Column

  1. Math

    Prime Spirals

    Precisely defined yet enticingly elusive, prime numbers occupy a central place in number theory. Evenly divisible only by themselves and 1, these special integers–2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, and so on–pose all sorts of conundrums. In a square grid, numbering squares instead of line intersections serves as […]

    By Ivars Peterson
  2. Math

    Getting Clobbered

    Clobber is a new two-person game that’s easy to learn and fun to play and, for the mathematically inclined, rife with analytical possibility. Initial placement of white and black stones on a 5 x 6 rectangular board. The “standard” game is played on a rectangular grid of squares–say, a portion of a checkerboard.