This page is dedicated to those items that don’t fit neatly elsewhere.
The Gustafson Theorem on Fractional Reversion — This mathematical theorem was developed by my daughter and me when we were teaching math (specifically fractions) to students at various educational levels. The basic concept of the theorem is two-fold: (1) to take a numeric value that has been reduced by a fractional amount back to its original value; (2) to take a numeric value that has been increased by a fractional amount back to its original value. Click Here for a pdf version of the theorem.
Go Now Forth Into His Service — I wrote this church musical benediction in honor of my father Woodrow T. Gustafson (1915-1964). I sang it at its first performance on October 26, 1996, the day that I was exactly as old as my father was when he was killed. The piece was performed at Hillview United Methodist Church in Boise, Idaho, and I was accompanied by soprano Kim Thompson. Click Here for a pdf version of the musical score.
Proving The Pythagoren Theorem — Most of were taught this basic mathematical theorem a2 + b2 = c2 early on in school, and we just believed it was true. I accepted it, even though no proof was ever given to me. Decades go by and I was reading a book recently, The Art of the Infinite, where a description of the proof was given. I had to translate it into my own pictures and words so I could fully understand it. It’s quite simple, yet elegant, once you see it. Thank you, Pythagoras. Click Here for a pdf version of the proof.