Miscellaneous
Multiplying Polynomials
Hello mathematicians, puzzlers, and other curious people! Multiplying ordinary numbers is easier than lots of other things once you\’ve got the hang of it (though getting the hang of it in the first place can be tricky), but multiplying more complicated expressions can be — well, more complicated. Here\’s one example: what if you need…
A Failed Hypothesis
Hello mathematicians, puzzlers, and other curious people! I\’m making a few more videos today, and just as a side note, I haven\’t messed with my camera\’s settings or office lighting that much. What I have done is hypothesized and tested that hypothesis, unsuccessfully. Going to the pool is good for my back, so even though…
A \”Power\”ful Conjecture
Hello mathematicians, puzzlers, and other curious people! A conjecture came up in a homeschool group the other day. The student had been doing the kind of thing we believe in around here, looking for patterns in numbers, and noticed that the first several \”even powers of 2\” — by which they meant 2 raised to…
Beginning of Pythagorean Intro to Number Theory Study-Along
Hello mathematicians, puzzlers, and other curious people! Don\’t forget, this is the first week of our Pythagorean Intro to Number Theory Study-Along! You can still sign up for the free class and get started today on taking a proof-based look at numbers and geometry. Calc You Later!
Multiplication Puzzle!
Hello mathematicians, puzzlers, and other curious people! Have you seen puzzles like this one? Take a minute (or a little longer) to try to solve it. If you\’d like to see how I dealt with it, and some questions I raised along the way and afterward, check out this video: Calc You Later!
Probability of Growth
Hello mathematicians, puzzlers, and other curious people! Today I\’d like to start a probability measurement experiment that you might also be able to count for science class if you need one. The basic question you\’re going to be asking here is \”what percentage will grow?\” Or, to state it more formally, \”what is the probability…
Calculus Formula Puzzle
Hello mathematicians, puzzlers, and other curious people! For those of you who are learning calculus, do you miss how games used to be part of your lessons? Here\’s a jigsaw puzzle of an important calculus formula so you can study while you put it together. (Click the picture to go to the actual puzzle.) I…
Data From a Walk
Hello mathematicians, puzzlers, and other curious people! Today I have for you an experiment that anyone who can count and walk can do, but which, the first time it was done and kept track of, by Gauss, made a big difference to our understanding of statistics and measurement. First you need to pick a place…