More Like this

1. F. S. Macaulay: From plane curves to Gorenstein rings

   https://doi.org/10.1090/bull/1787  

   Eisenbud, David; Gray, Jeremy (July 2023, Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society)

   Francis Sowerby Macaulay began his career working on Brill and Noether’s theory of algebraic plane curves and their interpretation of the Riemann–Roch and Cayley–Bacharach theorems; in fact it is Macaulay who first stated and proved the modern form of the Cayley–Bacharach theorem. Later in his career Macaulay developed ideas and results that have become important in modern commutative algebra, such as the notions of unmixedness, perfection (the Cohen–Macaulay property), and super-perfection (the Gorenstein property), work that was appreciated by Emmy Noether and the people around her. He also discovered results that are now fundamental in the theory of linkage, but this work was forgotten and independently rediscovered much later. The name of a computer algebra program (now Macaulay2) recognizes that much of his work is based on examples created by refined computation. Though he never spoke of the connection, the threads of Macaulay’s work lead directly from the problems on plane curves to his later theorems. In this paper we will explain what Macaulay did, and how his results are connected. 

   more » « less
2. A Machine Learning Paradigm for Studying Pictorial Realism: How Accurate are Constable's Clouds?

   https://doi.org/10.1109/TPAMI.2023.3324743  

   Zhang, Zhuomin; Mansfield, Elizabeth C.; Li, Jia; Russell, John; Young, George S.; Adams, Catherine; Bowley, Kevin A.; Wang, James Z. (January 2024, IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence)

   The British landscape painter John Constable is considered foundational for the Realist movement in 19th-century European painting. Constable’s painted skies, in particular, were seen as remarkably accurate by his contemporaries, an impression shared by many viewers today. Yet, assessing the accuracy of realist paintings like Constable’s is subjective or intuitive, even for professional art historians, making it difficult to say with certainty what set Constable’s skies apart from those of his contemporaries. Our goal is to contribute to a more objective understanding of Constable’s realism. We propose a new machine-learning-based paradigm for studying pictorial realism in an explainable way. Our framework assesses realism by measuring the similarity between clouds painted by artists noted for their skies, like Constable, and photographs of clouds. The experimental results of cloud classification show that Constable approximates more consistently than his contemporaries the formal features of actual clouds in his paintings. The study, as a novel interdisciplinary approach that combines computer vision and machine learning, meteorology, and art history, is a springboard for broader and deeper analyses of pictorial realism. 

   more » « less
3. Guitar Making with an X-Carve CNC Router

   French, Mark (January 2020, American lutherie)

   Here come the robots. Although CNC routers are not yet at the Jetsons stage, we are far beyond the days when computer-driven tools were only in luthiers’ dreams, not their workshops. Mark French brings us up to date as he selects and installs an inexpensive machine in his home shop. 

   more » « less
4. Implementing Computer Science in Elementary Science Classrooms: An Elementary Teacher’s Perceptions Over Four Years

   https://doi.org/10.22318/icls2025.179703  

   Lilly, Sarah; Bredder, Eric; McAlister, Anne M; Chiu, Jennifer L (June 2025, International Society of the Learning Sciences)

   As computer science (CS) is integrated in elementary science curricula, it is important to consider teachers’ perceptions in how they access CS and support students to engage in CS skills and standards through NGSS-aligned activities. This single case study utilizes the Interconnected Model of Professional Growth (IMPG) to examine teacher change and explore the perspectives of a teacher, through semi-structured interviews, as he implements an NGSS-aligned, project-based CS unit over the course of four years. Findings indicate that the teacher perceived that changes in his practice helped inform changes in student outcomes and the curriculum and, in turn, these changes in outcomes further informed his teaching practice in the next iteration of the unit. Results highlight the importance of reflection and feedback as a way to impact the teaching practice of integrating CS in elementary science education. 

   more » « less
5. Implementing Computer Science in Elementary Science Classrooms: An Elementary Teacher’s Perceptions Over Four Years

   Lilly, Sarah; Bredder, Eric; McAlister, Anne M; Chiu, Jennifer L (June 2025, Proceedings of the 19th International Conference of the Learning Sciences – ICLS 2025)

   Rajala, A; Cortez, A; Hofmann, R; Jornet, A; Lotz-Sisitka, J; Markauskaite, L (Ed.)

   As computer science (CS) is integrated in elementary science curricula, it is important to consider teachers’ perceptions in how they access CS and support students to engage in CS skills and standards through NGSS-aligned activities. This single case study utilizes the Interconnected Model of Professional Growth (IMPG) to examine teacher change and explore the perspectives of a teacher, through semi-structured interviews, as he implements an NGSS-aligned, project-based CS unit over the course of four years. Findings indicate that the teacher perceived that changes in his practice helped inform changes in student outcomes and the curriculum and, in turn, these changes in outcomes further informed his teaching practice in the next iteration of the unit. Results highlight the importance of reflection and feedback as a way to impact the teaching practice of integrating CS in elementary science education. 

   more » « less