Group items tagged

"Researchers in Spain have recently proved, mathematically, that particles charged in a magnetic field can escape into infinity without ever stopping. When this happens, under a certain set of conditions, particles will either never stop, as in a loop, or actually escape the limits of a spherical surface, no matter how big the surface may be."

"Among mathematicians, it is always a happy moment when a long-standing problem is suddenly solved. The year 2012 started with such a moment, when an Irish mathematician named Gary McGuire announced a solution to the minimal-clue problem for Sudoku puzzles." Article written by author of a recent book, "Taking Sudoku Seriously: The Math Behind the World's Most Popular Pencil Puzzle".

"a weekly activity for students of grades 8 to 12 and post-secondary students. The activities are something beyond classroom traditional in-class and curriculum-based learning. Presentations by Circle members or by invited mathematicians and scientists, discussion about specific topics and solving math problems, puzzles and games; review math/science history and preparation for maths contests and Olympiads are the main activities in the GMC."

Regarding researchers' boycotting Elsevier journals, a mathematician comments on the publisher's high priced mathematics titles as well as apparent lack of peer review.

"June 23 marks the 100th birthday of Alan Turing. If I had to name five people whose personal efforts led to the defeat of Nazi Germany, the English mathematician would surely be on my list."

A book by Reuben Hersh and Vera Johnson on the "hidden human, emotional, and social forces that shape mathematics and affect the experiences of students and mathematicians."

A volume edited by Mircea Pitici, including such contributions as "why Freeman Dyson thinks some mathematicians are birds while others are frogs; why Keith Devlin believes there's more to mathematics than proof; what Nick Paumgarten has to say about the timing patterns of New York City's traffic lights (and why jaywalking is the most mathematically efficient way to cross Sixty-sixth Street); what Samuel Arbesman can tell us about the epidemiology of the undead in zombie flicks."

Mathematicians at Emory University make a breakthrough in the study of partitions of numbers, using insights from fractal geometry.

Forthcoming July 2011, available for pre-order. a biography of the 13th century Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa, better known as Fibonacci, who introduced the Hindu-Arabic system of numbers to the west. "Fibonacci's book Liber Abbaci (The Book of Calculation) was the first to recognize the power of the 10 numerals, and to aim them at the world of commerce."

Nrich is a vast maths site with great interactive games and resources for young children right up to college mathematicians. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Maths

Numbers can't "talk," but they can tell you as much as your human sources can. But just like with human sources, you have to ask! So what should you ask a number? Well, mathematicians have developed an entire field - statistics - dedicated to getting answers out of numbers. Now, you don't have to have a degree in statistics in order to conduct an effective "interview" with your data. But you do need to know a few basics. Here, described in plain English, are some basic concepts in statistics that every writer should know...

The OpenScience project is dedicated to writing and releasing free and Open Source scientific software. We are a group of scientists, mathematicians and engineers who want to encourage a collaborative environment in which science can be pursued by anyone who is inspired to discover something new about the natural world.

Lure of the Labyrinth is today's innovative catch Lure of the Labyrinth is a game for middle school pre-algebra students designed to improve math and literacy skills. It includes intriguing math-based puzzles embedded in a narrative game in which students work to find their lost pet and save the world from monsters. Linked to mathematics standards, the game gives students a chance to think like mathematicians. Lure of the Labyrinth Home Page In Lure of the Labyrinth, students progress through three sections, or wings each related to a different math strand that is part of a the typical pre-algebra curriculum: * Proportions (including fractions and ratios) * Variables and Equations * Number and Operations (including geometry, order of operations and modular arithmetic) Each of the three wings includes three puzzles, and each of the puzzles has three levels progressing from easy to hard. Students have to successfully solve each puzzle three times before they can advance through the game. Lure of the Labyrinth Library Page A professional development video specifically designed for pre-algebra teachers takes them step-by-step through the things they need to do to make this engaging game the focal point of great classroom learning experiences. Planning resources include links to standards, directions for working with specific puzzles, lesson plans, explanations of the background math, and graphic organizers. Video - Lure of the Labyrinth Lure of the Labyrinth was created by Maryland Public Television and MIT Education Arcade in cooperation with FableVision.

For prealgebra students.

on memory-word problems

1,000 Scientists in 1,000 Days volunteer program announced for scientists, mathematicians, engineers: "We seek scientists who are willing to volunteer to advise on curricula, answer a classroom's questions, or visit a school-for instance, to do a lab or to talk about what you do. How much you choose to participate will be up to you."

When the great mathematician Isaac Newton explained the colours of the rainbow with refraction the poet John Keats was horrified. Keats complained (through poetry of course) that a mathematical explanation robbed these marvels of nature of their magic, conquering "all mysteries by rule and line". But as we will see, the mathematical explanation, requiring just the basic geometry of lines and circles, is just as elegant as the rainbows themselves.

An ongoing project at Agnes Scott College in Athens, Georgia, this site features biographies of notable women mathematicians, which you can browse alphabetically, chronologically or geographically.

"In Math on Trial, mathematicians Leila Schneps and Coralie Colmez tell the story of ten criminal trials in which mathematical arguments were used-and disastrously misused-as evidence. Using a wide range of examples, from the Dreyfus Affair to the Amanda Knox murder trial, they show how the improper application of mathematical concepts can mean the difference between walking free and life in prison. A colorful narrative of mathematical abuse featuring such characters as Charles Ponzi, Alfred Dreyfus, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Math on Trial shows that legal expertise isn't always enough to prove a person innocent."