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aBa Mbirika, Ph.D.

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Professor

Contact Information

Office
Hibbard Humanities Hall 526
124 Garfield Ave
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Phone
Email
Biography

Biography

PERSONAL: aBa (ืื‘ื) is a math professor based in Eau Claire, WI. He is from Iowa (a place on Planet Urth), but his original galactic home is the star Sirius in Canis Major. He enjoys acid house music, riding his overly decorated bike (Boy BikeTM), loves teaching of course and working on math research ๐Ÿ˜Š with his numerous collaborators.

EDUCATION: aBa completed his bachelor's degree in mathematics at Sonoma State University, after attending a number of community colleges in both New York City and San Francisco. He then completed his PhD in mathematics at University of Iowa. His postdoctoral research position was at Bowdoin College in Maine while simultaneously doing combinatorics seminars weekly at MIT in Boston for three years after his PhD.

RESEARCH INTERESTS: Combinatorics, commutative algebra, algebraic geometry and topology, combinatorial representation theory, and number theory. Undergraduate student research interests also include lattice point geometry, prime labelings of graphs, complex reflection groups, Euler-phi function and primitive roots in the Gaussian and Eisenstein integer rings, Fibonacci and Lucas sequences, the generalized Fibonacci sequence, the Pell sequence and related sequences. Recent interests include studying various statistics (such as period, entry points, and order) in the Lucas sequences of the first and second kind.

Education

Education

  • Ph,D., University of Iowa (Mathematics)
  • M.A., University of Iowa (Mathematics)
  • B.A., Sonoma State University (Mathematics)
Teaching and Research Interests

Teaching and Research Interests

TEACHING INTERESTS (at UWEC):

  • Math 104 - Finite Mathematics ๐Ÿ˜Šโค๏ธ๐Ÿ‘
  • Math 314 - Discrete Mathematics
  • Math 316 - Real Analysis I
  • Math 335 - Point Set Topology
  • Math 340 - Classical Number Theory
  • Math 425 - Abstract Algebra I
  • Math 426 - Abstract Algebra II
  • Math 499 - Special Topics Courses:
    • Commutative Algebra (Spring 2018, Summer 2018, and Fall 2018)
    • Number Theory Topics Course: Primitive Roots and Quadratic Reciprocity (Spring 2020 and Fall 2020)
    • Algebraic Number Theory (Spring 2021)

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

  • Combinatorics 
  • Commutative algebra 
  • Combinatorial representation theory 
  • Algebraic combinatorics
  • Number theory
    • Linear recurrence sequences (e.g., Fibonacci, Lucas, Pell, Narayana, etc.)
    • Gaussian and Eisenstein integer rings
  • Lattice point geometry 
  • Graph labelings 
  • Complex reflection groups
Published Research

Published Research

Research Publications

  1. Tantalizing properties of subsequences of the Fibonacci sequence modulo 10. (Joint work with Dan Guyer and Miko Scott) -- Published by Rocky Mountain Journal of Mathematics, 54 No.1 (2024), 179--206. (Available by clicking here).
  2. Pell and associated Pell braid sequences as GCDs of sums of k consecutive Pell and balancing-related numbers. (Joint work with Janee Schrader and Jรผrgen Spilker) -- Published by Journal of Integer Sequences, 26 No.6, Article 23.6.4 (2023), 25pp. (Available by clicking here).
  3. GCD of sums of k consecutive squares of generalized Fibonacci numbers. (Joint work with Jรผrgen Spilker) -- Published by Fibonacci Quarterly, 60 No.5 (2022), 255--269. (Available by clicking here).
  4. GCD of sums of k consecutive Fibonacci, Lucas, and generalized Fibonacci numbers. (Joint work with Dan Guyer) -- Published by Journal of Integer Sequences, 24 No.9, Article 21.9.8 (2021), 25pp. (Available by clicking here). (This arXiv version is easier to navigate with better numbering system).
  5. New methods to find patches of invisible integer lattice points. (Joint work with Austin Goodrich and Jasmine Nielsen) -- Published by Involve: A Journal of Mathematics, 14 No.2 (2021), 283--310. (Available by clicking here).
  6. Representation stability of Springer varieties and some combinatorial consequences. (Joint work with Julianna Tymoczko) -- Published by Journal of Algebraic Combinatorics, 53 No.3 (2021), 897--920. (Available by clicking here).
  7. An Euler phi function for the Eisenstein integers and some applications. (Joint work with Emily Gullerud) -- Published by Integers: Electronic Journal of Combinatorial Number Theory, 20, Paper No. A20 (2020), 28pp. (Available by clicking here).
  8. Lattice point visibility on generalized lines of sights. (Joint work with Edray Goins, Pamela Harris, and Bethany Kubik) -- Published by the American Mathematical Monthly, 125 No.7 (2018), 593--601. (Available by clicking here).
  9. Coprime and prime labelings of graphs. (Joint work with Adam Berliner, Nate Dean, Jonelle Hook, Alison Marr, and Cayla McBee) -- Published by Journal of Integer Sequences, 19 No.5, Article 16.5.8 (2016), 14 pp. (Available by clicking here).
  10. On the sign representations for the complex reflection groups G(r,p,n). (Joint work with Thom Pietraho and Bill Silver) -- Published by Beitrage zur Algebra und Geometrie, 57, Issue 4 (2016), 851--858, DOI 10.1007/s13366-016-0289-3, (Online published version available by clicking here).
  11. Generalizing Tanisaki's ideal via ideals of truncated symmetric functions. (Joint work with Julianna Tymoczko) -- Published by Journal of Algebraic Combinatorics, 37 (2012), 167--199. (Available by clicking here).
  12. A Hessenberg generalization of the Garsia-Procesi basis for the cohomology ring of Springer varieties. Published by Electronic Journal of Combinatorics, 17 No.1, Research Paper 153 (2010), 29pp. (Available by clicking here).

Accepted

  • None at the moment.

Submitted

  • None at the moment.

Preprints (Almost ready to submit):[NOTE: Check my webpage for most updated versions!!!!]

  • Tridiagonal real symmetric matrices with a connection to Pascal's triangle and the Fibonacci sequence. (Joint work with Emily Gullerud and Rita Post), 2024. (arXiv version available by clicking here).
  • Period patterns, entry points, and orders in the Lucas sequences: theory and applications. (Joint work with Morgan Fiebig and Jรผrgen Spilker), 2024. To be submitted to Fibonacci Quarterly.

Interdisciplinary Research Publications

  • The Three Giri of Paradiso XXXIII. (Joint work with Arielle Saiber). Published by the journal, Dante Studies, 131 (2013): 237--272. (Available by clicking here).

Expository Math Writings

  • Hidden trees in the forest: On lattice points and prime labelings of graphs. This paper was inspired by my one-week residency at an AIM-NSF workshop called "Research Experiences for Undergraduate Faculty" at ICERM in Providence, RI, in June 2012. It contains some of our unpublished results, and also includes exercises and project ideas that faculty can use to involve undergraduates in research in the areas of Combinatorics, Graph Theory, and Number Theory (2012). (Available by clicking here).
  • On a coin-flip problem and its connection to pi. I wrote this with the intention of using it as a teaching (learning) tool for other faculty (students). Hence many exercises are included (2011). (Available by clicking here).
Honors And Recognition

Honors And Recognition

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS:

  • 2021 - Karlgaard Mathematics Faculty Excellence Award

TEACHING AWARDS:

  • 2022 - UWEC Certificate of Recognition for Contributions to Students (32 total awarded campus-wide) - click here to see award
  • 2016 - UWEC Certificate of Recognition for Contributions to Students (39 total awarded campus-wide) - click here to see award
  • 2014 - UWEC Certificate of Recognition for Contributions to Students (22 total awarded campus-wide) - click here to see award