Math
- Math
Fold-and-Cut Magic
One of the treats of holidays long past was an activity that involved folding, then cutting a sheet or strip of paper to reveal a lacy snowflake or a chain of identical spruce trees, connected at their sides so it looked like branches brushing up against each other. The result was invariably a delightful surprise. […]
- Math
Puzzling Lines
Sol LeWitt’s “Four-Sided Pyramid” at the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. I. Peterson LeWitt’s “Wall Drawing No. 623” at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario. I. Peterson Born in Hartford, Conn., in 1928, artist Sol LeWitt has often featured geometric and combinatorial themes in his numerous creations. His frequent […]
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- Math
Ancient Infinities
An ancient manuscript long hidden from public view has provided significant, new insights into the way Archimedes (287–212 B.C.) did his mathematical work more than 2,000 years ago. The manuscript, known as the Archimedes Palimpsest, is the only source of Archimedes’ treatise on the “Method of Mechanical Theorems.” As the oldest surviving Archimedes manuscript, it’s […]
- Math
Card Shuffling Shenanigans
Shuffling cards is a tricky business. It’s also a lucrative one for gambling casinos. In a game such as blackjack, an astute player can try to memorize the cards already played to have a better chance of predicting which cards will come up later, thus potentially gaining an advantage over the dealer and the casino. […]
- Math
Math Trails in Ottawa
Housed in a spectacular building redolent of crystals and light, the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa was recently the setting for a highly unusual school event–a mathematics field trip! National Gallery of Canada For several years, math teacher Ron Lancaster of Hamilton, Ontario, has been creating “math trails” for both students and teachers as […]
- Math
Election Selection
By ignoring how voters might rank all the candidates in an election, the plurality system opens the floodgates to unsettling, paradoxical results when there are three or more candidates.
- Math
Buffon’s Needling Ants
The classic probability experiment known as Buffon’s needle produces a statistical estimate of the value of pi, the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. The experiment consists of randomly dropping a needle over and over again onto a wooden floor made up of parallel planks. If the needle’s length is no greater than […]
- Math
Buffon’s Needling Ants
The classic probability experiment known as Buffon’s needle produces a statistical estimate of the value of pi, the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. The experiment consists of randomly dropping a needle over and over again onto a wooden floor made up of parallel planks. If the needle’s length is no greater than […]
- Math
Tetris Is Hard
As many computer- and video-game players have long known, the insanely addictive, immensely popular game of Tetris is tough. You can’t really win; you merely try your best to improve upon previous results. The seven tetrominoes of Tetris. The game was invented in 1985 by mathematician Alexey Pajitnov, then a computer engineer at the Academy […]
- Math
Tetris Is Hard
As many computer- and video-game players have long known, the insanely addictive, immensely popular game of Tetris is tough. You can’t really win; you merely try your best to improve upon previous results. The seven tetrominoes of Tetris. The game was invented in 1985 by mathematician Alexey Pajitnov, then a computer engineer at the Academy […]
- Math
Whirling to a chaotic finale
A black hole paired with another body can succumb to chaos when they orbit each other, making it more difficult to detect gravitational waves produced by such objects.
