Spring Semester 2010



Antarctica

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Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.
-- Theodore Roosevelt

"Continue in scientific research, you will experience great joy from it. But you must learn to enjoy it alone. You will be a subject of astonishment to those close to you. You will not be much better understood by the scholarly world. Mathematicians have a place apart there, and even they do not always read each other."
-- Camille Jordan to Henri Lebesgue

"He who seeks for methods without having a definite problem in mind seeks for the most part in vain."
-- David Hilbert
"Do not go gentle into that good night,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
-- Dylan Thomas

"Yesterday upon the stair I met a man who wasn't there. He wasn't there again today. I wish that man would go away."
-- Hughes Mearns
Hello, my name is Keith Lynn. I am the Systems Administrator for the School of Computer and Information Sciences. I also teach part-time.


Pacific Coast, Guatemala		 I officially began on January 1, 1999 although I actually took over the position the previous fall.

I am an alumnus of this School and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science in June 1993. In Summer of 1994 I also received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. In 1997 I graduated from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics with a Master of Science degree in Mathematics.

I returned to the School Winter Quarter 1998 as a full-time Instructor. I taught during that Summer when our University transitioned from a Quarter system to a Semester system and was reappointed as instructor for the following academic year. During that Fall Semester I was offered my current position and accepted.

Since my affiliation with this School goes back over many years I have seen a great deal of progress made in our School. We now have over 20 full-time faculty members and offer 5 degree programs and jointly administer another.


In addition to my regular duties I also teach part-time except for a period of time between Summer 2005 and Summer 2007 due to some politically motivated decisions. (If it sounds like I'm bitter about it, that's because I am very bitter about it :)).

There are many areas of progress which are taking place in our School. My main emphasis is on the physical aspects of this progress including our internal computer network, student laboratories, and office machines. I am also responsible for the server that runs our web page.

There are several things which are an integral part of my position.

  • I am responsible for most hardware and software purchasing.

  • I am responsible for maintaining existing computer equipment.

  • I am responsible for three classroom laboratories:


  • I am responsible for maintaining a couple of small networks which are used from time to time in courses such as AI and Data Mining.

  • We also have two rooms in the Computer Science Classroom Building which were equipped with card readers. These card readers functioned for over 10 years. However, one of them was damaged in a storm and so now only one of them works. I am also responsible for maintaining the system which controls them.

  • I maintain the server that runs our web server for the School. The server also runs the servlet engine Tomcat. The server also runs a mysql database engine.

  • I maintain a Linux server that is used to run an internal network.

  • I maintain subversion repositories which are used by graduate students and faculty.

  • There are several major advances we've made using this server. In past semesters students have come into the office to sign up for advising appointments. We have recently moved this entire process onto the web. I was responsible for maintaining this system for several years. The whole thing was written by me. However, due to issues beyond my control there were constantly problems. They have now moved to premade software to run the systemr.

  • We are also placing as many of our applications as we can on-line. These include applications for Comprehesive Examinations. I am responsible for maintaining this system also.

  • I also maintain several Linux servers which are crucial to our network.

  • I manage our enrollment in the MSDNAA (Microsoft Developer Network Academic Alliance). This program allows students taking courses with us to download certain software packages for free.

  • For seven years, I provided support for ISECON. ISECON is the Information Systems Education Conference. Even though others received thousands of dollars in compensation the previous year for doing a portion of what I was forced to do, I received absolutely nothing. I was responsible for on-line registration, processing of payments, and equipment support. These are the cities in which ISECON was held during the years that I was forced to do all of this. In 2005, the conference was scheduled to be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, but on August 29, Katrina hit the Gulf Coast.

    During the Columbus meeting, even more ungrateful people decided they would rather manage the conference themselves, and so without so much as a thank you, they decided they didn't need us even though they got plenty of free labor from us.
    In 1997 I graduated with a Master of Mathematics Degree. In the Degree program offered by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics each student had the choice of completing a thesis or completing three comprehensive exams: one exam in the two part sequence of Real Analysis, one exam in a two part sequence of their choice, and one exam in an independent course.

    I chose to take the Comprehensive option. I chose Abstract Algebra for my two part sequence, and Probability Theory for my independent course.

    Below you will find a list of the courses I completed as a Graduate Student as well as the Comprehensive exams I completed. These exams were originally written in LaTeX and converted to HTML using LaTeXtoHTML.

    Courses I completed as a Graduate student
    My Real Analysis I and II exam

    My Abstract Algebra I and II exam

    My Probability Theory exam
    When I took the Mathematical Modeling class as a graduate student, we were required to create a project implementing some type of modeling. I chose to model the Julia Set of complex functions. The theory of Julia Sets is a very interesting area of mathematical research. I created my modeling project and presented it on a web page. Below you will find a link to my project. This page was awarded the Study Web award of Academic Excellence.

    My Mathematical Modeling Project

    That same semester I took a course in Dynamics. I was required to write a paper so I chose to write a paper about the underlying theory of Julia Sets as a complement to the project I did for Mathematical Modeling. You will find a link below to my paper, "Julia Sets and the Mandlebrot Set".

    "Julia Sets and the Mandlebrot Set"
    As a graduate student we were encouraged to attend Mathematical conferences to help our professional development.

    In August of 1996 I had the opportunity to attend one of these conferences in Seattle, Washington at the University of Washington. Below you will find a link to photos I took during my trip.

    My photos of Seattle


    I place as much material as I can pertaining to the courses I teach on a web page. This provides the students with 24 hour access to this material.

    Below you will find links to the pages I have maintained for these courses.

    Current Semester: CIS 121 - Problem Solving and Programming Concepts II

    Web Page: Summer Semester 2009



    Courses Taught


    		 Web Page
    CIS 227 - Numerical Computation I
    Floating point numbers, representation, and errors; software tools for scientific computing; elementary problems in scientific computing. Prerequisite: MA 126.

    CIS 150 -Introduction to Computer Applications
    This course is designed to provide a broad-based introduction to the use of computers to enhance personal productivity. Topics to be covered are use of a graphical user interface, word processing, spreadsheet analysis, basic image management related to documents and reports and the fundamentals of Internet publishing. No prerequisites.     		Fall Semester 1998

    CIS 150 -Introduction to Computer Applications
    This course is designed to provide a broad-based introduction to the use of computers to enhance personal productivity. Topics to be covered are use of a graphical user interface, word processing, spreadsheet analysis, basic image management related to documents and reports and the fundamentals of Internet publishing. No prerequisites.    		 Spring Semester 1999

    CIS 227 - Numerical Computation I
    Floating point numbers, representation, and errors; software tools for scientific computing; elementary problems in scientific computing. Prerequisite: MA 126.    		 Summer Semester 1999

    CIS 150 -Introduction to Computer Applications
    This course is designed to provide a broad-based introduction to the use of computers to enhance personal productivity. Topics to be covered are use of a graphical user interface, word processing, spreadsheet analysis, basic image management related to documents and reports and the fundamentals of Internet publishing. No prerequisites.    		 Fall Semester 1999

    CIS 121 - Problem Solving and Programming Concepts II
    Continuation of CIS 120. Topics include: design concepts, abstract data types, use of object libraries, dynamic storage allocation, stacks, queues, link lists, random access files, testing and software engineering practices. Prerequisites: CIS 110 and 120. Corequisite: CIS 123.    		 Spring Semester 2000

    CIS 120 - Problem Solving and Programming Concepts I
    Introduction to the design of algorithms and their implementation in a high-level programming language. Topics include: algorithm design strategies, programming concepts, programming environment, data structures, searching and sorting methods, and internal representation of data types. Prerequisite: MA 112 or an ACT score of 24 in Mathematics. Corequisite: CIS 122.    		 Summer Semester 2000

    CIS 121 - Problem Solving and Programming Concepts II
    Continuation of CIS 120. Topics include: design concepts, abstract data types, use of object libraries, dynamic storage allocation, stacks, queues, link lists, random access files, testing and software engineering practices. Prerequisites: CIS 110 and 120. Corequisite: CIS 123.    		 Fall Semester 2000

    CIS 321 - Data Communications and Networking
    An introduction to data communications, computer networking, and network operating systems. Topics include: basic concepts of data transmission, network architectures, communications devices, and communications protocols. Prerequisite: CIS 121.    		 Spring Semester 2001

    CIS 121 - Problem Solving and Programming Concepts II
    Continuation of CIS 120. Topics include: design concepts, abstract data types, use of object libraries, dynamic storage allocation, stacks, queues, link lists, random access files, testing and software engineering practices. Prerequisites: CIS 110 and 120. Corequisite: CIS 123.    		 Summer Semester 2001

    CIS 405/505 - Programming Languages
    This course is a cross-listed graduate/undergraduate course. The course examines programming language theory including examinations of languages such as LISP and PROLOG and provides an introduction to Automata Theory.    		 Fall Semester 2001

    CIS 120 - Problem Solving and Programming Concepts I
    This course is an introduction to the design of algorithms and their implementation in a high-level programming language. Topics include: algorithm design strategies, programming concepts, programming environment, data structures, searching and sorting methods, and internal representation of data types.    		 Spring Semester 2002

    CIS 121 - Problem Solving and Programming Concepts II
    Continuation of CIS 120. Topics include: design concepts, abstract data types, use of object libraries, dynamic storage allocation, stacks, queues, link lists, random access files, testing and software engineering practices. Prerequisites: CIS 110 and 120. Corequisite: CIS 123.    		 Summer Semester 2002

    CIS 401/501 - Accelerated Programming
    Introduction to the design of algorithms and their implementation in a high-level programming language. Topics include: problem solving strategies, programming concepts, programming environment, arrays, searching and sorting, internal representations of data, data concepts, abstract data types, use of object libraries, testing strategies, and software engineering practices.    		 Fall Semester 2002

    CIS 121 - Problem Solving and Programming Concepts II
    Continuation of CIS 120. Topics include: design concepts, abstract data types, use of object libraries, dynamic storage allocation, stacks, queues, link lists, random access files, testing and software engineering practices. Prerequisites: CIS 110 and 120. Corequisite: CIS 123.    		 Spring Semester 2003

    CIS 121 - Problem Solving and Programming Concepts II
    Continuation of CIS 120. Topics include: design concepts, abstract data types, use of object libraries, dynamic storage allocation, stacks, queues, link lists, random access files, testing and software engineering practices. Prerequisites: CIS 110 and 120. Corequisite: CIS 123.    		 Summer Semester 2003

    CIS 120 - Problem Solving and Programming Concepts I
    This course is an introduction to the design of algorithms and their implementation in a high-level programming language. Topics include: algorithm design strategies, programming concepts, programming environment, data structures, searching and sorting methods, and internal representation of data types.    		 Fall Semester 2003

    CIS 121 - Problem Solving and Programming Concepts II
    Continuation of CIS 120. Topics include: design concepts, abstract data types, use of object libraries, dynamic storage allocation, stacks, queues, link lists, random access files, testing and software engineering practices. Prerequisites: CIS 110 and 120. Corequisite: CIS 123.    		 Spring Semester 2004

    CIS 121 - Problem Solving and Programming Concepts II
    Continuation of CIS 120. Topics include: design concepts, abstract data types, use of object libraries, dynamic storage allocation, stacks, queues, link lists, random access files, testing and software engineering practices. Prerequisites: CIS 110 and 120. Corequisite: CIS 123.    		 Summer Semester 2004

    CIS 401/501 - Accelerated Programming
    Introduction to the design of algorithms and their implementation in a high-level programming language. Topics include: problem solving strategies, programming concepts, programming environment, arrays, searching and sorting, internal representations of data, data concepts, abstract data types, use of object libraries, testing strategies, and software engineering practices.    		 Fall Semester 2004

    CIS 227 - Numerical Computation I
    Floating point numbers, representation, and errors; software tools for scientific computing; elementary problems in scientific computing.    		 Spring Semester 2005

    CIS 150 - Introduction to Computer Applications
    This course is designed to provide a broad based introduction to the use of computers to enhance personal productivity. Topics to be covered are use of a graphical user interface, word processing, spreadsheet analysis, basic image management related to documents and reports and the fundamentals of Internet publishing.    		 Fall Semester 2007

    CIS 150 - Introduction to Computer Applications
    This course is designed to provide a broad based introduction to the use of computers to enhance personal productivity. Topics to be covered are use of a graphical user interface, word processing, spreadsheet analysis, basic image management related to documents and reports and the fundamentals of Internet publishing.    		 Spring Semester 2008

    CIS 121 - Problem Solving and Programming Concepts II
    Continuation of CIS 120. Topics include: design concepts, abstract data types, use of object libraries, dynamic storage allocation, stacks, queues, link lists, random access files, testing and software engineering practices.    		 Summer Semester 2008

    CIS 401 - Accelerated Programming
    This course presents programming concepts in an accelerated manner. Coverage includes ADT.s, classes and class libraries, and simple data structures such as linked lists, stacks, queues.

    CIS 211 - Advanced C++ Programming
    Advanced concepts in C++ Programming, constructors, destructors, classes and operation overloading.    		 Fall Semester 2008

    CIS 401 - Accelerated Programming
    This course presents programming concepts in an accelerated manner. Coverage includes ADT.s, classes and class libraries, and simple data structures such as linked lists, stacks, queues.

    CIS 211 - Advanced C++ Programming
    Advanced concepts in C++ Programming, constructors, destructors, classes and operation overloading.    		 Spring Semester 2009


    E-mail Address: lynn@cis.usouthal.edu