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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

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Articles 1 - 12 of 12

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

On The Occasion Of Your Graduation, Robert Dawson Jul 2012

On The Occasion Of Your Graduation, Robert Dawson

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

A letter from an absent supervisor to a doctoral student about to graduate reveals a terrible secret.


Math Moment, Paige S. Orland Jul 2012

Math Moment, Paige S. Orland

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

A short poem comparing Exponential and Logistic functions.


Confidence Interval, Ursula Whitcher Jul 2012

Confidence Interval, Ursula Whitcher

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

A poem about estimating probabilities.


Joanne Growney's Poetry-With-Mathematics Blog -- An Appreciation, Gregory E. Coxson Jul 2012

Joanne Growney's Poetry-With-Mathematics Blog -- An Appreciation, Gregory E. Coxson

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Now is a good time to work on the boundaries of practice and theory, of art and science. We are seeing a rising tide of interest in these boundaries. Witness the growing Bridges movement, which has been exploring the connections between mathematics and the arts. Similarly, JoAnne Growney's blog, Intersections -- Poetry with Mathematics, explores the connections between mathematics and poetry. Through this review, I aim to give readers a taste of what can be found in Intersections as a way of encouraging others, be they mathematicians, poets, or neither, to visit the blog.


Mathematics And The Hunger Games, Michael A. Lewis Jul 2012

Mathematics And The Hunger Games, Michael A. Lewis

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

The Hunger Games plot features a dystopian future in which twelve outer districts are oppressed by a centralized capital. The story focuses on the heroism of a sixteen-year-old girl named Katniss and how she tries to rise above the oppression that she experiences. It also features a special lottery and other twists that are sources of mathematical interest. This essay focuses on some of the mathematical issues raised by The Hunger Games in an effort to show that this story can be used to teach students (as well as other interested parties) some important concepts from mathematics.


A Definition Of Mathematical Beauty And Its History, Viktor Blåsjö Jul 2012

A Definition Of Mathematical Beauty And Its History, Viktor Blåsjö

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

I define mathematical beauty as cognisability and trace the import of this notion through several episodes from the history of mathematics.


Report Supplement: Poetry Folder -- Selections From The Poetry Reading At Joint Mathematics Meetings 2012 Jul 2012

Report Supplement: Poetry Folder -- Selections From The Poetry Reading At Joint Mathematics Meetings 2012

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

No abstract provided.


For The Love Of Poetry And Mathematics: January 6, 2012, Charlotte Henderson Jul 2012

For The Love Of Poetry And Mathematics: January 6, 2012, Charlotte Henderson

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Together we combine to become twice what 60 could ever be.
The same ghost looked into my eyes.
Also, the center of the circle is inside the circle.
There is no way to draw a line, other than a border line,
A language as precise as poetry to delineate universe and being,
Deceptive as one over n as n goes to infinity, summed.
The world is a complex system
not defined by any voice factored out of my voicelessness,
the hypotenuse of course is the man who came between us
doubting every figured guess,
so, inductively, all of God’s natural …


Raphael's School Of Athens: A Theorem In A Painting?, Robert Haas Jul 2012

Raphael's School Of Athens: A Theorem In A Painting?, Robert Haas

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Raphael's famous painting The School of Athens includes a geometer, presumably Euclid himself, demonstrating a construction to his fascinated students. But what theorem are they all studying? This article first introduces the painting, and describes Raphael's lifelong friendship with the eminent mathematician Paulus of Middelburg. It then presents several conjectured explanations, notably a theorem about a hexagram (Fichtner), or alternatively that the construction may be architecturally symbolic (Valtieri). The author finally offers his own "null hypothesis": that the scene does not show any actual mathematics, but simply the fascination, excitement, and joy of mathematicians at their work.


Front Matter Jul 2012

Front Matter

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

No abstract provided.


Prove It!, Kenny W. Moran Jan 2012

Prove It!, Kenny W. Moran

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

A dialogue between a mathematics professor, Frank, and his daughter, Sarah, a mathematical savant with a powerful mathematical intuition. Sarah's intuition allows her to stumble into some famous theorems from number theory, but her lack of academic mathematical background makes it difficult for her to understand Frank's insistence on the value of proof and formality.


Logarithmic Spirals And Projective Geometry In M.C. Escher's "Path Of Life Iii", Heidi Burgiel, Matthew Salomone Jan 2012

Logarithmic Spirals And Projective Geometry In M.C. Escher's "Path Of Life Iii", Heidi Burgiel, Matthew Salomone

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

M.C. Escher's use of dilation symmetry in Path of Life III gives rise to a pattern of logarithmic spirals and an oddly ambiguous sense of depth.