I graduated from Boston College in 1972 with a B.A. degree, with majors in Mathematics and Philosophy.
I was a graduate student and an Associate Instructor of Mathematics at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, from 1972 until 1978, where I completed my Ph.D. in Mathematics under John B. Conway.
I joined the Department of Mathematics at Boston College in September, 1978. I taught both mathematics and computer science courses ranging in level from freshman through senior year, and through second-year, graduate level on the mathematics side. I worked outside academia for short stretches in the late 80s and early 90s at the MITRE Corporation in Bedford, MA, as a member of the Technical Staff and, later, as a Lead Scientist.
In 2007, after almost 30 years at Boston College and just then completing two terms as Chair of the Department of Mathematics, I "somewhat" retired from BC. My family and I left New England and relocated to Southern Delaware. We live there today.
In 2008, I joined the faculty of Salisbury University in Salisbury, MD, a Maryland University of National Distinction, as a Visiting Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science in the Henson School of Science and Technology. I retired from Salisbury in January of 2017.
My primary mathematical interests were in analysis (specifically, operator theory and functional analysis) and the use of technology in mathematics. Beginning in the mid 90s, I became involved with several technology-related projects and publications with several co-authors on publications involving the use of Maple and Mathematica(John Wiley & Sons). I have also worked on advanced texts titled An Introduction to Analysis (Jones & Bartlett) and An Introduction to Linear Programming and Game Theory (John Wiley & Sons).
Highlights of my time in these positions include:
Thirty years as a faculty member at Boston College in the Department of Mathematics, where I found many terrific colleagues and friends (who are really just the family you find along the way).
Six years as Chair of the Mathematics Department at BC.
Working with Paul R. Thie on An Introduction to Linear Programming and Game Theory, Third Edition, which was published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc., in July, 2008. I produced some software to accompany the text.
Working with both Paul and Gerald G. Bilodeau on An Introduction to Analysis, Second Edition. The first edition of the text was published by McGraw-Hill in 1997; the second edition came to publication life in July of 2009.
Working with my regular band of coauthors (C-K Cheung, Charlie Landraitis, Rob Gross, Mike May, Doug Meade), we produced and revised editions of Getting Started with Mathematica and Getting Started with Maple from 1998 to 2008. These were published by John Wiley & Sons.
Working with C-K Cheung on Mulitvariable Calculus Using Mathematica, a class-tested (but never-published) multivariable calculus text of over 400 pages. (However, most of its content would later appear in the Getting Started texts.)
Producing Using Mathematica, a.k.a. Mathematica for Mathematics Majors, a text of 300+ pages, also class-used for 5 years at Boston College. (Again, most of its content is scattered across the pages of the Getting Started texts.)
Unexpectedly discovering my second, mathematical career at Salisbury University. Not only did I find new colleagues and friends, but I also found new challenges and interests in both instruction and the use of technology in mathematics.
Having thousands of terrific students at all the institutions with which I've been associated with: Indiana University (the graduate school days), Boston College, and Salisbury University.
I have enjoyed my many "gigs" with Computer Science: as an instructor of CS courses at Boston College and Salisbury University; as Director of the Faculty Microcomputer Resource Center at Boston College; and as a consultant at the MITRE Corporation in Bedford, MA. I was privileged to see the Apple Macintosh in Cupertino in 1983 (yes, before it was introduced in 1984).
I produced the LP Assistant application (Java-based) for use with the Linear Programming text, and also Just Enough Assembler, a complete IDE for learning 68000 assembly language on the Mac (each was used in class for several semesters at BC).
You can find out a little bit more about me from my (now quite dated, pre-retired) curriculum vitae.
I continue to maintain errata pages for these publications:
An Introduction to Linear Programming and Game Theory, Third Edition, by Paul R. Thie and G. E. Keough. Published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. ISBN: 978–0–470–23286–6
An Introduction to Analysis, Second Edition, by Gerald G. Bilodeau, Paul R. Thie, and G. E. Keough. Published by Jones & Bartlett Publishing. ISBN: 978–0–7637–7492–6
In 2008, I published supplemental software named LPAssistant for use with the Introduction to Linear Programming and Game Theory text. The software provided an interactive, user-directed version of the simplex method, eliminating the arithmetic (it was not a simplex method solver on its own). This was a multi-platform offering, written in Java, version 1.4 (if you can remember back that far). It worked for me on my iMac until sometime in 2021, but as of my most recent upgrade to MacOS 11.6, LP Assistant fails to work.
You can find the application LPAssistant with this link. Be sure to download the file as a Java archive (.jar), then run -- do not unzip. Documentation (to some extent) is available within the application.
The complete source code is freely available using this link, without copyright restiction (although I would hope that you'd at least mention my name, should you decide to modify or repurpose it).
Abdessamad El-haouzi has written an Android implementation of LPAssistant. (Congratulations Abdessamad!)
I have been active in the last few years in the Apple SwiftUI developer community (iOS and some MacOS). You can find some of my current software projects on GitHub.
I am/have been involved with a number of apps that have made it to the Apple App Store. These include:
DupScore, an app to support scoring of duplicate matches for local bridge clubs. This app is designed by my friend and collaborator Sandy Cureton of Lewisville, Texas.
HymnTracker, an app to aid in the creation of religious musical programs for the liturgy of the Church of the Latter Day Saints. This app was designed by my good friend Mark Perryman, but it is no longer available on the App Store.
Farm Math, an app to assist in learning basic arithmetic This app was designed by my good friend Mark Perryman.
I am always happy to respond to inquiries about texts and software. The following contact email address remains operative at this time for professional inquiries: