Pat Thompson's Home Page

Patrick W. Thompson

E-Mail: pat at pat-thompson.net

Professor, School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Arizona State University

Professor of Mathematics Education, Vanderbilt University

Professor of Mathematical Sciences Emeritus, San Diego State University and Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education

Ed. D. Mathematics Education, University of Georgia, 1982

M. Ed. Mathematics Education, University of Georgia, 1977

B. Sc. Mathematics, Central Washington State College, 1972

Vita

About Me

I grew up in a farming community (350 people) in southwestern Washington State, enjoying all the advantages of being young in the country. After finishing college in 1972 I joined the Peace Corps, eventually working with the African Mathematics Programme--and becoming interested in mathematics education. In graduate school I specialized in research on mathematical cognition and uses of technology in learning/teaching mathematics, and have continued these interests since.

Now I live in Nashville, TN with my two beautiful daughters (well, with one most of the time when she is not at soccer tournaments and the other when she is home from college). When not hunting I like to drive fast cars.

Research

I've conducted research in a number of areas, but all within the overall framework of quantitative reasoning and representations of it.

Here is a list of major current and past research projects:

DIRACC: Developing and Investigating a Rigorous Approach to Conceptual Calculus (2015-2019; funded by NSF)

Aspire: Defining and Assessing Mathematical Meanings for Teaching secondary mathematics (2011-2019; funded by NSF and NIE)

TPC²: Teachers Promoting Change Collaboratively (2005-2010; funded by NSF)

Teaching and learning statistical and probabilistic reasoning (overview, project website; 1997-2002; funded by NSF).

Quantitative Reasoning as a Foundation for Algebraic Reasoning (1988-1994; funded by NSF)

Here is an exposition of how to calculate exposure times for one telescope to create the same exposure on a telescope with a different focal ratio.

I created this page (an adaptation of a page at AstroPixels.com) to assist me and others in choosing targets from the Messier Catalog, a list of deep-sky objects created by Charles Messier in the mid to late 1700's.