Browse this journal

George Pólya Award Collection 1970s, 1980s

Created 19 Apr 2024 | 28 articles

The George Polya Award, established in 1976, is named after the renowned teacher and writer, and is given for articles of expository excellence published in The College Mathematics Journal. This award is $1,000. Up to two awards can be given each year.

Download citations Download PDFs Download collection
Article
Evolution of the Function Concept: A Brief Survey
Israel Kleiner

Originally published in The College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 20, Number: 4 (01 Sep 1989)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforEvolution of the Function Concept: A Brief Survey | References | PDF (1.3 MB)
  • 51 Views
  • 6 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
Automatic Differentiation and APL
Richard D. Neidinger

Originally published in The College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 20, Number: 3 (01 May 1989)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforAutomatic Differentiation and APL | References | PDF (1.1 MB)
  • 10 Views
  • 4 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
Why Should We Pivot in Gaussian Elimination?
Edward Rozema

Originally published in The College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 19, Number: 1 (01 Jan 1988)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforWhy Should We Pivot in Gaussian Elimination? | References | PDF (1.1 MB)
  • 12 Views
  • 1 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
Antoine's Necklace or How to Keep a Necklace From Falling Apart
Beverly L. Brechner & John C. Mayer

Originally published in The College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 19, Number: 4 (01 Sep 1988)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforAntoine's Necklace or How to Keep a Necklace From Falling Apart | References | PDF (2 MB)
  • 11 Views
  • 0 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
Isaac Newton: Man, Myth, and Mathematics
V. Frederick Rickey

Originally published in The College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 18, Number: 5 (01 Nov 1987)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforIsaac Newton: Man, Myth, and Mathematics | References | PDF (3.4 MB)
  • 38 Views
  • 1 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
Cryptology: From Caesar Ciphers to Public-key Cryptosystems
Dennis Luciano & Gordon Prichett

Originally published in The College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 18, Number: 1 (01 Jan 1987)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforCryptology: From Caesar Ciphers to Public-key Cryptosystems | References | PDF (1.1 MB)
  • 29 Views
  • 2 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
The Autobiography of Julia Robinson
Constance Reid

Originally published in The College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 17, Number: 1 (01 Jan 1986)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforThe Autobiography of Julia Robinson | References | PDF (1.4 MB)
  • 105 Views
  • 0 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
What a Tangent Line is When it isn't a Limit
Irl C. Bivens

Originally published in The College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 17, Number: 2 (01 Mar 1986)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforWhat a Tangent Line is When it isn't a Limit | References | PDF (656.1 KB)
  • 17 Views
  • 2 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
What Do I Know? A Study of Mathematical Self-Awareness
Philip J. Davis

Originally published in The College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 16, Number: 1 (01 Jan 1985)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforWhat Do I Know? A Study of Mathematical Self-Awareness | References | PDF (2.8 MB)
  • 21 Views
  • 1 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
The Fractal Geometry of Mandelbrot
Anthony Barcellos

Originally published in The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 15, Number: 2 (01 Mar 1984)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforThe Fractal Geometry of Mandelbrot | References | PDF (967.1 KB)
  • 13 Views
  • 2 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
To Build a Better Box
Kay Dundas

Originally published in The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 15, Number: 1 (01 Jan 1984)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforTo Build a Better Box | PDF (933.2 KB)
  • 10 Views
  • 4 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
Probabilistic Dependence Between Events
Ruma Falk & Maya Bar-Hillel

Originally published in The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 14, Number: 3 (01 Jun 1983)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforProbabilistic Dependence Between Events | References | PDF (431.3 KB)
  • 10 Views
  • 3 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
How Big Is a Point?
Richard J. Trudeau

Originally published in The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 14, Number: 4 (01 Sep 1983)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforHow Big Is a Point? | References | PDF (358.5 KB)
  • 11 Views
  • 0 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
Nearness Relations Among Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion: Part 1
Warren Page & V. N. Murty

Originally published in The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 13, Number: 5 (01 Nov 1982)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforNearness Relations Among Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion: Part 1 | References | PDF (513 KB)
  • 10 Views
  • 2 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
Analogies and Metaphors to Explain Gödel's Theorem
Douglas R. Hofstadter

Originally published in The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 13, Number: 2 (01 Mar 1982)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforAnalogies and Metaphors to Explain Gödel's Theorem | PDF (1,011.7 KB)
  • 16 Views
  • 0 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
The Thrills of Abstraction
P. R. Halmos

Originally published in The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 13, Number: 4 (01 Sep 1982)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforThe Thrills of Abstraction | PDF (641.3 KB)
  • 13 Views
  • 1 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
Mathematical Proof: What It Is and What It Ought to Be
Peter Renz

Originally published in The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 12, Number: 2 (01 Mar 1981)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforMathematical Proof: What It Is and What It Ought to Be | References | PDF (1.3 MB)
  • 12 Views
  • 0 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
On the History and Solution of the Four-Color Map Problem
John Mitchem

Originally published in The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 12, Number: 2 (01 Mar 1981)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforOn the History and Solution of the Four-Color Map Problem | References | PDF (472.6 KB)
  • 9 Views
  • 0 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
Calculators to Motivate Infinite Composition of Functions
E. D. McCune, R. G. Dean & W. D. Clark

Originally published in The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 11, Number: 3 (01 Jun 1980)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
AbstractforCalculators to Motivate Infinite Composition of Functions | References | PDF (1.1 MB)
  • 7 Views
  • 0 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
Circles and Spheres
G. D. Chakerian

Originally published in The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 11, Number: 1 (01 Jan 1980)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforCircles and Spheres | References | PDF (1.4 MB)
  • 12 Views
  • 0 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
The Discovery of a Generalization: An Example in Problem Solving
Hugh Ouellette & Gordon Bennett

Originally published in The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 10, Number: 2 (01 Mar 1979)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforThe Discovery of a Generalization: An Example in Problem Solving | PDF (250.4 KB)
  • 6 Views
  • 0 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
Pictures, Probability, and Paradox
Robert Nelson

Originally published in The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 10, Number: 3 (01 Jun 1979)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforPictures, Probability, and Paradox | PDF (373.5 KB)
  • 7 Views
  • 0 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
Fractions Without Quotients: Arithmetic of Repeating Decimals
Richard Plagge

Originally published in The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 9, Number: 1 (01 Jan 1978)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforFractions Without Quotients: Arithmetic of Repeating Decimals | PDF (216.1 KB)
  • 10 Views
  • 0 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
A Note on Angle Construction
Richard L. Francis

Originally published in The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 9, Number: 2 (01 Mar 1978)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforA Note on Angle Construction | References | PDF (382 KB)
  • 8 Views
  • 3 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
Surface Area and the Cylinder Area Paradox
Frieda Zames

Originally published in The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 8, Number: 4 (01 Sep 1977)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforSurface Area and the Cylinder Area Paradox | References | PDF (217.7 KB)
  • 10 Views
  • 0 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
Statistical Inference for the General Education Student—It Can Be Done
Allen H. Holmes, Walter Sanders & John LeDuc

Originally published in The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 8, Number: 4 (01 Sep 1977)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforStatistical Inference for the General Education Student—It Can Be Done | References | PDF (420.8 KB)
  • 6 Views
  • 0 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
Small Groups: An Alternative to the Lecture Method
Julian Weissglass

Originally published in The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 7, Number: 1 (01 Feb 1976)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforSmall Groups: An Alternative to the Lecture Method | PDF (425.9 KB)
  • 8 Views
  • 7 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric
Article
Linear Algebra, a Potent Tool
Anneli Lax

Originally published in The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, Volume: 7, Number: 2 (01 May 1976)

Published online: 30 Jan 2018
First Page PreviewforLinear Algebra, a Potent Tool | PDF (534.2 KB)
  • 8 Views
  • 0 CrossRef citations
  • 0Altmetric