Column

  1. Math

    Sosa’s Corked Bat

    Does Sammy Sosa's hitting reveal a corked-bat effect?

    By Ivars Peterson
  2. Math

    Sea Shell Spirals

    The golden ratio doesn't figure into the spiral structure of the chambered nautilus shell.

    By Ivars Peterson
  3. Math

    Fibonacci’s Other Numbers

    Arrays of whole numbers can give intriguing sums.

    By Ivars Peterson
  4. Math

    Primal Surge

    The Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search has netted its eighth champion.

    By Ivars Peterson
  5. Math

    Super Bowl Crashes

    Should you stay off the road immediately after the Super Bowl telecast is over?

    By Ivars Peterson
  6. Math

    Super Bowl Crashes

    Should you stay off the road immediately after the Super Bowl telecast is over?

    By Ivars Peterson
  7. Math

    Knot Divided in Snow

    The Möbius strip gets embedded in a knotty block of snow.

    By Ivars Peterson
  8. Math

    Thirteen Spades

    Poor shuffling can distort play in the game of bridge.

    By Robert Potter
  9. Math

    Going with the Crowd

    Choosing a restaurant can pack them in.

    By Ivars Peterson
  10. Math

    Artful Routes

    Finding the shortest routes linking cities can also produce intricate continuous-line portraits.

    By Ivars Peterson
  11. Math

    Sphere Worlds

    Painting on spheres offers a novel perspective on the world.

    By Ivars Peterson
  12. Math

    Pennies in a Tray

    Packing pennies in circular trays can lead to intriguing mathematical complexities.

    By Ivars Peterson