Mathblogging.org Weekly Picks

We try to read every blog post that goes through Mathblogging.org. For the Weekly Picks, we collect posts from last week that give you an impression of what the mathematical blogosphere has to offer.

Education

• Popinga  (translation) offers and introduction into graphs in art, with a surprise application.
• Math+Tech=Fun argues that learning is not automatically fun if it is presented in the form of a game; it needs to incorporate the sensation of purpose, mastery, and choices.
• Angrymath explains the dangers of not using enough words in exercises, and instead relying on the assumption that things are obvious from context
• Quod Erat Demonstrandum computes the speed of light, using a mirror on the moon!

Community

• Jeromy Anglim looks at the new CognitiveScience.Stackexchange site and explains why researchers and student should be active on Q&A sites.
• Xi’an’s Og studies a CrossValidated.SE question.

Research

• At the Secret Blogging Seminar, David Speyer gives some background on the recent reports on flaws in RSA encryption.
• At Turing’s Invisible Hand, Noam Nissan explains the excitement about the recently de-classified letter from John Nash to NSA.

Exposition, Art

• Out of the Norm offers advice on how to kill a dragon (the puzzle, that is).
• Peter Cameron points you towards the Raymon Brownell exhibition in South London.

Enjoy!

Mathblogging.org Weekly Picks

We try to read every blog post that goes through Mathblogging.org. For the Weekly Picks, we collect posts from last week that give you an impression of what the mathematical blogosphere has to offer.

Community

• mathbabe takes a look at a recent study on math, gender & stereotype threat.
• Tim Gowers et al released a formal statement on thecostofknowledge.com signed by 34 internationally renowned researchers.

Research

• At Computational Complexity, Bill Gasarch announces that the 17×17 problem has been solved, meaning he’ll pay the promised $289; bit-player visualized and discusses the solution.
• Nuit Blanche does exemplary pre/post publication peer review.

Exposition

• Gaussianos (translation) discusses two surprising results for quadrilaterals, Thébault’s and Varignon’s Theorem.
• Meandering through Mathematics explains how a calculator calculates logarithms, numerical analysis and all.

Education

• dy/dan kicks off a huge discussion on how useful computers can be in math education, and how they change it.
• Continuous Everywhere but Differentiable Nowhere asks how others are planning their classes, and gets lots of answers.
• Delta Scape ponders about the fact that engaging lessons might be fun, but most of the time let us miss the point.

Enjoy!

Mathblogging.org Weekly Picks

We try to read every blog post that goes through Mathblogging.org. For the Weekly Picks, we collect posts from last week that give you an impression of what the mathematical blogosphere has to offer.

Education

• Casting out Nines wants to make students own, not rent education.
• Better Explained shows how logarithms offer the right perspective  in the real world.
• Angles of Reflection has a positive take on grading, for a change.
• Exzuberant calls for more cultural and historic context in mathematics education.

Research

• Nuit Blanche explains the calibration issue in compressive sensing.
• Regularize gives an introduction to a mathematical model of consensus.
• And so on… revisits Frank Quinn’s article and the grand old question what mathematics is.

Community

• Mathalicious re-examines Khan Academy after a year of media buzz — this time, it’s different.
• mathbabe makes a great point: let them game the model.
• David Bressoud examines trends in race/ethnicity and gender represenation in mathematics.

Art, Essays etc.

• Travels in a Mathematical World debates historical accuracy or: “Apparently Gauss got in this bar fight with Hilbert…”
• Mathcreation gives a short tutorial on how to draw a Mandelbrot set.

Enjoy!

Mathblogging.org Weekly Picks

We try to read every blog post that goes through Mathblogging.org. For the Weekly Picks, we collect posts from last week that give you an impression of what the mathematical blogosphere has to offer.

History, Art, Essays etc.

• Francis’s Science News (translated) explains the dance of viscous liquid on conveyor belts.
• komplexify muses on THE QUESTION.
• Scienza e Musica (translated) celebrates Giacomo Leopardi.

Education

• f(t) function of time shares a game designed for the learning of basic logic.
• Mathy McMatherson reflects on the effect of not assigning homework.

Research

• Math Drudge examines if probability refutes evolution (spoiler: no).
• Popinga (translated) examines a recent arXiv paper on the history of the Four Color Theorem.
• exzuberant looks back on a full year of Standards Based Grading.

Community

• Mathematics&Statistics at Williams College celebrates Susan Loepp.
• At Computational Complexity, Martin Fürer remembers Ernst Specker.
• At Images des Mathématiques (translated) , Lawrence Meerssemann remembers Marco Brunella.
• mathematik, bücher & meer (translated) offers a nice collection of links in the honor of Hilbert’s 150th birthday.
• At Azimuth, John Baez follows up on Tim Gowers’s Elsevier boycott (for more cf. the Polymath Wiki).

Shorts

• Mr Honner shares a math photo with fascinating projections.

Enjoy!