267 posts tagged with mathematics.
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Best math apps/games for middle schooler
My bright almost-8th-grader is struggling with math basics, and I know that a big part of it is that back in 3rd/4th grade, they stopped drilling the multiplication table as part of the general curriculum. So that fundamental knowledge is missing for a lot of kids :( More under the fold... [more inside]
Possibly apocryphal story of submarine failing at launch...
I have long treasured an anecdote about an early submarine that when launched, proved unusable, because the hull was not perfectly circular. While its width had been measured repeatedly during construction, constant width is not the same as cirularity.
However I can't remember the source... [more inside]
Right-to-left Cartesian planes
Has there ever been a convention for a Cartesian-style plane read right-to-left? [more inside]
Online Degree in Mathematics in Spanish?
A Colombian friend of mine would like to do an online degree program in Mathematics. Ideally this would be from a somewhat well-regarded school in Spain or another Spanish-speaking country. Any recommendations?
Looking for a specific children's book from the 1970s or 1980s
The book is a learning resource to help elementary school students understand concepts in mathematics. [more inside]
Okay so what do math majors do with their lives?
I, a person who studied art and media in college, have somehow raised a child who enjoys the hell out of math. As the end of his freshman year of college approaches, he's told me he plans to declare a math major. I'm certainly not against it, but it's so far from what I know that I don't understand it at all. So what do mathy people do when they leave college? He's pretty money-oriented, so I don't think "teaching math" will be something he aims for.
Math formula that only works in some base systems
The Bailey–Borwein–Plouffe formula can calculate any digit of pi without working out the previous digits... but it only works in Base 2 and Base 16. Why? [more inside]
What book was this - mathematically dividing inheritance?
I’m looking for help identifying the book this anecdote / chapter comes from: (to the best of my memory), after a family member does, the adult kids who are all scientists / mathematicians divide their property by making an enormous X/Y graph? [more inside]
Exploring GLSL visualizations
I've been following some of the lovely animations on the #GLSL Twitter feed, which I'd like to try out and tweak on my own, so that I can perhaps figure out how they work. My efforts to bring the code posted within the tweets into online tools like GLSL Sandbox and twigl.app result in syntax errors and seem to be dead ends. Am I missing something about using these tools? Are there easier ways to explore these?
What mathematical techniques came after calculus?
I was reading this article about Nobel prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman, and I came upon an interesting quote. I hope that the quote can be explained to me by someone with a background in math and/or physics. [more inside]
I'd like to read/do some recreational math. Recommend a book
I'd like to read about and do some some recreational math. Like puzzles and stuff like that. I enjoyed the Euclid game very much. I'm leaving this pretty broad, but basically I'd mostly like to DO, but it's ok if there's some reading/learning stuff in between the doing. But I'm not looking for a primarily reading book. [more inside]
Meditations on First Biography
I’m looking for a decent, introductory-level biography of Descartes. I have no interest in a staid academic biography, but rather something aimed for novices and maybe capping out at 250 pages (in English). I have the academic background, but that was a long time ago, and I’m interested in a refresher only. Does such a lighter biography exist? Thanks in advance!
How long would it take to learn Algebra I to Calculus II?
I am a Social Science student and I am finding statistics to be quite valuable and exciting. I am beginning to think that pursuing a Master's in Statistics (or Biostatistics) or Data Science focus woule be an ideal degree, especially if I can somehow combine it with Sociology/Political Science in government or tech companies with a social aspect to it. Yet, I have always been slow with maths and I struggle with it at times - currently working on Algebra I so far. [more inside]
Online-whiteboard hardware/software (difficulty: Linux, mathematics)
I'm hoping to be prepared for the real prospect that I might be teaching online next fall. The end of this semester I made the best of what I had, but I want to be able to do better. I use a Linux laptop and teach mathematics; if they let us pback into our offices next semester I'll have a Linux desktop instead. This semester I used Zoom but my institution isn't, at present, mandating any particular teleconference software. [more inside]
Math Problem Please Hep!
I would dearly love an answer to this math question, but I'm far too mathematically ignorant to figure it out. [more inside]
Margins of error, multiple variables, and probably overthinking stats
I need to compute a margin of error for the result of f(x,y), where x and y are variables, with known errors, provided by sensors. This is something that would go on a spec sheet, so it should be applicable to any equation f(x,y) no matter the inputs. I guess?
An example and possibly a better explanation of the wall I'm hitting behind the cut. [more inside]
Seeking a math-related article about strange infinite series
My Google-foo is failing me. About a month ago, I started reading a very interesting article about a topic in mathematics. I read only the first few paragraphs before I got distracted by something. Now I want to finish the article, but I can't find it. [more inside]
Please help me do math good again
I used to know a lot of math. That was well over a decade ago. I haven't used it since, and now I'm in a position where I need it again. Is there an online course or a textbook (or a couple textbooks) that will take me on a speed-run from pre-calc to differential equations/linear algebra? With exercises, and the exercises have worked-out answers? [more inside]
how calculate cost per home of road paving in private community
I live in community with about 60 houses, there are main roads and artery roads and capillary roads (to borrow an analogy).
We need to pave the roads and am looking for a simple way to calculate the $ contribution of each household. [more inside]
Zero to astrophysics
A young woman who I know in Ontario wants to become an astrophysicist, but so far has only finished a mix of grade 11 and grade 12 level science and math courses. Obviously she will need to take a lot more of the standard curriculum, but I suspect it generally isn't designed with future astrophysicists in mind.
What other math or foundational skills are necessary or useful for this field? Can you think of any other ways of building toward it? Are there institutions to know about, either in the Toronto area or more broadly?
Help me figure out what's up with this probability question
Someone posted a probability question on Mastodon: "A, B and C toot the truth with a probability of 1/3 and lie with a probability of 2/3. A makes a toot and B toots an observation on whether or not A was tooting the truth or not. C toots that B confirmed A was truthful. What is the actual probability that A's toot was truthful?" Either I made it more complicated than it needs to be, or a lot of other people are wrong, and I suspect the former. Help me get to the bottom of this! [more inside]
Computers and Irrational Numbers
How do computers "think" about irrational numbers? If I tell my computer: √2 ^ 2, does it first calculate the square root out to a certain decimal place, then square it, and round the answer up to 2? Or does it somehow understand the irrationality of √2 and not perform that part operation? I don't have a CS background, so this question might be pretty naive. Links to articles/ discussions are welcome, my googling didn't go so well.
Simple explanation of dimensional space
Years ago I read an explanation on how to think simply about dimensions from the 5th and higher. I'm trying to find it again, or the theory which describes it. [more inside]
What is new in your field?
I want to know what the new areas of research, or new discoveries, are in your field. Things such as CRISPR in biology. I'm interested in all fields, not just the sciences, but I'm especially interested in math and sciences.
I also want to know where to go to hear more news about new discoveries. I read Quanta Magazine occasionally. Where else should I be looking? I want to be reading accurate sources, both shorter sources and ones that go more into depth.
Public librarian seeks statistics input
What information and statistical tests do I use to find out if moving biographies to their own special display actually increased their popularity? I want to take a rigorous approach that includes confidence levels. [more inside]
Pre-publishing maths on Arxiv: good idea?
I'm an amateur mathematician without any academic affiliation and I have solved part of a long-standing question. I want to discuss my proof on mailing lists and email, which might help me get the insights to solve the other part. Will putting an obfuscated proof on Arxiv secure my priority while I work on a bigger, fuller analysis? Is it a good idea generally, presuming that I would publish it properly at some stage? [more inside]
Is a proof of "P versus NP" itself subject to the P/NP argument?
There are reports again on the internet that "P versus NP" has been resolved. I'm not a mathematician, but did this set me wondering, as it is an interesting question, whether the proof of P/NP was in itself a case of a P/NP problem. So: Could we program a computer to attack P/NP? [more inside]
How do I approach studying what I don't really understand?
For better or worse, I've been one of those people who either intuitively gets something or doesn't persist with it. Usually I've been bright enough to get by. But I am faced with exams now where there are clear gaps in my knowledge, and I can find them hard to identify or fill in. What's a good method to identify what I -don't- know in a question? [more inside]
The "ne plus ultra" of student-led learning
I'll be finishing my Master's in math education this semester, which means a lot of lesson plans being written and evaluated by my professor. Some recent comments of his have made me want to find better examples of "student-led instruction". [more inside]
Career question: museum and math edition
I'm about to graduate with a master's in museum studies. I'm doing a master's project on lesson plans highlighting the math within art pieces at a specific museum. My undergraduate background is not math, but I've become interested in learning more math. [more inside]
Can p → q |- ¬p ∨ q in intuitionistic logic?
Can you prove p → q |- ¬p ∨ q without using the law of the excluded middle or its equivalent? I'm going through a logic book (introductory) and I have an intuition that proving this isn't possible constructively, but I'd like a confirmation.
Information about "mastery-based" courses in mathematics?
My department is interested in transitioning to a "mastery-based" precalculus class at the college level. The basic idea is that students would be allowed (somehow) to work at their own pace, and success in the class would be by demonstrating mastery of most of the material (80%?). Somehow. Does anyone have any experience with this sort of teaching, in any discipline? [more inside]
Searching for a math learning book for children
Sometime within the last two years, I read a positive review of a mathematics book for children of at least kindergarten age that introduced math concepts using the number line as a conceptual focus. I'd appreciate any help in trying to identify this book. [more inside]
Math education resources
I am aiming to create extracurricular programming for people of all ages (but I'm particularly focused on teens and adults) to illuminate the neat areas of math that aren't covered in school. (Graph theory, mobius strips, pascal's triangle, things like that.) However, I don't have a very official background in mathematics myself.
1) What resources can I use to teach myself about math in those areas, or math leading up to those areas?
2) What resources are out there for kids/teens/adults to increase their math awareness? [more inside]
Counting 101 (and beyond)
Our three year old LOVES to say his letters and numbers. When he gets to Z, he triumphantly (and accurately) announces "and that's all the letters!" When he gets to 100 he proudly informs us, "that's all the numbers!" I've tried to tell him about 101, 102, etc., but he does not believe me. He would believe it if a YouTube video or app told him so. Any suggestions? (Yep, I know this is not a big deal. I just like watching the light bulb go on when he realizes just how big the world is.)
What sort of genius do I need to hire, and where can I find them?
I am in the process of trying to create a complex pricing calculator for internal use in our business. I have most of the data, however I am hoping to engage someone on a freelance basis to help me complete the data set, as well as give some expanded detail on how this data (pricing) can change geographically. What specific professions should I be engaging, and where can I find them? More information below the fold. [more inside]
Challenges, Puzzles and Courses in Maths, Logic and Computing
I'm looking for challenges, puzzles and "teach yourself" courses that involve maths and logic, probably related to computing. Ideally I'd like a curated source (mailing list or regularly updated website), but perhaps the best we can do is collect them here. Inside I will give examples of what I mean by "challenges, puzzles and courses". [more inside]
Design and audience
Hi, parents of young children. I've been commissioned to design and format a series of small books aimed at you and your kind. How do you want it to look? [more inside]
Resources for teaching a STEM elective course?
So the school year is close to starting here and I was recently told I need to teach a STEM elective course. This is a brand new course and there are no real guidelines so I need to build it from the ground up. I have some ideas but I need to quickly find ways to get material resources most of all, but also a strategy to plan a cohesive year-long course. [more inside]
Mathfilter - Surface of a Helix
My math is a bit rusty, I would like to calculate the surface of a helix [more inside]
Learning math online
I want to learn math. I signed up for Khan Academy and I like the format a lot. I really like that there are short lessons that I can complete, and that the software automatically checks the answers and lets me continue when I completed a string of 5 good answers in a row (or something similar). I don't like the video explanations though. I'm just not a video person, I learn much better from text. Is there something like Khan Academy where you can do math exercises online but where the explanation is in text?
How much and what type of math is beneficial to programming?
How much and what type of math is beneficial to programming? What are the prerequisites / pathways to grokking this kind of math? [more inside]
Help me solve this real-life math problem.
I need to use math to figure out how to fill my pill organizer correctly. [more inside]
Online resources for brushing up on basic math skills?
What are some good, free online resources for an adult who needs to brush up on basic math operations such as working with fractions, percentages and ratios? Other than Khan Academy. The more interactive the better.
Seeking advice about teaching maths
I'm interested in teaching high school students mathematics through a tutoring agency. I have the required experience in mathematics, but very little in teaching. This doesn't seem to be a massive problem for many tutoring agencies, but I want to know: do you have any specific tips/advice about teaching mathematics? And more broadly, any advice about applying for and going to work for a tutoring agency? [more inside]
In a multi-winner election, how many should I vote for?
Mathematically, in a 6-way race with 5 winners, should I vote for the 2 candidates I like, or all 5 who I don't hate? Details inside. [more inside]
Math-related field trip destinations for Bay Area HS students?
I teach math to high schoolers in the San Francisco Bay Area. I'd like to get them out of the classroom on a field trip to a local math-themed destination. Any suggestions? [more inside]
What are inter-disciplinary and atypical uses for math MSc?
I have just completed my MSc in mathematics in Europe. I do enjoy math, but I spent my uni years feeling like a autodidact hippie marooned on an island full of Mr and Mrs I-Want-A-Good-Job. My main interests revolve around humanities (literature/history/anthropology) and economics (but not finance), and instead of starting a "stable" well-paying career I dream about something inter-disciplinary. I am very open to earning little money and relocating just to do kind of work that engages those skills. What are some random uses of my degree? [more inside]
Math Careers
Non-obvious careers for someone with a B.S. in Applied Mathematics? [more inside]
CollegeFilter: How is one to choose without regret?
At the age of 24, I just completed my first year of undergraduate studies at a good public university. I am a strong student with a 4.0 GPA, but I feel that my interests are so broad and varied that I don't know how to narrow down on a specific path of study. Compound these problems with the ubiquitous financial and career concerns of the modern college student, and you have one confused student. How can I resolve this inner turmoil and structure a long-term plan that will bring me (at least some) peace of mind? [more inside]