Search
MAA Writing Awards
show printer friendly
send to a friend
What a Tangent Line Is When It Isn't a Limit
Award: George Pólya, and also the Merten Hasse Award in 1989
Year of Award: 1987
Publication Information: The College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 17, No. 2, (1986), pp. 133-143
Summary: An exploration of a variety of definitions of a tangent line.
About the Author: (from The College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 17, No. 2, (1986)) Irl Bivens is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Davidson College, where he has been since 1982. In 1979, he received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, under the direction of Professor Patrick Eberlein. Before coming to Davidson, he taught at Pfeiffer College and was a G.C. Evans Instructor of Mathematics at Rice University. His professional interests include differential geometry, mathematical physics, and the mathematics of the undergraduate curriculum. His nonmathematical interests include science fiction, spy novels, B-movies, his wife Patti, and his son Robert.