The fold and cut theorem, which states that, after sufficient folding, any shape made of straight lines can be cut out of a piece of paper in one cut, is probably the most crafts-friendly result in all of maths. Inspired by The Aperiodical’s very own Katie Steckles’ video on the subject, Sam Hartburn has created…
Registration for 2019 Alan Turing Cryptography Competition and MathsBombe is open
The Alan Turing Cryptography Competition, now in its 7th year, is an online competition run by the University of Manchester School of Mathematics, for school students up to year 11 or equivalent. Cryptographic puzzles are released every couple of weeks and teams of up to four compete to solve the puzzles, with prizes for the fastest and other randomly selected correct entries. Registrations are open now, and the competition starts on 28th January 2019.
For sixth form pupils, there is also MathsBombe – an online competition, with two mathematical puzzles released every fortnight. The puzzles are not directly related to the A-Level syllabus but will require students to use their problem-solving skills.
Further information
Aperiodvent, Day 12: Fractal Christmas Trees
If you’re looking for a fun hands-on project that’s mathematical and Christmassy, look no further than Think Maths‘ classic Fractal Christmas trees – building a Sierpinski tetrahedron tree, Menger Sponge base and Koch Snowflake star.
Christmas images using parabolic curves and TikZ
Katie is running an Aperiodical advent calendar (Aperiodvent 2018), with fun maths Christmas treats every day. Behind the door for 7th December was Parabolic Sewing. This is not unrelated to what I submitted as my entry to The Big Internet Math-Off last summer. I have been revisiting this idea ready for a class next week…
Aperiodvent, Day 11: MathsJam Shout
Today is the regular monthly MathsJam date for people to meet in pubs and do maths all over the world (some are meeting next week instead – check MathsJam.com to find your nearest). Their internal puzzle sharing sheet is snowflake themed this month, and is shared online so you can join in from home. This post…
Carnival of Mathematics 164
The next issue of the Carnival of Mathematics, rounding up blog posts from the month of November, and compiled by Ioana, is now online at Life Through a Mathematician’s Eyes. The Carnival rounds up maths blog posts from all over the internet, including some from our own Aperiodical. See our Carnival of Mathematics page for more information.
Aperiodvent, Day 10: Dimensional Analysis and Turkeys
Before he entered Aperiodical’s Big Internet Math-Off, contestant Jim Propp wrote this lovely blog post about dimensional analysis back in February, using it to predict how well Michael Jordan would be able to play basketball on the moon and how long it would take to roast a large bird. Make use of it when you’re planning Christmas…