Dr. MikeFraboni is a professor of mathematics at Moravian University. He joined the Moravian math department in 2002. His areas of interest include graph theory and combinatorial game theory. Typical first-year courses he teaches include the calculus sequence and elementary statistics. He also primarily teaches analysis courses in the upper-level category, including real, complex, and numerical analysis, as well as the senior seminar for mathematics. Fraboni has organized the department’s annual undergraduate mathematics conference for the past several years. He has also advised several SOAR research projects and Honors projects.
What inspired you to go into your field of study?
I always had a talent for mathematics and I really enjoyed the beauty of it. I had a class on chaos theory my freshman year of college that showed me there was even more to math than I saw in high school, and I was hooked.
What research are you currently working on?
I’m currently working in the field of combinatorial game theory. It asks if we can understand finite games by proving who the winner would be in any given situation. Finite games are things like tic-tac-toe, but also chess, and go.
What job would you have if you couldn’t be a professor, regardless of salary and job outcome? Why?
That’s a hard question because I love teaching and talking about mathematics. Perhaps it’s too similar an answer, but I would say if not a professor then a teacher at another level. If it needed to be something completely different then since I enjoy working on DIY projects around the house, perhaps a job in one of the construction trades.
What do you know now that you wished you knew when you were in college?
I wish I had figured out earlier that my professors’ office hours are an important resource. When I did reach out they were always generous with their time and happy to talk to me, but I think early in my college career I was intimidated by the idea of going to see them.
What is your biggest student pet peeve?
Students who sell themselves short are one of my pet peeves. Many students who are hard-working and talented start a class telling themselves they are bad at math. However, they soon find they really are much stronger than they thought and able to succeed.
What should students expect from your classes? What is the secret to succeeding in your classes?
I hope in my classes students get a peek at the beauty that is mathematics. The secret to success is putting in time and practice. I always say math is not a spectator sport – you can’t learn math just by watching others do it or just reading about it. You need to roll up your sleeves and do some problems or write some proofs.
What was the last streaming show that you binge-watched or the last good book that you read?
I am just finishing The Mandel Files by Peter F. Hamilton. It’s a very interesting sci-fi read.
What is something interesting about you that most people don’t know?
I started my college career as a physical therapy major before changing to mathematics.
Math versus physics: which do you think is more interesting?
I think that math is definitely more interesting. Physics is great for describing the universe around us and all, but the mathematical universe is just so much more beautiful.
