Mathblogging.org Weekly Picks

We try to read every blog post that goes through Mathblogging.org. For the Weekly Picks, we collect posts in one category from last week to give you an impression of what the mathematical blogosphere has to offer. (Read this for more information on this change.)

Last week, we focused on “Applied” blogs.

Research

• At the Geomblog, Suresh Venkatasubramanian explains new ways to minimize communication for distributed computations.
• At OR in an OB world, Paul Rubin explains how to find K best solutions to an optimization.

Reviews, Exposition, etc.

• Math Encounters Blog deconstructs the dispersion formula for optical fiber.
• At Nuit Blanche, Igor Carron lets the invisible Mercedes disappear and detect its appearance.

Community

• At Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference and Social Science, Andrew Gelman shared his (contradicting) views on two + two proposals  for alternative peer review systems.

Enjoy!

Mathblogging.org Weekly Picks

We try to read every blog post that goes through Mathblogging.org. For the Weekly Picks, we collect posts in one category from last week to give you an impression of what the mathematical blogosphere has to offer. (Read this for more information on this change.)

Last week, we focused on ”General“, ”Journalism“, and “Institutions“.

Exposition

• Girls’ Angle Blog answers a reader’s question on the ubiquitous Obviousness.
• The Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science gives you a primer on computational thinking for kids.
• Images des Mathématiques (translation) offers an introduction to biological networks.

History

• The Renaissance Mathematicus reacts to a revisionist historian at the Scientific American Guest Blog.

Journalism

• The New APPS blog pointed you to two pieces in the Guardian — one on racism in Mathematics and another one on the ‘academic Spring’.
• bit-player, as promised in its column in the American Scientist, released a javascript implementation the 1972 doomsday model World3, including a lot of background writing.

Enjoy!

Mathblogging.org Weekly Picks

We try to read every blog post that goes through Mathblogging.org. For the Weekly Picks, we collect posts in one category from last week to give you an impression of what the mathematical blogosphere has to offer. (Read this for more information on this change.)

Last week, we focused on ”Pure Researchers“.

Exposition

• Calculus VII explains the intrinsic diameter.
• Mathematik, Bücher und Meer (translation) studied the complicated way of calculating the date of Easter.
• Transitive Action muses on transparency in mathematics using a simple lemma.
• Gli Studenti Oggi (translation) teaches students about incredible size.

Research

• At Azimuth, John Baez links to his robot-supported talk on environmental issues at Google.
• Out of the Norm explains Gowers’ hyperplane space using Jenga.
• Quomodocumque reflects on probalitities of probabilities.
• Gödel’s Lost Letter and P=NP wonders if protein folding couldn’t be solved with inspiration from lazy evaluation.

Community

• Episodic Thoughts discusses prizes for young mathematicians and calls for a Galois prize.
• Piece of Mind reports the latest innovation at BIRS: live streaming and recording of all talks.
• The Secret Blogging Seminar discusses an upcoming piece in the Notices of the AMS regarding the Elsevier boycott.
• James Colliander analyzes the NSERC discovery grant results for Toronto.

Enjoy!

Mathblogging.org Weekly Picks

We try to read every blog post that goes through Mathblogging.org. For the Weekly Picks, we collect posts in one category from last week to give you an impression of what the mathematical blogosphere has to offer. (Read this for more information on this change.)

Last week, we focused on ”Art“, ”Visual” and ”Fun“.

Art

• Vi Hart gives you 9.999… reasons that .999… = 1 only to to show later that every proof is wrong (or does she ).
• Intersections — Poetry with Mathematics shares a poem celebrating Emmy Noether’s 130th birthday.
• Impossible World shares “Constructing the impossible” by Studio Tipi.

Visualizations

• The Math Kid visualizes the duality between the ℓ1 and ℓ∞ norms.
• IntoTheContinuum shares a colorful infinite spiral (including its mathematica code)

Humor

• (x,why?) gives you “Benford Tools”.
• Mathy Jokes 4 Mathy Folks had to fight a very mathematical parrot.
• Komplexify! suffers insult and injury.

Enjoy!