Math
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I will be releasing a new body of work that gives the True Value of Pi, based on the Harmonics of Phi (1.618033..
Jain's True Value of Pi
TheoryMine | Name a Theorem
By placing an order with TheoryMine, you name a newly discovered mathematical theorem¹. This lets you immortalise your loved ones, teachers, friends and even yourself and your favourite pets! It may take upto 2 working days (excluding weekends) for our robot mathematicians to discover your theorem.
During my time as an eager undergraduate mathematician, I'd often wonder what it would feel like to prove a truly new result and have my name immortalised in the mathematical history books. I thought that dream had died when I gave up maths to become a science writer, but Aron's theorem is now a reality – and I've got the certificate to prove it. While most mathematical theorems result from weeks of hard work and possibly a few broken pencils, mine comes courtesy of TheoryMine , a company selling personalised theorems as novelty gifts for £15 a pop. Its automated theorem-proving software can churn out a theoretically infinite number of theorems for customers wishing to join the ranks of Pythagoras and Fermat. "We generate new theorems and let people name them after themselves, a friend, a loved one, or whoever they want to name it after," explains Flaminia Cavallo, managing director of TheoryMine, based in Edinburgh, UK.
Mathematical immortality? Name that theorem - physics-math - 03 December 2010
Read more: "In with the New Scientist: Our predictions for 2011" A draft solution to the so-called "P versus NP" problem generated excitement in 2010 – will 2011 bring a correct proof? Vinay Deolalikar made waves in August when his draft solution to a mathematical problem that haunts computer science hit the internet.
2011 preview: Million-dollar mathematics problem - physics-math - 27 December 2010
Make way for mathematical matter - physics-math - 05 January 2011
Editorial: "The deep value of mathematics" WE ALREADY have solid, liquid, gas, plasma and Bose-Einstein condensate. Now it seems we may be on the verge of discovering a whole host of new forms of matter - all based on mathematics. Nils Baas , a mathematician at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, has unearthed a plethora of possibilities for the way the components of matter can link together.I've written recently about several different crackpots who insist, for a variety of completely ridiculous reasons, that is wrong. But the other day, someone sent me a link to a completely serious site that makes a pretty compelling argument that really is wrong.
π really is wrong! | Good Math, Bad Math
In the past, I’ve used this blog as a platform to make clear my mixed feelings about Pi Day, a math themed holiday celebrated every year on March 14th (3/14, har har) in honor of the beloved mathematical constant . My thoughts on the subject can be found here . It would seem that I am not alone in my frustration.
Happy Tau Day? « Math Goes Pop!
An ancient mathematical puzzle that has fascinated mathematicians for centuries has found a new lease of life. The magic square is the basis for Sudoku, pops up in Chinese legend and provides a playful way to introduce children to arithmetic. But all this time it has been concealing a more complex geometrical form, says recreational mathematician Lee Sallows. He has dubbed the new kind of structure the "geomagic square", and recently released dozens of examples online .
Ancient puzzle gets new lease of 'geomagical' life - physics-math - 24 January 2011
The first simple formula has been found for calculating how many ways a number can be created by adding together other numbers, solving a puzzle that captivated the legendary mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan . The feat has also led to a greater understanding of a cryptic phrase Ramanujan used to describe sequences of so-called partition numbers . A partition of a number is any combination of integers that adds up to that number. For example, 4 = 3+1 = 2+2 = 2+1+1 = 1+1+1+1, so the partition number of 4 is 5. It sounds simple, yet the partition number of 10 is 42, while 100 has more than 190 million partitions.
Deep meaning in Ramanujan's 'simple' pattern - physics-math - 27 January 2011
This phenomenon actually has a name -- it is called the birthday paradox , and it turns out it is useful in several different areas (for example, cryptography and hashing algorithms ). You can try it yourself -- the next time you are at a gathering of 20 or 30 people, ask everyone for their birth date. It is likely that two people in the group will have the same birthday. It always surprises people! The reason this is so surprising is because we are used to comparing our particular birthdays with others. For example, if you meet someone randomly and ask him what his birthday is, the chance of the two of you having the same birthday is only 1/365 (0.27%).
Someone told me that if there are 20 people in a room, there's a 50/50 chance that two of them will have the same birthday. How can that be?"
Nerd Paradise : Divisibility Rules for Arbitrary Divisors
It's rather obvious when a number is divisible by 2 or 5, and some of you probably know how to tell if a number is divisible by 3, but it is possible to figure out the division 'rule' for any number. Here are the rules for 2 through 11... The last digit is divisible by 2. The sum of all the digits in the number is divisible by 3. The last 2 digits are divisible by 4.Folding Paper in Half 12 Times: The story of an impossible challenge solved at the Historical Society office Alice laughed: "There's no use trying," she said; "one can't believe impossible things." "I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. Through the Looking Glass by L.