THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL MONTHLY THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OP THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, INC. VOLUME 69 3 > NUMBER 5 ew CONTENTS Recommendations on the Undergraduate Mathematics Program for Engineers and Physicists. . . : 339 Education for Applied Mathematics F.J.Munray 847 Some Results on Order-Convexity . . . SP. Franguin 357 The Diophantine Equation x?+y*+-2*=m? . Roserr Spa 360 On Quasi-Orthogonal Numbers. . . S§.Tavser 3865 Graphical Solutions of Problems Involving the |. of _ Lines and a a. A. ZimakzapEH 872 On a Definition of Ordinal Numbers - .. Mavrtce Sion anp Ricuarp Wintworr $81 Expansive Self: Homeomorphisms ofa Compact Metric Space B.F. Bryant 386 An Elementary Development of the Jordan Canonical Form . . S. Cater 391 Mathematical Notes. . R.G. Buscuman, E. W. Wauiace, W.J. Wona, : H. W. Goutp, J. T. Cau, Micuazn Sxaisky 394 Classroom Notes. =a . . . W.E, Brices, E. J. Purzer, oo: . Inwin Gurrman anv W. A. O’N. Waven, D. W. Rosinson, Paut Ketiy anp Davin Merrie, D. W. Wezsrern, A. D. Ziesur, R. M. REDHEFFER 406 Mathematical Education Notes E. G. Becuz, I. C. Barker, Witiiam Zior, . E. H.C. Hupepranpr, K.O.May 425 Elementary Problems andSolutios . . . |... . . . .. 484 Advanced Problems and Solutions . a. — 438 Recent Publications. . . 7 444 News and Notices. = 457 The Mathematical Association of America. 5. 1. . 469 January Meeting of the Norther California Section . / 459 Calendar of Future Meetings. © 2 2... ew 460 MAY 1962THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL MONTHLY OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, INC. Devoted to the Interests of Collegiate Mathematics Executive Director: H. M. Gruman General Office: University of Buffalo, Buffalo 14, N. Y. Annual dues: 85 (including a subscription to the Montany) Nonmember’s subscription $8. CORRESPONDENCE Muspensmrs, Susscriprions, CHANGES OF ADDRESS H. M. Gruman, Executive Director ApvERTISING F. R. Otson, University of Buffalo, Buffalo 14, N. Y. 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PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICARECOMMENDATIONS ON THE UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS PROGRAM FOR ENGINEERS AND PHYSICISTS The Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics (CUPM)* is a committee of the Mathematical Association of America and is supported in part by the National Science Foundation. The general purpose of this committee is to develop a broad program of improvement in the undergraduate mathe- matics curriculum of the nation’s colleges and universities. The CUPM Panel on Physical Sciences and Engineering} has been primarily concerned with the curriculum as it relates to the training of engineers and physicists. In this report we present our recommendations on required and optional mathematics courses for students majoring in these fields. Later re- ports will deal with other aspects of scientific training. To help bring about the curriculum changes implied by these recommenda- tions the Panel encourages appropriate conferences, experimental programs and textbook writing, and will support all worthy efforts in these directions. Background. One reason for the current effort on the undergraduate program is the rapid change in the mathematical world and in its immediate surround- ings. Three aspects of this change have a particular effect on the undergraduate training in physical sciences and engineering. The first is the work being done in improving mathematics education in the secondary school. Several programs for this have already had considerable effect and can be expected to have a great deal more. Not only can we hope that soon most freshmen expecting to take a scientific program will have covered precalculus mathematics, but, per- haps more important, they will be accustomed to care and precision of mathe- matical thought and statement. Of course, not all students will have this level of preparation in the foreseeable future, but the proportion will be large enough to enable us to plan on this basis. Students with poorer preparation may be ex- pected to take remedial courses without credit before they start the regular pro- gram. This improved preparation obviously means that we will be able to improve the content of the beginning calculus course, since topics which take time in the first two years will have been covered earlier. More than that, however, it means that the elementary calculus course will have to take a more sophisticated attitude in order to keep the student from laughing at a course in college which is less careful mathematically than its secondary-school predecessors. The second aspect of change in mathematics which confronts us is the ex- pansion in the applications of mathematics. There is a real “revolution” in engineering—perhaps “explosion” is an even better description than “revolu- *R.C. Buck, Chairman, E. G. Begle, L. W. Cohen, W. T. Guy, Jr., R. D. James, J. L. Kelley, J. G. Kemeny, E. E. Moise, J. C. Moore, Frederick Mosteller, H. O. Pollak, G. B. Price, Patrick Suppes, Henry Van Engen, R. J. Walker, A. D, Wallace, R. J. Wisner, Executive Director, A. W. Tucker, Ex oficio. +R. J. Walker, Chairman, G. F. Carrier, E. U. Condon, C. A. Desoer, T. P. Palmer, H. O. Pollak, G. B. Price, Murray Protter. 339