Category Archives: Mathematics
Counterintuitive Math
There are several mathematical statements or problems that do not make sense at all at first glance, until closely scrutinized. A detailed examination then proves that the statements are true and shows that they are completely counterintuitive. Here are some of my favorite examples. The Monty Hall problem The Monty Hall problem is a puzzle […]
Mysteries Hidden in π
The ever increasing power of computers has enabled mathematicians to calculate $latex \pi$ to several decimal places. The current record stands at 13.3 trillion digits (as of October 8, 2014) and the computation took 208 days. Look here for a chronological list of the record computations. Then comes the inevitable question: why are so many mathematicians […]
Visual Math
Pictures tell a story way better than words. And in the language of nature which is mathematics, words are often too few. Finding easier ways to explain abstract math concepts can be very helpful. There are a lot of visual illustrations for math concepts or proofs, which range from simple to very abstract, that make […]
Fractals, Nature and Design
Fractals are fascinating. A fractal is a self-repeating pattern of some sort which appears exactly the same at all magnification levels. Mathematicians are especially interested in fractals and have studied them over a long period of time. Several books have been written on fractals, for instance The Fractal Geometry of Nature and Fractals Everywhere. Looking […]