The University of Indianapolis
Department of Mathematics
and Computer Science
 

Jeff Oaks

Ph.D.
University of Rochester, 1991.

BA
Hobart College, 1984.

U of I faculty since 1992.

   Jeffrey A. Oaks,  Professor of Mathematics, and chair.

(Media Relations is working around the clock to produce a presentable photo of Professor Oaks.)
Specialty:  History of medieval algebra in Arabic, Latin, Italian.
e-mail: oaks@uindy.edu
Office: Lilly Science Hall 213
Phone: (317)-788-3454
Fax: (317)-788-3569
Class Schedule Winter 2009
I'm on sabbatical, so don't bug me!






Interests

Publications:
---"Equations and equating in Arabic algebra", submitted.
---"Medieval Arabic algebra as an artificial language".  Journal of Indian Philosophy 35 (2007), 543-575.  This is my contribution to the meeting "The Generosity of Artificial Languages in an Asian Perspective" held in Amsterdam, May 18-20, 2006, and sponsored by the International Institute for Asian Studies.
---"Polynomials and equations in Arabic algebra".  Archive for History of Exact Sciences 63 (2009), 169-203.
---with Haitham M. Alkhateeb.  "Simplifying equations in Arabic algebra".  Historia Mathematica 34 (2007), 45-61.
---with Haitham M. Alkhateeb.  "Mâl, enunciations, and the prehistory of Arabic algebra".  Historia Mathematica 32 (2005), 400-425.

    2001-2003.  I compiled an online Bibliography of Medieval Islamic Mathematics, arranged by topic.  Over 2,500 articles and books have been included so far.     Publication:  Singularities and Self Intersections of Curves Evolving on Surfaces, Indiana University Mathematics Journal 43 (1994), 959-981.  The main result and its proof can also be found in the 2001 book The Curve Shortening Problem by Kai-Seng Chou and Xi-Ping Zhu (CRC Press). I wrote two textbooks designed to help students pass standardized exams.  The Statistics guide is geared toward the ACT exam, while the Algebra guide is for the CLEP test.
    Publications:  Statistics (1997), College Algebra (2000).  Published by The College Network, Inc. Not surprisingly, I am just about the only one around who studies the history of railroad tie preservation.  For more info, click here.
    Publication:  Date Nails and Railroad Tie Preservation, a 560 page book in three volumes (1999).  Published by the University of Indianapolis Archeology and Forensics Laboratory.
    In the April 2006 issue of Technology and Culture is Mark Aldrich's article "From Forest Conservation to Market Preservation:  Invention and Diffusion of Wood-Preserving Technology, 1880-1939".  The author makes many minor errors, he misses or misrepresents the major episodes in the history of tie preservation, and his main argument is completely wrong.  I wrote a rebuttal, which at 22 pages turned out to be too long for the journal.  The full version an be read here:
                            http://pages.uindy.edu/~oaks/Articles/Response.htm

My reduced, two-page critique appeared as part of "Communications", Technology and Culture 48.3, July 2007, pp. 680-688.
I collected exact dates of events in Roman history, and I compiled them by day of the year.  You can look up, for example, July 16, and findout what events form Roman history are known to have occured on that day.  Over 1,500 events are listed.
    Publications:  Ancient Roman Calendar (1995).  Privately published.  pdf version of the whole book
              The Birth Dates of Valentinian II and Valentinian III:  A Correction to PLRE I, Medieval Prosopography 17:1 (1996), 147-148.
 
 
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