Math Overflow, where intimidatingly clever mathematicians ask and answer research-relevant questions, has just been upgraded to version 2.0 of the Stack Exchange software which has powered the site since it opened in 2009. This is news because Math Overflow has merged with the commercial Stack Exchange network, losing its (semi-)independent status. There was a tiny…
Integer Sequence Review Mêlée Hyper-Battle DX 2000 (Bracket 1)
After taking a couple of weeks off from reviewing integer sequences, we’ve decided to shake up the format. Prepare yourself for… We’re going to review six sequences each week for four weeks, picking a winner from each. Then, we’ll pick one sequence from the ones we’ve already reviewed individually, plus a wildcard. Finally, a single…
Homotopy Type Theory: a new foundation for 21st-century mathematics
Pretty big book news (in a couple of ways)! The Univalent Foundations Program at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton has released a 470-page textbook resetting the foundations of mathematics on homotopy type theory. It’s called Homotopy Type Theory: Univalent Foundations of Mathematics.
Particularly mathematical Birthday Honours 2013
The Birthday Honours 2013 have been announced, and an extensive list has been posted on Wikipedia. The big name is Andrew Dilnot, Chair of the UK Statistics Authority and inaugural presenter of More or Less, who is knighted “for services to Economics and Economic Policy”. Apart from this, the list on Wikipedia contains one other…
Interesting Esoterica Summation, volume 7
Do you ever collect too much fun maths stuff to keep to yourself, and then start a website just so you’ve got somewhere to put it? That happens to me sometimes. In case you’re new to this: every now and then I encounter a paper or a book or an article that grabs my interest but…
Cushing your luck: properties of randomly chosen numbers
Long-time Aperiodical muse David Cushing has made a bet with us that he can give us an interesting post every Friday for the next ten weeks. Every week that he sends a post, we buy him a bar of chocolate. Every week that he doesn’t send us a post, he buys us a bar of…
Scrooge McDuck in Mathmagic land
A sympathetic story for you this Saturday. Andy has a problem. He can’t solve it on his own – he needs your help. This problem vexed Andy so much that he spent four years trying to solve it on his own, to no avail. It really is a very difficult problem. Finally in 1997, out…