A 60-Year Legacy of Inorganic Chemistry Science and Education in Eastern Slovakia

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Milan Žukovič

This textbook is intended for master's degree students and is a follow-up to the Computational Physics I course studied at the bachelor's level. The content of the textbook Computational Physics II focuses on stochastic methods of solving physical problems, mainly on Monte Carlo (MC) simulation of many-particle systems.

The focus on this computationally intensive approach is motivated by the gradual increase in the computing capacities of ordinary computers as well as the introduction of high-performance computing clusters. This has led to significant progress in the development of new simulation techniques, thanks to which MC simulations have found application in various areas of research and application practice. Considering the main research focus of the department, this text is particularly devoted to the presentation of basic and more advanced MC simulation techniques applied to a simple Ising spin model in order to investigate its magnetic, thermodynamic and critical properties.

The next part is devoted to MC simulations of random processes. It focuses on the simplest but also the most basic random walk process and demonstrates its applications in financial analysis and the solution of a quantum system described by the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. The last part is dedicated to the basics of molecular dynamics, applied to simulating the classical movement of atoms in a given force field. By mastering the problems addressed in this course, students will obtain a potential tool for working out of their diploma theses, or a methodology useful for their further scientific and research practice in the field of investigating of complex systems.

The lectured topic is subsequently exercised in the form of preparing projects implemented in the freely distributable software Octave, which is easy on the user's programming skills and which students have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with in the previous study.

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Peter Paľove-Balang

The text ‘Uptake and transport of mineral substances in plants’ in Slovak language provides a general overview of the uptake and distribution of substances in an easy-to-understand form.

The individual chapters introduce students to the properties of the soil environment, which have a significant influence on the availability of substances, as well as the transport of substances across membranes and over medium and long distances. The text contains the latest findings from the English literature, supplemented by diagrams and graphs created by the author on the basis of his own research or by compiling several sources.

The text is intended primarily for students of a master's degree in biology or ecology and assumes at least a basic knowledge of plant physiology.

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Zuzana Kudličková(ed.)

Proceedings of Abstracts from the Scientific Conference with International Participation Organized on the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, held on June 8–10, 2016 in Košice.

The Department of Organic Chemistry was established on February 1, 1966. From its inception, the department’s development prospects have been linked to high-quality scientific research focused on the synthesis of isothiocyanates and the products of their nucleophilic additions. In addition, studies were conducted on the use of cycloaddition, cyclocondensation, and photocyclization reactions of heterocumulenes in the synthesis of heterocycles.

Currently, research at the Department of Organic Chemistry is concentrated on stereoselective syntheses of iminosugars and γ-lactam-β-lactone antibiotics, total synthesis of natural compounds and their analogues possessing a sphingoid structure, research into the synthesis of indole alkaloids from the phytoalexin group, and the synthesis of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors based on acridine and coumarin derivatives.

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Ivan Potočňák

The script is a study literature for the subject Chemical Calculations, which is a mandatory course in the bachelor's degree programs in Chemistry and Chemistry – Interdisciplinary Studies, first year. The script contains 10 chapters with a total of 207 pages, guiding students through solved and unsolved examples to help them understand the subject matter.

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Jozef Strečka

The present textbook deals with exactly solved models and their diverse applications in several branches of physics such as mathematical physics, statistical physics, condensed matter physics and so on. Exactly soluble models are currently considered as an inspiring research field in its own right, which regrettably requires a considerable knowledge of sophisticated mathematics. Accordingly, my primary ambition was to provide an intro- ductory course for undergraduate students that would cover the simplest exactly solved models, whose rigorous solutions are available even after modest calculation. The present textbook should be therefore regarded as an auxiliary graduate-level textbook, which should serve as the student’s guide on this beautiful but surely intricate subject.

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Jozef Bednarčík (ed.)

Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice under the auspices of Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic, Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic and European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser Facility GmbH in Hamburg organizes School of XFEL and Synchrotron Radiation Users 2024 (SFEL 2024). The school is continuation of the Winter Schools of Synchrotron radiation held in 2011, 2013, 2014 and SFEL 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022. The aim of the SFEL2024 school is to facilitate the growth of new Slovak research community of high expertise in high-efficiency RTG laser and synchrotron and neutron sources. The SFEL school is designed for efficient transfer of the rapidly developing know-how in these areas to young generation – researchers and university students. The next aim of the SFEL2024 is strengthening of personal connections between the local Slovak research community and forming scientific teams of XFEL users. Slovak research community thus can take advantage of the fact that Slovakia is a shareholder of European XFEL GmbH Company in Hamburg, but also makes more efficient use of other closely related scientific facilities, including ILL and ESRF in Grenoble and DESY in Hamburg.

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Katarína Cechlárová

Linear programming belongs to parts of mathematics with the greatest number of real applications. This Slovak-English problem collection provides an overview of basic knowledge in the area, application problems as well as problems to acquire routine in calculations. It is complemented by questions motivating the student to look for further theoretical principles, construct conterexamples  and formulate arguments to explain the studied phenomena.

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Ondrej Hutník

The concept of the integral is one of the most significant concepts in mathematics as a whole. In its most primitive form, it was already used by the ancient Greeks in the creation of Euclidean geometry. However, it was only after Descartes' work on analytical geometry in 1637 that mathematicians could begin to consider the integral as a subject of analysis. Descartes' work laid the groundwork for the discovery of infinitesimal calculus by Leibniz and Newton around 1665. At that time, a great dispute arose over the priority of this discovery, dividing scholars of Germany and England into two opposing camps, each favoring their own champion. Today, we know that Newton's work on fluxions and fluents was somewhat earlier, but Leibniz's notation and approach have gained more acceptance in the mathematical world, and the symbols ∫ ∫ and d d are still used today. A brief overview of the history of the integral will be presented in Chapter 1.

Today, there is a plethora of scripts, textbooks, and books dedicated to explaining the concept of the integral. Therefore, every potential author faces the initial question of whether to write another text on this topic. Our affirmative answer to this question was driven by the students' request to find the subject matter of a part of the winter semester of the second year presented in a coherent form. The second motivation is a slightly different approach to the topic. If we consider the methods typically used in solving problems and gaining routine with a certain integral, it mainly involves the Newton-Leibniz formula, and often there is little time left to compute the definite (Riemann) integral using its definition. Therefore, we included a discussion of the Newton integral in Chapter 2, which reflects this fact and is directly related to the indefinite integral, whose various calculation methods receive relatively much attention in the previous semester. Only after that, in Chapter 3, do we build the theory of the Riemann integral, present criteria for its existence, classes of integrable functions, basic properties, and finally its relationship with the Newton integral. Questions primarily concerning geometric applications are addressed in Chapter 4, and in the final chapter, we focus on extending the Riemann integral to unbounded functions and unbounded intervals.

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Erik Bruoth - Juraj Šebej - Ľubomír Antoni

In these university-level textbooks, we present the fundamental concepts of networks and graph theory. We explore breadth-first and depth-first graph searching. We present static and dynamic network models. We describe the issue of detecting overlapping and non-overlapping communities in directed and undirected networks. Various approaches to anomaly detection in networks also form an important part of this textbook. The final chapter is dedicated to spectral clustering, which plays a significant role in data mining in network graphs for various application domains.

These textbooks are suitable for first and second-year university students in computer science programs. The study materials are also suitable for students in non-computer science fields, with the aim of improving their knowledge and practical experience in computer science-related areas, and provide an opportunity for students to find employment in IT companies to solve practical tasks.

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Ľubomír Šnajder - Ján Guniš

The publication lists interim results of qualitative educational research focused on the development and evaluation of programming tasks being carried out by authors since 2005 in the frame of programming competition PALMA junior.

The publication consists of three chapters: Computer science competitions in Slovakia, Tasks in computer science education, Selected problems of PALMA junior competition. The first chapter provides an overview of computer science competitions for a primary and secondary schools in Slovakia. The second chapter described the issue of learning tasks - their components, focus, formulation types, and development system of tasks. The third chapter contains the assignments and commented author solutions of selected problems represented focus of PALMA junior competition – programming, algorithms and mathematics.

For each problem is mentioned analysis of pupils’ solutions aimed to ways of thinking, typical misconceptions, sets of preparatory and extended problems. The publication is addressed to computer science teacher trainers, authors of programming competitions problems, and computer science teachers.  

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Monika Balogová - Viktória Vargová - Kristián Gulyás - Natália Pipová - Dalibor Uhrovič -Marcel Uhrin

A peer-reviewed publication dealing with the biology and ecology of the European green toad, bringing new findings through scientific research on the roosting ecology, spatial activity and dispersal of this protected species in urban environments. The subject matter of this publication is highly topical, as amphibians represent the most threatened vertebrate group in the world. This work is suitable not only for university students interested in batrachology, amphibian ecology, and vertebrate zoology, but also for conservation workers, municipalities, and specialists directly involved in the reconstruction of urban areas with green toads. Last but not least, this publication is suitable for enthusiasts with an interest in nature and its conservation.

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Ivana Sotáková-Martin Vavra-Mária Ganajová

This textbook has been designed for the master students of chemistry teaching (combined) at the Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice as a source of model school experiments in general and inorganic chemistry. It will be used for teaching the Special Practice of School Experiments I compulsory course. It consists of instructions for experiments related to the selected topics in general and inorganic chemistry as well as the didactic and technical aspects of their performance. Each experiment includes an explanation of the principle, specification of the tools and chemicals needed, working procedure, and the respective apparatus assembly scheme. At the end of each experiment, the observation and explanation necessary for the correct interpretation of the results of the chemical experiment performed are provided. To follow the requirements for the digital transformation of education, selected computer-aided experiments and visualiser projections have been included as well. The next part is focused on the work with the monitoring suitcase, which can be used for making simple field experiments related to environmental topics. The final part is dedicated to attractive experiments that complement the topics in inorganic chemistry and can be used to motivate students. All experiment instructions are in line with the requirements specified by the state educational programmes for primary and grammar schools. This book allows teachers to select appropriate demonstrative experiments or experiments for laboratory classes performed by students themselves. The videos of selected experiments are also available as part of the interactive periodical table of elements operated by the Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice.

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Ivan Potočňák a kol.

The textbook represents a study literature on the subject of General chemistry, which is a compulsory subject of bachelor courses in Chemistry and Chemistry -  interdisciplinary study, the first year. This textbook contains 15 + 2 chapters in the whole range of 170 pages that follow the content of lectures and by means of examples and theoretical tasks consolidate and extend knowledge gained from lectures.

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Marcel Uhrin - David Jandzik - Andrej Čerňanský - Michal Rindoš - Blanka Lehotská - Stanislav Danko - Ján Kautman - Peter Mikulíček - Peter Urban - Daniel Jablonski

Bibliographies provide basic scientific information, illustrate quality and intensity of research in a particular topic, area, or time, and thus help build a cultural-historical perspective of society’s appreciation of knowledge and education. Here we provide a bibliography of herpetological research in the region of Slovakia between the years 1791 and 2017. We collected 2,183 references authored by 1,453 different authors and covering all species of amphibians (18) and reptiles (13) occurring in Slovakia and, in addition, amphibian and reptile taxa occurring in 94 other countries.

Most of the contributions were published in popular magazines and non-indexed journals, while only about 12% of all references represent scientific articles from journals indexed in relevant scientific databases. The extensiveness of study on amphibians and reptiles has varied among different periods within the selected time frame. However, an obvious intensification in the field of herpetology can be observed, especially during the second half of the 20th century. While there have only been few professionals specialized in herpetology, an important role in promoting the research and conservation of amphibians and reptiles in Slovakia has been played by non-governmental organizations and hobbyists. The most frequent type of herpetological data in the referenced literature comes from faunistic research, followed by conservation and general information on herpetofauna, with the majority of published articles in indexed journals coming from the fields of palaeontology, phylogeography, and population genetics.

The presented bibliography is the first step towards building a solid base for future systematic herpetological research in the country and Central Europe.

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Daniel Klein

Statistics is defined as a scientific discipline based on learning from data and on finding, controlling, and presenting uncertainty. In these university textbooks we present the history of statistics, basic concepts of statistical modeling, measurement of dependencies, regression models, analysis of variance. We describe simple sorting, multiple comparisons, assumptions of the ANOVA model, Kruskal-Wallis test.

University textbooks are suitable for students of mathematics and computer science at the first and second level of universities. Study materials are also suitable for students of non-informatics disciplines with a view to improving their knowledge and practical experience in the fields of informatics and provide an opportunity for students to apply in IT companies in solving practical tasks.

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 Matúš Harminc 

Tento učebný text je určený poslucháčom medziodborového štúdia v kombináciách s matematikou, jednoodborového štúdia matematiky ako aj rozširujúceho štúdia matematiky. Je za-meraný na kvadratické kongruencie a niektoré diofantovské rovnice.

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