MATHEMATICS TAKES VILLAGE

RADFORD, Va., May 25 -- Radford University issued the following news release:

Many hands stir the pot of inquiry for students and add ingredients to make sure young minds reach their full potential.

This was the case with Camron Withrow, a May Radford University graduate and first-generation college student. Many people saw his potential and thirst for knowledge, then took an active role in giving him opportunities to excel.

But Withrow wasn't always interested in school. "I thought it was boring, and I wasn't a very good student up until my junior year at Auburn High School," he said.

That year he took chemistry and physics. "In chemistry, we studied electron orbitals. We were taught that a partial differential equation is behind the numbering of the electron orbitals. However, my teacher didn't teach us the theory. But I just had to know why the orbitals were numbered the way that they were. I researched the equation on my own to understand the numbering system," he said.

That's when teacher Charles Jervis took notice. Jervis saw that Withrow had an insatiable mind and love of learning, so he invited the student to a special relativity class being taught at the YMCA in Blacksburg.

"The teacher of the class was a retired meteorologist. I was by far the youngest person there," Withrow said. "It was a blast!"

While Withrow was taking Algebra II at high school, he was teaching himself calculus at home. "During my junior year, I read the book "A Tour of Calculus" by David Berlinski. I just asked my parents for textbooks, and they said, 'Okay, we'll try to find them.' "

When it was time to choose a college, Withrow applied only to Virginia Tech. He was accepted into the physics program, but because of financial reasons he never enrolled. He began taking classes at New River Community College and transferred to Radford University as an applied mathematics major.

Withrow excelled in Professor Jurgen Gerlach's Calculus III class, and Gerlach asked if he would like to study the Fourier Series with him. Cell phones, Internet and radio all depend on the Fourier Series, which uses trigonometry to break up complex sounds into pure tone components. Studying with Gerlach, Withrow discovered his research interest in detecting discontinuities of functions in the theory.

Beyond his classroom success, Withrow has an innate need to keep learning and solving complex problems. In his free time, he has been studying number theory with Virginia Tech Professor Emeritus Peter Fletcher, whom he met through a mutual friend. Number theory is a branch of pure mathematics that studies the properties of integers.

"A lot of my math I learned on my own because I was interested and wanted to learn, so my knowledge was patchy. He helped me fill it in," Withrow said.

After number theory, Withrow and Fletcher moved on to topology, which is the study of spatial properties that are preserved under continual deformations of objects: Objects can be deformed through stretching but not tearing or gluing.

During his third semester at Radford University, Withrow took MATH 280 Problem Solving taught by John McGee. Gerlach suggested that McGee give Withrow harder problems because he liked to be challenged. McGee asked Withrow if he wanted to do an independent study in elliptic curves, which is a hybrid between applied and theoretical mathematics. Withrow presented his study during the College of Science and Technology Chalk Talks in fall 2010 and at the undergraduate research forum in April 2011.

"Camron is the strongest student I have seen in the department. The work he is doing is not undergraduate work; this is the deep waters of mathematics. This is done by third-year students in a mathematics Ph.

D. program," McGee said just before Withrow's graduation.

"It has been a singular privilege to work with Camron. It's like having a tiger by the tail. I've learned even more mathematics just trying to keep up with him," McGee said. "I've challenged him with the area, and he's challenged me with the actual mathematics."

Withrow said Radford University offers students one-on-one time with faculty in their areas of interest. "Here, you can lead your own education based on your interest and need for challenges."

Withrow has been accepted into Virginia Tech's master's program in mathematics and thinks a Ph.

D. program is in his future - but not quite yet. He wants to stay close to home for two more years and apply some of the knowledge he has spent years acquiring. "It's great when all the background knowledge you've been studying settles and you have this new understanding of what you were supposed to know before," he said. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com

Ann Brown, 540/831-6277, abrown238@radford.edu.