California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
University of Missouri-St. Louis
University of New Mexico
Grand Valley State University
Trinity University
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Trinity University
Southeastern University - Lakeland
Between Heaven And Earth! A Poem-Collage Pair About Hypatia Of Alexandria,
2023
Department of Mathematics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
Between Heaven And Earth! A Poem-Collage Pair About Hypatia Of Alexandria, Sarah Glaz, Mark Sanders
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
The poem-collage pair presented here is a work of collaboration between the mathematician and poet, Sarah Glaz, and the collage and ceramic artist, Mark Sanders. The piece is part of their larger joint poem-collage project involving the history of mathematics. Included as background is a brief discussion on the history and mathematics involved, and a reflection on several landmark locations and some of the relevant imagery appearing in the poem and the collage.
The Babelogic Of Mathematics,
2023
Aravali Asset Management, Singapore
The Babelogic Of Mathematics, Vijay Fafat
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
How would the Bible written about a Mathematical God start, describing the Creation of Mathematics and Logic? How would Rigveda's "Nasadiya sukta" read if it were describing the Void before mathematics was "born"? Here is an attempt at a partial answer, one which takes the original Genesis chapter and the Nasadiya sukta and makes suitable changes to create a fairly consistent, if somewhat anachronistic narrative (with the slight mixing up of Bertrand Russell and Lobachevsky / Bolyai attributable to "Babelogic"), along with a new ending to the Beginning...
Astor Place Barber,
2023
The Fashion Institute of Technology
Astor Place Barber, Audrey Nasar
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
"Astor Place Barber" is a short story about a math professor and a barber. It plays with the logical concept of a paradox via the Barber's Paradox, which, made famous by Bertrand Russell, tells the story of a barber who both shaves himself and does not shave himself.
Unsolved Haiku,
2023
University of Buffalo, SUNY
Unsolved Haiku, Scott W. Williams
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
This poem describes the still unsolved 1937 conjecture of Lloyd Collatz: Do repeated applications of the algorithm described yield the number 1?
Locked In Functions: A Short Poem For Robert Langlands,
2023
Polytechnic University of the Philippine and University of Santo Tomas
Locked In Functions: A Short Poem For Robert Langlands, Virgilio A. Rivas
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
This short poem is inspired by Robert Langlands, recipient of the 2018 Abel Prize. The poem tries to sum up in poetic language, as brief but substantial as it can be, the philosophical and rhetorical connotation of his contributions to mathematics, from automorphic forms to number theory, and the famous Langlands programme, among others. Also partly inspired by Edward Frenkel's tribute to Langlands, the book Love and Mathematics, the poem seeks to capture the philosophical beauty of mathematics that privileges the importance of 'functions' over 'passions', consistent with Langlands' purely mathematical side.
Mathematics,
2023
Northwestern College - Orange City
Mathematics, Kim Regnier Jongerius
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
Inspired by the song "Memories" from the musical Cats, this work describes some of the frustrations and joys inherent in mathematical work.
Self-Reference And Diagonalisation,
2023
Technische Universität Darmstadt
Self-Reference And Diagonalisation, Joël A. Doat
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
This poem is an exercise on self-reference and diagonalisation in mathematics featuring Turing’s proof of the undecidability of the halting problem, Cantor’s cardinality argument, the Burali-Forti paradox, and Epimenides' liar paradox.
Wartime Logic,
2023
Bradley University
Wartime Logic, Tony Bedenikovic
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
No abstract provided.
Poetry Folder: Mathematical Constants Beyond The Half-Circle,
2023
Claremont Colleges
Poetry Folder: Mathematical Constants Beyond The Half-Circle
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
In our July 2022 issue, we announced an open call for poetry about mathematical constants other than pi. And you delivered. This folder contains five eclectic poems celebrating those constants beyond the half-circle, written by Robin Chapman, John Donoghue, Kevin Farey, Lawrence M. Lesser, and E. R. Lutken.
Enjoy!
Book Review: Algebra The Beautiful: An Ode To Math’S Least-Loved Subject By G. Arnell Williams,
2023
Pitzer College
Book Review: Algebra The Beautiful: An Ode To Math’S Least-Loved Subject By G. Arnell Williams, Judith V. Grabiner
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
In his book Algebra the Beautiful, G. Darnell Williams has undertaken a challenging job – to show the importance, deep structure, intellectual connections, and sheer beauty of classroom algebra. This review describes some of the questions the book raises, the historical and cultural context it provides, and the intellectual apparatus it deploys.
Anneli Lax: They Think, Therefore We Are,
2023
California State University Northridge
Anneli Lax: They Think, Therefore We Are, Elena Anne Corie Marchisotto
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
No abstract provided.
Walking Alone: My Career In Mathematics,
2023
Lingnan Normal University
Walking Alone: My Career In Mathematics, Maohua Le, Yongzhong Hu
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
In this article, dictated by Maohua Le and arranged by Yongzhong Hu, Professor Le briefly recounts his legendary experience of self-study mathematics, which reflects the life experiences of his generation of Chinese people.
Blending Mathematics Teaching With Kindness,
2023
University of Texas at El Paso
Blending Mathematics Teaching With Kindness, Kien H. Lim, Anthony Matsuura
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
Mathematics can be intellectually demanding, engaging, and fulfilling. Learning mathematical concepts adequately warrants an environment where students can err without penalty, shame, or hurtful consequences. Teaching mathematics efficaciously depends on the trusting relationship between the teacher and the students. We advocate blending mathematics teaching with kindness because it benefits the teacher, the students, and society. Kindness, niceness, caring, and benevolence are interrelated but not synonymous. We outline four progressive levels of kindness: conditional, superficial, optimal, and genuine. Blending mathematics teaching and kindness effectively requires the teacher to decenter from their own perspectives and adopt the student’s perspective as the student …
Mathaphor As A Literary Tool,
2023
Claremont Colleges
Mathaphor As A Literary Tool, Sarah Voss
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
Drawing from one of my recent sermons, I chart the path of mathaphor (metaphor drawn from mathematics) as a literary tool. Following a short history of the concept, I detail contemporary author Colum McCann’s significant use of a geometric term to unveil and encourage compassion.
Figure-Ground Perception: A Poem Proof,
2023
University of Missouri - Kansas City
Figure-Ground Perception: A Poem Proof, Richard Delaware
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
This is a proof, in poetic form, of a bit of real analysis, more specifically involving the topology of accumulation points, that exploits the human optical phenomenon of figure-ground perception. Sometimes it is not a change in content, but a snap shift in point of view that yields a proof.
The Mathematics Of The Harp: Modeling The Classical Instrument And Designing Futuristic Ones,
2023
Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey
The Mathematics Of The Harp: Modeling The Classical Instrument And Designing Futuristic Ones, Cristina Carr, Daniel Chioffi, Maya Glenn, Stefan O. Nita, Vlad N. Nita, Bogdan G. Nita
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
We analyze and model the neck of the classical harp based on the length of the strings, their tension and density. We then use the results to design new and innovative harp shapes by adjusting the parameters of the model.
Using Bloom's Taxonomy For Math Outreach Within And Outside The Classroom,
2023
Benedictine University
Using Bloom's Taxonomy For Math Outreach Within And Outside The Classroom, Manmohan Kaur
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
Not everyone is a great artist, but we don’t often hear, “I dislike art.” Most people are able to appreciate visual arts, music and sports, without necessarily excelling in it themselves. On the other hand, the phrase “I dislike math” is widely prevalent. This is especially ironic in our current society, where mathematics affects our day-to-day activities in essential ways such as e-commerce and e-mail. This paper describes the opportunity to popularize mathematics by focusing on its fun and creative aspects, and illustrates this opportunity through a brief discussion of interdisciplinary topics that expose the beauty, elegance and value of …
Lessons From Human Experience: Teaching A Humanities Course Made Me A Better Math Teacher,
2023
Eckerd College
Lessons From Human Experience: Teaching A Humanities Course Made Me A Better Math Teacher, Erin Griesenauer
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
As a professor at a Liberal Arts college, I recently taught a General Education course called Human Experience. Far from my normal experiences in the mathematics classroom, in Human Experience I was tasked with teaching topics from the humanities, including art, philosophy, history, and political science. Teaching this course was challenging, but it was also transformative. Teaching a course so far from my background gave me the opportunity to experiment with different pedagogical techniques and to reflect on how I set up my math classes. I learned many lessons that I have brought back to my math classes—lessons that have …
The Nothing That Really Matters,
2023
J. Selye University, Komárno, Slovakia
The Nothing That Really Matters, Szilárd Svitek
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
Zero has (a) special role(s) in mathematics. In the current century, we take negative numbers and zero for granted, but we should also be aware that their acceptance and their emergence in mathematics, and their ubiquity today, have not come to happen as rapidly as, for example, that of natural numbers. Students can quickly become confused by the question: is zero a natural number? The answer is simple: a matter of definition. The history of zero and that of negative numbers are closely linked. It was in the calculations of debts that the negative numbers first appeared, where the state …
The Use And Development Of Mathematics Within Creative Literature,
2023
University of St Andrews
The Use And Development Of Mathematics Within Creative Literature, Toby S C Peres
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
This paper presents a study on the extent to which creative literature been used as a vessel to carry forward the development of mathematical thought. The role of mathematics as a driving force for literature is highlighted, and while many examples exist that clearly show an attempt to disperse mathematical ideas, with Lewis Carroll, OuLiPo and ancient poetry considered, the argument that the sole purpose of the writings was for the sake of mathematical development is not clear-cut.
