There’s a new Stack Exchange site for mathematics educators to ask and answer questions to do with the teaching of mathematics. To give you an idea of what the site’s for, here are a few interesting questions that have already been asked: How can I estimate the length of an exam? (top answer: do it yourself,…
Integer sequence review: A193430
The Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences contains over 200,000 sequences. It contains classics, curios, thousands of derivatives entered purely for completeness’s sake, short sequences whose completion would be a huge mathematical achievement, and some entries which are just downright silly. For a lark, David and I have decided to review some of the Encyclopedia’s sequences.…
How to solve a Rubik’s Cube in one easy step
Will repeating the same move on a Rubik’s cube eventually bring it back to a solved state? And if so, how many turns will it take? Paul Taylor investigates.
Follow Friday, 21/03/14
It’s been a while since we’ve done one of these, but here’s a selection of Twitter accounts you may wish to follow. This week, the theme is numbers! 1. Prime Numbers 36871 — Prime Numbers (@_primes_) March 14, 2014 While I usually try to pull out an interesting tweet to showcase the brilliance of the…
‘Development and evaluation of a partially-automated approach to the assessment of undergraduate mathematics’
Next month I will present at the 8th British Congress of Mathematics Education, the “largest mathematics and mathematics education conference in the UK” which “brings together teachers from early years to higher education, researchers, teacher educators, CPD providers, consultants, policy makers, examiners and professional and academic mathematicians”, according to its website. My talk is part…
3.142: a π round-up
‘Tis the season to celebrate the circle constant! ((Pedants would have me revise that to “a circle constant”.)) Yes, that’s right: in some calendar systems using some date notation, the day and month coincide with the first three digits of π, and mathematicians all over the world are celebrating with thematic baked goods and the wearing…
LASER TURING
Since we’re the leading authority on Alan Turing news stories, and since it’s clear that anything is improved by the addition of LASERS, we’re proud to report that the Manchester Histories Festival, taking place across Manchester on March 21-28, will include LASER ALAN TURING. The centrepiece of the festival will be a laser light show…