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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons™
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Articles 1 - 4 of 4
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Unsolved Haiku, Scott W. Williams
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?
The Genesis Of A Theorem, Osvaldo Marrero
The Genesis Of A Theorem, Osvaldo Marrero
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
We present the story of a theorem's conception and birth. The tale begins with the circumstances in which the idea sprouted; then is the question's origin; next comes the preliminary investigation, which led to the conjecture and the proof; finally, we state the theorem. Our discussion is accessible to anyone who knows mathematical induction. Therefore, this material can be used for instruction in a variety of courses. In particular, this story may be used in undergraduate courses as an example of how mathematicians do research. As a bonus, the proof by induction is not of the simplest kind, because it …
Squate, Tom Blackford
Squate, Tom Blackford
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
This is the story of a middle school student who befriends an irrational number, the square root of eight.
Prove It!, Kenny W. Moran
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.