit versus explicit. It includes proofs and
all the theory of the calculus without giving short shrift to
computations and physical applications. There is, as always, the
obligatory list
of
errata and typos; please email me if you have any
comments or have discovered any errors. Click here
if you want a list of errata in the solutions manual.
I have written some informal class notes for MATH 4250/6250, Differential
Geometry:
A First Course in Curves and Surfaces. They are
available in .pdf format, and, as usual, comments and suggestions
are always welcome. If you're interested in using them as a class
text, please contact me beforehand for permission. I have recently
revised the notes.
I teach a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate courses, but
particularly enjoy teaching:
MATH
3500(H)–3510(H) ([Honors] Multivariable Mathematics) —
MWF 11:15–12:05This is an integrated year-long
course in multivariable calculus and linear algebra. It includes
all the material in MATH 2500 and MATH 3000, along with
additional applications and theoretical material. There is
greater emphasis on proofs, and the pace is quick. Typically the
class consists of a blend of sophomores (some of whom have had
MATH 2400(H)–2410(H), others of whom have had MATH 2260 or 2310H
and MATH 3200) and freshmen who've earned a 5 on the AP Calculus BC exam. The text
is my recent book, Multivariable Mathematics:
Linear Algebra, Multivariable Calculus, and Manifolds.
Students who are unsure about what
math class to take should contact me during the summer. Some
students who would like to take MATH 3500(H) but aren't sure
whether they will like it should give it a shot; if your
schedule allows it, we can do a "section change" to MATH 2500
even after two or three weeks. Students who feel like they need
more confidence in writing proofs should consider taking MATH
3200 concurrently in
the fall semester. So far as grades are concerned, students who
master the computational content of the course (the standard
3000 and 2500 material) ordinarily earn at least a B.
Students who would like some
guidance in reading and writing proofs might want to look at a
wonderful new book called How
to Think Like a Mathematician: A Companion to Undergraduate
Mathematics, by Kevin Houston, Cambridge University
Press, 2009. You can get it used for under $25.
Fall semester: MATH 4220/6220 (Differential
Topology) — MWF 9:05–9:55
Undergraduate Mathematics Information (including advice on majoring in mathematics, job opportunities)
UGA Math Club
Job Opportunities for Mathematics Majors
Alumni Questionnaire
Michael Spivak's brand-new text on Mechanics (the book is now in print for $90 at Amazon!)
UGA's Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy
Because of rampant paranoia on the part of the UGA administration, I am "obliged" to add the following disclaimer:
The content and opinions expressed on this webpage do not necessarily reflect the views of nor are they endorsed by the University of Georgia or the University System of Georgia.