This site was created by Craig L. Zirbel to help new college math teachers improve their skills with technology, to improve their teaching, to advance their careers, and to save them time in working with technology. The site is used as part of a course for graduate students, so many of the materials below are assignments for the course and so may give directives to do this and that. Whether you are in the course or not, I hope you find these resources useful!
Math 5920 LaTeX road map (2020)
LaTeX basics gives a very short introduction to LaTeX (2020)
Overleaf is an online LaTeX editor, which makes everything easy including collaboration. I suggest you set up an account.
LaTeX reference documents:
https://www.overleaf.com/learn/latex/Free_online_introduction_to_LaTeX_(part_1) has nice integration with Overleaf, has a nice table of contents in the left pane, and it is current (2020)
https://tobi.oetiker.ch/lshort/lshort.pdf is a nice overall introduction in a PDF/textbook format, but is last dated 2016. Chapter 3, starting on page 43 of the document and page 57 of the PDF, tells how to typeset math.
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/A_Brief_Introduction_to_the_LaTeX_Typesetting_Environment/Typesetting:_The_Basics seems to be current, but is organized as web pages without a full table of contents
https://wch.github.io/latexsheet/latexsheet.pdf LaTeX cheat sheet by Winston Chung
https://www.codecogs.com/latex/eqneditor.php gives you a visual menu of symbols you may want, and tells you the LaTeX command for each one
1.tex is a very simple LaTeX source file, without much formatting. See the output in pdf.
2.tex has large fonts, paragraph spacing, and line spacing. See the output in pdf.
3.tex shows how to type mathematics and how to display equations. See the output in pdf.
4.tex is a complete homework assignment, with many equations, fonts, and tabs. See the output in pdf.
5.tex is most of a sample exam set in two columns with the paper in landscape orientation. See the the source file and the output in pdf.
spacing.tex gives examples of centering, flushing, and spacing (also download this graphic file). See the output in pdf.
article.tex is a sample article with sections, equation references, and bibliography. See the output in pdf and this reference for the hyperref package.
See the page about BGSU thesis and dissertation templates which links to a Github repository with a LaTeX template (2020)
Everything you do on a computer will be faster if you learn to type without lifting your hands and without looking at the most common keys as you type them. This is called "touch typing." Use one of the sites below to learn. Work at it until you can consistently type above 60 words per minute.
https://www.typingclub.com/ looks to be excellent. The first video has good advice! (2020)
https://www.livechatinc.com/typing-speed-test/#/ lets you check your typing speed. Just start typing. (2020)
Learn to use these keyboard shortcuts on the PC. See https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201236 for Mac.
Ctrl-S to save
Ctrl-C to copy
Ctrl-V to paste
Ctrl-X to cut
Ctrl-Z to undo
Ctrl-F to find text in a page
Ctrl-O to open a file from the disk
Ctrl-N to start a new file in an editor
Alt-Tab changes from window to window. Learn to use it, it saves loads of time.
Alt-= to insert a new equation in Word
Ctrl-T to open a new tab in a browser
Ctrl-Shift-T to open a browser tab that was just closed
Word 2016 document with embedded instructions on equation editor and images. PDF (2020)
Guides to getting complicated expressions in Equation Editor:
GeoGebra GeoGebra lets you make graphs, save them in your account, view them later in class, and output graphics files in unlimited resolution .svg format. You can also make animations. See the section below about GeoGebra.
Set up an account so you can save your graphs. I suggest making up a username and password that you can easily remember and type when you go to class, and not linking to your google account or using the same password that you use for more sensitive things.
Desmos only allows you to export a file in PNG format. It's a good format, but limited resolution.
PowerPoint
Matlab. See an example from RNA bioinformatics.
Start programming is a web page with basic programming exercises, including examples in Python and R.
View the page source to see the JavaScript code. You can use the page as a model to make your own page.
Coin flipping and long-run proportions. Flip coins repeatedly and see how the proportion heads changes, then see the variation in proportion heads across many samples of a given size. Flip a mystery coin and try to determine the probability that it lands heads. (2015)
Confidence intervals for coin flipping. Generate a sample of, say, 50 coin flips and calculate a confidence interval for the true probability of heads. (2015)
Investment return calculator. Calculate the overall rate of return on a series of investments. (2013)
Car cost analyzer. Spreads out maintenance and repair costs so you can think of those as accumulating at a variable rate per mile, which varies as the car gets older. (2011)
Microsoft Office Lens is a free phone app that allows you to make a black and white PDF
CamScanner is a free phone app, with ads, that allows you to make a black and white PDF
Adobe scan did not have black and white functionality in February 2020
Some class examples are best when we can sketch a generic function having certain properties, without having an algebraic representation of the function that we could graph with a graphing program. I have made a PowerPoint with instructions for producing a graph, which will help you produce an unlimited resolution version of such a graph.
Files, folders, directories, URLs, and IP addresses in PowerPoint (2008)
File and directory structure related to web pages (2006)
Using Fetch and FrontPage 1.0 to download and edit web pages
Adding a document and a link to your web page with FrontPage 1.0
Using Microsoft FrontPage 2000 (comparison to other composers and a little troubleshooting)
Using WS_FTP to download your web files to edit with FrontPage 2000
Scanning documents with the photocopier in room 401
Scanning documents into PDF files and combining into a single PDF in the Scientific Computing Lab
Scanning documents in the Mathematical Sciences Building labs also describes image file formats
Scanning and posting documents on the web helps scan and post assignments and solutions
Saving Word documents in PDF on the Macintosh (Portable Document Format) format
Making Word documents into web pages (for example, your syllabus)
How equations and images do when changed from Word documents to web pages You can also download the original Word document.
Step by step directions for using GeoGebra to graph a piecewise function See the dynamic worksheet. Download the worksheet (2008)
Using GeoGebra to graph a polynomial (or other function) with arrows indicating that the graph continues but is not shown See the dynamic worksheet. Download the worksheet (2008)
Using GeoGebra to graph a rational function with horizontal and vertical asymptotes Download the worksheet (2008)
Set up an account so you can save your graphs. I suggest making up a username and password that you can easily remember and type when you go to class, and not linking to your google account or using the same password that you use for more sensitive things. You can see my public graphs at https://www.geogebra.org/u/clzirbel
To save an infinite resolution image, I have had better luck with the "GeoGebra Classic" interface.
To get GeoGebra Classic, use the links in the previous lines, or click the three-line menu in the upper left, then Apps, then GeoGebra Classic.
Make your graph
To download as SVG, click the 3-line menu on the top of the window, Download As, SVG. You can check the appearance of an SVG file by opening it in Chrome.
To convert SVG to EMF, use the CloudConvert site to convert SVG to EMF. If you run out of free conversions in a given day, you can set up an account, it's pretty easy.
Insert the EMF file into Word, or copy and paste into Word from file explorer.
The problem I had with non-Classic GeoGebra is that when I exported to SVG, the axes and grid lines disappeared. That's not cool!
Note about graph proportions: By default the graph window is wider than it is tall. If you want different proportions, click and drag the input window (on the left) to change the size of the graph window.
Example: blank grid from -10 to 10 on x and y axes. GeoGebra sheet. SVG file. EMF file.
To graph a function, type something like f(x) = sin(x). In non-classic GeoGebra, dots for local maxima and minima and for axis intercepts will be shown. Right click on the graph to make them go away, left click to bring them back. In GeoGebra Classic, these points are not shown.
To rescale one axis, press and hold Shift and then click and drag on the axis.
GeoGebra typically has too many grid lines for my taste; it has both major and minor grid lines. You can turn off the major grid lines by clicking the settings icon, or in Classic, the lower 3-line menu and adjusting the grid.
To graph a piecewise function with two intervals, type something like f(x) = If(x<0,x^2,1+x). See the graph with two pieces. To graph a piecewise function with three intervals, type something like f(x)=If(x<0,x^(2),If(x>1,3-x^(2),1+x)). See the graph with three pieces. GeoGebra will format your If expression nicely to display the inequalities for you. You will need to think carefully about what inequalities to type!
To add an open or closed circle to the graph, you can simply define a point by typing A=(0,1).
In Classic GeoGebra, to make the point closed, right click the point, Settings, Color, and choose black. Close that menu by clicking the X. To make the point open, make the color white; it will have a black outline. To get rid of any text label, right click the point, uncheck Show Label.
In non-Classic GeoGebra, to make it closed, click on the point, then click the circle icon, then choose the closed circle symbol, then click the point again, click the paint can, and click black or another dark color. To make the point open, click the point, circle icon, closed circle icon, then click the point again, paint can, + symbol, and choose white from the large color palette. The circle will be outlined in black but white in the middle and will cover up the graph there, as you need for an open endpoint.
It might be helpful to add a slider so that users can change a variable on the fly. Piecewise function with a slider that controls one piece.
To graph data points in GeoGebra Classic:
See this video for excellent instructions: https://youtu.be/aeV1gjd2o-U However, some small details differ from one version of GeoGebra to another, so my instructions below may be helpful.
Above the place where you can enter a function, click the small 3-line menu button on the right
Click the three vertical dots
Click Spreadsheet, this should open a spreadsheet of cells
Use columns A and B to enter your X,Y data
Select all the cells you want to plot
When you select cells, an icon with {1,2} should appear, click that, then select List of Points
You can rename the list if you want, and you can switch which column is X, which is Y
To add a regression line, highlight the data points in the spreadsheet again, then click the icon that looks like a histogram, then Two Variable Regression Analysis
This opens up a new window, which might need to be resized. This is a place to experiment with different models, linear, quadratic, etc.
Once you're done making a model, click the icon that is a square with an arrow to either export as a PNG or Copy to Graphics View. That is the better option to make an SVG output file.
Adjust the main graph window, then export as SVG.
Piecewise functions and multiple functions on one graph. Download the worksheet.
Animated derivative from the right (2MB) / Animated derivative from both sides (10MB) / These were inspired by Ben Otto. Each page has links to the Maple worksheet that created the images.
Pasting and/or inserting Maple graphs into Word. Also read about how to enlarge fonts in Maple.
Creating good-looking Encapsulated PostScript (.eps) graphics with Maple for use in Word or LaTeX
MathJobs.org (2009)
Numerical integration of a function known only through data points using the TI-83 or TI-84 in pdf format. The zip file contains Matlab code to generate figures and LaTeX source code to make the printed output. (2009)
Download and install the LaTeX Editor (LEd) for the PC (2009)
Using the LaTeX editor (LEd) for the PC including how to use the spell checker (2009)
Using OzTeX to create pdf output on the Macintosh (2002)
Use Beamer to produce high-quality presentations with LaTeX (2008)
There are several "front ends" for typing in LaTeX. They make it easy to find the symbols to use, and make it easy to process, preview, and display LaTeX files.
Configure MiKTeX for the PC (2008)