Monthly Archives: April 2016

Math and Verbal Gymnastics

Posted on April 26, 2016 by annahaensch

We are coming to the end of Math Awareness Month, whose theme this year was The Future of Predictions. A clever theme name, indeed. I do love when mathematics and verbal gymnastics come together. And on that theme of math … Continue reading →

Posted in Events | Tagged Bob Grumman, JoAnne Growney, Karl Kempton, Math Awareness Month, National Poetry Month | Leave a comment

Fold Your Way to Glory

Posted on April 20, 2016 by evelynjlamb

Yesterday, I led a meeting of a Teachers’ Math Circle about the fold and cut theorem. This theorem says any region with a polygonal boundary can be folded and cut from a sheet of paper using only one cut. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Math Education, Mathematics and the Arts | Tagged erik demaine, fold and cut theorem, joel david hamkins, kate owens, katie steckles, math teachers circle, Mike Lawler, Mikesmathpage, numberphile, origami | Leave a comment

Packing Heat: The World Of Sphere Packings Is On Fire

Posted on April 11, 2016 by annahaensch

Suppose somebody hands you a bunch of oranges and asks you to stack them on a shelf, I’ll bet I can guess how you would do it. You’d build a pyramid by laying down a base layer and then fill … Continue reading →

Posted in Number Theory | Tagged Abhinav Kumar, Danylo Radchenko, Erica Klarreich, error-correcting code, Gil Kalai, Henry Cohn, Maryna Viazovska, n-category café, sphere packing, Stephen D. Miller | Leave a comment

How to Celebrate Square Root Day

Posted on April 4, 2016 by evelynjlamb

Apparently today, 4/4/16, is Square Root Day. (I supposed we could also have celebrated 4/2 to have a long Square Root Weekend.) How should a math enthusiast celebrate this holiday, which won’t come again until May 2025? Of course, one option … Continue reading →