UMF Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

Nic Koban

Assistant Professor of Mathematics

Office: Brinkman 105

Phone: (207) 778-7117

Email: nicholas.koban@maine.edu

SCHEDULE (Fall 2009)

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

8:00-8:30

Foundations
of Abstract
Mathematics

Research
Time
(Unavailable)

Foundations
of Abstract
Mathematics

8:30-9:05

9:05-9:30

9:30-10:00

Office
Hour

10:00-10:30

10:30-11:00

Independent
Study

Office
Hour

Independent
Study

11:00-11:30

11:30-11:45

11:45-12:30

Gym

Common
Meeting
Time

Gym

12:30-1:15

1:15-1:45

Calculus I

1:45-2:00

Office
Hour

2:00-2:20

Office
Hour

2:20-2:45

2:45-3:00

3:00-3:30

3:30-4:00

Calculus III

4:00-4:30

4:30-5:10

TEACHING

In the Fall of 2009, I will be teaching:

Past Teaching at the University of Maine Farmington

I have taught the following courses at UMF:

Math 100 - Introduction to Mathematics (Fall 08)
Math 103 - Mathematical Content for Elementary School Teachers I (Fall 08)
Math 120 - Introductory Statistics (Fall 07, Spring 08, and Spring 09)
Math 132 - Precalculus (Fall 06, Spring 07 and 08, Summer 07 and 08)
Math 141 - Calculus I (Fall 06, Fall 07, and Summer 09)
Math 142 - Calculus II (Summer 07 and 08)
Math 151 - Foundations of Abstract Mathematics (Spring 07 and Fall 08)
Math 304 - College Geometry (Spring 07 and 08)
Math 352 - Abstract Algebra (Spring 09)
Math 403 - Numerical Analysis/Differential Equations (Fall 07)

RESEARCH

My field of interest is topology. I am especially interested in geometric group theory. My research so far has been focused on the Bieri-Neumann-Strebel-Renz geometric invariants Σⁿ of a group. My thesis develops an invariant Ωⁿ analogous to Σⁿ and investigates the relationship between the two.

Research Papers

Controlled Topology Invariants of Translation Actions, Topology and it's Applications, Volume 153 (Issue 12), 2006, pp. 1975-1993. PDF file or Postscript file
The Geometric Invariants Ωⁿ of a Product of Groups, Geometriae Dedicata, Volume 124 (Number 1), February 2007, pp. 133-141. PDF file or Postscript file
The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECTS

I have supervised the following undergraduate research projects:

During the 2007-2008 academic year, Sam Valentine researched the origins of the Pythagorean Theorem in Chinese history. Sam conducted a large portion of his research while studying in China during the spring 2008 semester. He presented his findings (via skype from China) at the 2008 Michael D. Wilson Symposium day. Sam was named a Wilson Scholar for this research during the fall semester of 2007.
During the 2008-2009 academic year, Dan Allen studied the braid groups, B_n, on n strands, and he computed Σ¹(B₃). He also studied the general structure of the Cayley graphs of the braid groups on n strands. He presented his results at a UMF math hour talk in April of 2009 and also at the 2009 Michael D. Wilson Symposium day. Dan was named the Wilson Fellow for the 2008-2009 academic year for this research. Here is a copy of his paper The Σ¹-Invariants of B₃.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Education

B.S. in Mathematics from Bloomsburg University in 1997.
Ph.D. in Mathematics from Binghamton University in 2004.

Employment

Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Western Carolina University from fall 2004 until spring 2006.
Assistant Professor of Mathematics at the University of Maine Farmington since fall 2006.

Some of the files on this webpage are ps files (postscript files). You need GSview and Ghostscript to read these files. Click here for a link where you can download both.