Adam Coffman           http://users.pfw.edu/CoffmanA/         Department of Mathematical Sciences Purdue University Fort Wayne College of Science

Books, Papers, and Notes       Awards, Grants, and Talks       Graphics gallery   Steiner Surfaces

Mathematics

I am a Professor of Mathematics in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Research

I am interested in geometry of all kinds. Currently, I am studying the geometric properties of real objects inside complex objects: vector spaces, submanifolds, algebraic varieties, vector bundles, singularities, boundaries of open sets, pseudoholomorphic curves. I use the tools of topology, for example the Euler number, to describe the large-scale structure of the objects, and methods of several complex variables, including power series and partial differential equations, to describe the local geometry. I'm also interested in classical projective geometry, abstract algebra, and physics, and I often use the computer for symbolic manipulation and graphics.

Click here for links to my books, research articles, preprints, and notes.

Click here for a list of some awards and grants I've received and some talks I've given.

Recent and Planned Events

• I am an organizer of the 2024 Midwestern Workshop on Asymptotic Analysis, Oct. 11 - 13 at Indiana University in Bloomington. I was also an organizer of the 2022, 2019, and 2016 events in Fort Wayne, and the Principal Investigator on the 2016 conference grant, DMS 1650319, from the National Science Foundation.
• I attended the 2024 MAA MathFest in Indianapolis, Aug. 7-10, and gave a short talk.
• For some time I was on the editorial committee for a Problem Book based on the Indiana College Mathematics Competition. This project has recently resulted in a new book published by Springer.
• I attended the Spring 2024 meeting of the Indiana MAA in Indianapolis, April 5-6.
• I attended the Midwest Several Complex Variables conference at Ohio State, April 28-30, 2023.
• I attended the Fall 2022 meeting of the Indiana Section of the MAA in Terre Haute, Oct. 22, and gave a short talk.
• I attended the AMS Central Section Meeting in Madison, Fall 2019.
• I attended the 2019 MAA MathFest in Cincinnati and presented a poster.
• I gave a talk at the AMS Central Section meeting in Ann Arbor, Oct. 2018.
• I gave a talk on "An example for Green's Theorem with discontinuous partial derivatives" in the Analysis and Geometry Seminar at Central Michigan University, Dec. 8, 2017.
• From July 1 to Dec. 31, 2016, I served as Acting Chair of the Department while Prof. Dragnev was on sabbatical.
• I attended the Conference on Complex Analysis and Geometry in Madison, WI, March 27-29, 2015.
• I served the 2008-2014 terms as the Public Information Officer for the Indiana Section of the MAA.  I am currently the Section's Abstracts Editor.
• I gave a talk at the conference on Rigidity in Dynamics and Geometry, at the CIRM in France, May 21-25, 2007. The following week, I attended the conference on Complex Analysis and Geometry in Trento, Italy. This trip was supported in part by a travel grant from the Overseas Conference Fund, Indiana University Office of International Programs.

Teaching

For Spring 2025, I am teaching one sections of Calculus I (MA 16500) and one section of Differential Equations (MA 36300). We will be using the Pearson MyLab online homework and textbook platform for both classes. For now, my office hours are online and by appointment only, there may be specific hours scheduled later.

Since 2018 at Purdue University Fort Wayne, I've taught Calculus I and II (Math 165 and 166), Elementary Linear Algebra (Math 351), Differential Equations (Math 363), and Introduction to Complex Analysis (Math 525, offered as an online course). From Fall 1997 to Spring 2018 at IPFW, I taught Math 151: Algebra and Trigonometry, Math 154: Algebra & Trigonometry II, the Math 165-166 sequence: first-year calculus (formerly Math 163-164), Math 175: Introductory Discrete Mathematics, Math 261: Multivariate Calculus, Math 262: Linear Algebra and Differential Equations, Math 263: Multivariate and Vector Calculus, Math 351: Elementary Linear Algebra, Math 363: Differential Equations, Math 453: Algebra I, MA 511: Linear Algebra with Applications, Math 525: Introduction to Complex Analysis, Math 553: Introduction to Abstract Algebra, Math 554: Linear Algebra, Math 560: Fundamental Concepts of Geometry, and Math 571: Elementary Topology. I also directed some independent graduate study courses in Math 598: Topics in Geometry, and Readings in Special Relativity, and the Physics-Based Calculus workshop was offered for credit as Math 598 through the IPFW Division of Continuing Studies.

• Links to some of my course notes.
• Student resources, including the MALL: math tutoring for calculus and beyond

How To Reach Me

E-mail: CoffmanA (at) pfw.edu (this changed in 2018) Office: 292 Kettler Hall. I will receive correspondence dropped off in my mailbox (Kettler 200) or letters mailed to: Adam Coffman Dept. of Mathematical Sciences, Kettler Hall Purdue University Fort Wayne 2101 E. Coliseum Blvd. Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499 Campus address for package delivery: Purdue University Fort Wayne 5190 St. Joe Road Fort Wayne, IN 46835 Office Phone: 260-481-6188 Department Phones: 260-481-6821, 260-481-6232 Department Fax: 260-481-0155

You can also find me on ORCID, Mastodon ( Mathstodon.xyz ), and Flickr.

Links

My pages: Frequently updated: Books, Papers, and Notes, Awards, Grants, and Talks, Conference Photos. Not updated as often: Steiner Surfaces, (moved to this URL in 2018) Pierre the Fur Mat, (moved to this URL in 2018) Graphics gallery, Lists of mostly out-of-date Links.

Web pages from past events in the IPFW (1963-2018) Department of Mathematical Sciences: The archive of IPFW Mathematical Sciences seminars and workshops 2009-2018 The archive of IPFW Mathematical Sciences seminars and workshops, 1999-2008. The archive of IPFW Mathematical Sciences seminars and workshops, 1997-1999. Photos from Mighty XLIII Conference Fall 2006 Spring 2005 Meeting of the Indiana MAA Physics-Based Calculus Workshop 2001-2005 Mighty XXXII Conference Fall 1999 After some reorganization of the campus administration and web site, much of the content from the Mathematical Sciences department web site at the old www.ipfw.edu address was moved to the following Google Sites address: PI Math Club Current Events and Web Archive

Construction History: The campus transition from IPFW to PFW came with a major web site redesign from 2018 to 2022.
One part of the redesign was that pages (including the department page) at the old address ipfw.edu were mostly deleted and replaced by new pages with URL pfw.edu .
Pages (including this page) with URL users.ipfw.edu were not deleted but renamed to the new URL users.pfw.edu .

I have previously had a web address at http://www.ipfw.edu/math/Coffman/ but this was obsolete in 2010 and deleted in 2013. Before that, I had a web page at uchicago.edu.