… for those who love to talk math.
September 26, 2011 Leave a comment
Every wonder about the origins of your favorite mathematical symbol? Did someone find it under a rock? Was it someone’s idea of a cruel joke? Well, wonder no more. Thanks to Douglas Weaver and Anthony D. Smith from Taperoo High School (Australia), you can now learn the origins of many of the mathematical world’s favorite symbols.
To begin the fun, click here: http://www.roma.unisa.edu.au/07305/symbols.htm#Index
February 2, 2011 Leave a comment
Are you 16 and learning how to drive? Are you afraid of the torturous task of parallel parking? Fear no more! Now, Simon Blackburn, mathematics professor from the University of London has investigated the task of parallel parking. And, thanks to him, you can now have a more complete understanding of the ‘joy’ of parallel parking, hopefully helping you to pass the test.
Read the paper here: Perfect Parking
You are all very welcome!
January 8, 2011 Leave a comment
Take a couple of deep breaths … if you are still reading this, then the good news is that this statement hasn’t caused a heart attack. So, let me clarify what I love about the test. Simply put, it is those gorgeous math questions. Trust me, rarely do you see such beautiful questions anywhere else.
Like most people in love, however, there is something about “my significant other” that I wish I could change. Put simply, I hate the time constraints. How can anyone explore the depth and beauty of these problems if they are only given a half-hour to enjoy them? You are forced to view these problems as if you are waiting in a cafeteria line, quickly moving from soup, to salad, to the main course, to the drink machine … what a shame! I remember the first time I took the test. I only finished about half of the problems because there was so much I wanted to explore that I just ran out of time. So sad!
So, if I hate the time constraints but love the problems, then how do I make sense of it all? Simple. I use the questions in the classroom. Lucky students, I know! But, all kidding aside, by using these problems in the classroom, I have the time to show them the beauty that I see. And, truth be told, most of my students start to see things in a similar light. In fact, it is not uncommon for me to use a single problem as a starting point for an entire class lecture. Some of the problems are just that good!
For those of you who will be “enjoying” the SAT in the near future, I have a great link for you to check out. The College Board (the entity who writes the SAT and therefore controls your fate) has a SAT Problem of the Day website for you to enjoy. While it alternates between math and reading questions (sorry about those reading questions), it is nevertheless good practice. In addition to the Problem of the Day, you can also find some useful links on the left side of the screen, including Practice and Review in math, reading and writing as well as a full practice test.
Best of luck.
January 8, 2011 Leave a comment
Any answers? Any guesses? Want a hint? The answer is a Palindromic number – a number that is the same written forwards or backwards. (For example, 12321 and 1432341 are Palindromic numbers.)
So, try it and see what you get. Enjoy!
Musings on Math 