Count,
2026
University of Cambridge
Count, Robin Young
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
It's the thought that counts? No, it's this canzone that counts! This poem explores the philosophy of counting through five stanzas from shoreline pebbles to Godel's incompleteness theorems. Counting becomes our guide through Zeno's paradoxes, irrational numbers, Cantor's infinities, and quantum measurement problems. The poem counts, recounts, and discovers that some things simply cannot be counted.
Group Theory For Poets,
2026
Dickinson College
Group Theory For Poets, Holley Friedlander
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
This poem instructs the reader on how to put a group structure on an arbitrarily chosen set. Through accentual, rhyming verse, it playfully discusses the beauty and utility of groups as a mathematical concept via examples and applications. This work is inspired by the Patricia Toht book, Pick a Pine Tree.
My Journey To Mathematics,
2026
Vietnam National University-HCMC, University of Science
My Journey To Mathematics, Thao Thuan Vu Ho
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
No abstract provided.
A Lament For Linear Algebra,
2026
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A Lament For Linear Algebra, Jasmine A. Elmrabti
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
What assumptions underlie our axiomatic definitions? A meditation on the nature of linear algebra and its metaphysical implications during use, this poem is a reflection on the markedness of discrete entities upon which we rely to utilize the axioms of linear algebra.
Mathematics As Creative Structure: A Review Of Marcus Du Sautoy’S Blueprints,
2026
SRM Institute of Science and Technology
Mathematics As Creative Structure: A Review Of Marcus Du Sautoy’S Blueprints, Sangeetha Balakrishnan, Latha R
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
Marcus du Sautoy’s Blueprints: How Mathematics Shapes Creativity (2025) makes a provocative claim that creativity emerges not in opposition to constraint, but through it. Working through nine mathematical “blueprints” — symmetry, randomness, the Fibonacci sequence, among others — du Sautoy traces recurring structural patterns across artistic practice, natural phenomena, and mathematical thought. The argument is ambitious and persuasive. In this review we consider what the book adds to longstanding conversations about the relationship between scientific and humanistic ways of knowing, and reflect on what it means to reframe mathematics as an imaginative and exploratory enterprise rather than a purely technical …
The Logic Of Leaves: Mathematical Poems And Graphs,
2026
Maria Skłodowska-Curie II High School, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland
The Logic Of Leaves: Mathematical Poems And Graphs, Ksawery Tomczak
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
This collection explores the intersection of mathematics and poetry through six original works that blend formal rigor with lyrical expression. Each poem draws from a distinct mathematical concept—proof, set theory, combinatorics, graph theory, and cardinality—reframing it through metaphoric and aesthetic lenses. From the lyrical contemplation of infinite sets to the emotive longing of a graph in love, the verses reveal the emotional resonance and philosophical depth embedded in mathematical thought. The collection culminates in a visual piece rendered in \LaTeX and TikZ, illustrating all integer partitions of the number five as a branching tree, accompanied by a poem that sings …
College Algebra: A Key Element To Degree Completion,
2026
Georgia State University
College Algebra: A Key Element To Degree Completion, Christopher Charlie Jett, Gregory Downing
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
College Algebra is often under scrutiny because it serves as a critical gateway to graduation for students enrolled in our nation’s undergraduate degree programs. In this paper, we problematize the authority typically ascribed to this course and discuss meeting students’ discipline-specific needs in core mathematics courses such as it. To help facilitate college student success with respect to mathematics course requirements, we recommend that educational constituents and leaders expand dual-enrollment opportunities, infuse culturally relevant practices, and leverage other core mathematics courses as alternatives to College Algebra. In doing so, we add to the ongoing conversation about addressing this issue in …
An Essay On Teaching And Learning Mathematics: Through The Lens Of Artificial Intelligence, Music, And Sports,
2026
Department of Mathematics, UC Davis
An Essay On Teaching And Learning Mathematics: Through The Lens Of Artificial Intelligence, Music, And Sports, James Diederich
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
This essay is aimed at a wide audience: anyone who has engaged in learning or teaching math. It provides a unique perspective drawn from a mathematician’s interests in working with K-12 teachers, familiarity with artificial intelligence (AI), and amateur pursuits of learning to play an instrument and of learning a difficult sport. While I delve into these topics, no special background is needed in the slightest. In particular, I draw lessons from some failures in AI that reflect on why the conventional procedural approach to teaching and learning math fails many students. I also provide insight into how we learn …
Graduate Student Reflections On Mentoring Undergraduate Researchers In Mathematics,
2026
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Graduate Student Reflections On Mentoring Undergraduate Researchers In Mathematics, Melissa Beerbower, Jillian Cervantes, Pamela E. Harris, Kimberly J. Harry, Matt Mcclinton, Gabriella Pinter
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
This is an interview with four graduate students who for the first time mentored undergraduate students during a summer research program. The interviewees present their lessons learned in mentoring and advice to other graduate students looking to mentor students.
The Urysohn Lemma: Munkres Variation,
2026
ETH Zürich
The Urysohn Lemma: Munkres Variation, Irida Altman
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
There is a tradition of Mathematics contributing to the understanding of Music. This article sets out to contribute in the other direction. It uses musical sensibilities to feel its way through a piece of mathematics called the Urysohn Lemma, suggesting the presence of rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic elements within standard proving practices of contemporary Western mathematics. This article employs a literary-philosophical technique of viewing a text in one discipline (mathematics) through the conceptual lens of another (music). As such, this article reports on no experiments—reading the article is the experiment. Each reader performs it for themselves.
Prime Numbers Are Written On Your Hand: You Simply Have Not Been Counting Correctly,
2026
Seoul National University
Prime Numbers Are Written On Your Hand: You Simply Have Not Been Counting Correctly, Nona Servais Kamdem Simo, Awa Traore
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
Prime numbers have resisted systematic description for over two millennia. We propose that part of the difficulty may lie in an insufficiently attentive examination of one’s own hands. In particular, we assign the natural numbers to the joints of the human hand according to a cyclic traversal protocol, and make a handful of observations which can naturally be translated into number-theoretic properties of prime numbers. We show that these properties lead us to natural activation thresholds of a unified three-phase sieve algorithm — the resulting framework provides, for the first time, a zone-based partition of the admissible space with explicit …
Developing A Learner-Centered Teaching Routine,
2026
Abilene Christian University
Developing A Learner-Centered Teaching Routine, Hyeeun Jang
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
This paper shares my story of developing, from Fall 2022 to Spring 2025, a learner-centered teaching routine for my undergraduate mathematics courses. I use four steps: an opening question, a short mini lecture about meaning, structured small group work, and a short end-of-class exit check, at times supported by quick visuals in Mathematica and, when useful, Python. Instead of relying on extended traditional lectures, the routine emphasizes collaborative problem solving and invites students to articulate and check their reasoning together. I used this routine mainly in my elementary statistics classes, but also in calculus and linear algebra. The evidence I …
Numbers, Patterns, And Memories: Early Experiences Of Mathematicians And Mathematics Education Researchers,
2026
University of Agder, Kristiansand (Norway)
Numbers, Patterns, And Memories: Early Experiences Of Mathematicians And Mathematics Education Researchers, Constantinos Xenofontos
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
This paper offers a reflective analysis of early mathematical experiences shared by fifty-six mathematicians and mathematics education researchers, including my own, as part of Cambridge Mathematics’ “Seven Questions with . . . ” interview series. Drawing on thematic analysis, I identify five key patterns across participants’ recollections: the context of early mathematical engagement, the influence of significant others, emotional responses, shifts in mathematical thinking, and mathematics as a social or competitive experience. Many accounts emphasise informal, everyday encounters with mathematics—often preceding formal education—as central to developing interest and confidence in the subject. The findings challenge the notion of innate mathematical …
Preparing Undergraduates To Philosophize With Children About Mathematics,
2026
The University of Texas at El Paso
Preparing Undergraduates To Philosophize With Children About Mathematics, Lawrence M. Lesser
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
This paper shares my reflections and insights from preparing and facilitating a session in a weeklong inaugural study away program for undergraduate students (especially philoophy majors). My session was a vehicle for helping these students experience or visualize how the program’s Philosophy for Children (P4C) approach could be applied to exploring and discussing mathematics with children.
The Dynamics Of Vincent Van Gogh,
2026
Adelphi University
The Dynamics Of Vincent Van Gogh, Monica Morales Hernandez
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
This article explores the interplay between Vincent van Gogh’s distinctive artistic style and principles of fluid dynamics, particularly through metaphorical comparisons. Van Gogh’s swirling, turbulent brushstrokes in works such as The Starry Night and Wheatfield with Crows evoke the chaotic and dynamic behaviors found in fluid motion, like vortices and turbulence. Although there is no documented scientific influence from fluid dynamics on van Gogh’s art, the parallels between his emotive, flowing techniques and the mathematical principles governing fluid behavior offer a unique lens to appreciate both his artistic innovation and the science of fluid dynamics.
Mathematicians Against The Tide,
2026
Università di Perugia
Mathematicians Against The Tide, Nicola Ciccoli
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
Mathematicians in popular culture are often depicted as people obsessed by their studies but with little connection to society, poor social skills, mental issues and narrow interests, and more generally a dull life. Adding to these explicit stereotypes, subtler and more implicit ones also abound, regarding mathematicians’ gender, ethnicity, age; they are all supposed to be white middle-aged men. In this paper I describe a project aimed at disrupting such stereotypes that culminated in a book containing short comics and biographies of twentieth-century mathematicians that were, with respect to the perceived image of mathematicians, against the tide.
Waiting For The Magic: A Historical And Mathematical Study Of Queues In Disney Theme Parks,
2026
The Hewitt School
Waiting For The Magic: A Historical And Mathematical Study Of Queues In Disney Theme Parks, Nina E. Becket
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
This paper, written as part of an honors research project in high school, provides an introduction to the line and queuing systems at Disney theme parks. We begin with a brief history of Disney World and its creators. We then introduce the basics of queuing theory and queuing notation. Finally, we examine modern line systems at Disney (as of 2023) and the future of its different queue systems.
An Exploration Of Mathematical And Musical Connections,
2026
California State University, Long Beach
An Exploration Of Mathematical And Musical Connections, Jeffrey Pair, Egypt Pannell, Dani Rodriguez, Jerico Sarmiento
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
In this paper, we present an introduction to some of the mathematical principles underlying music and mathematically develop a connection between the twelve musical notes and the group of integers modulo twelve. Our discussion touches on the simple mathematical ratios used to calculate consonant musical tones on the length of a string, the frequencies of tones and the method by which the twelfth root of two provides the foundation of equal temperament tuning, some algebraic connections to musical concepts like the euphonious circle of fifths, and a curious connection to twin primes.
Impact Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Mathematics Achievement And Problem-Solving Ability: Insights From Secondary Schools In India,
2026
Manipur University
Impact Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Mathematics Achievement And Problem-Solving Ability: Insights From Secondary Schools In India, Laishram Nirtish Singh, Anand Jyoti Sanasam, Jocyline Thokchom, Ningombam Cha Cogent, Laisom Sharmeswar Singh
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted students’ engagement with mathematics. This study aims to contribute to our understanding of the extent of this disrupting by examining differences in mathematics achievement and problem-solving ability between adjacent cohorts who learned Class 8 under different schooling conditions in India: Group A (pandemic-exposed Class 8 cohort) and Group B (post-reopening Class 8 cohort). Using a descriptive design in a natural setting, we selected a stratified sample of 1,200 students from Class 9 and Class 10 across 21 secondary schools in Manipur, India. The sample was stratified by gender, family type, school type, and locality to ensure …
"Math Is Like A Rollercoaster": Exploring Math Similes And Metaphors,
2026
University of Minnesota Duluth
"Math Is Like A Rollercoaster": Exploring Math Similes And Metaphors, Carmen M. Latterell, Janelle L. Wilson
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
In this article we explore the metaphors and similes that pre-service elementary teachers use to describe mathematics. Employing qualitative content analysis, we separately coded the metaphors and similes into conceptual categories and analyzed themes that emerged. This grounded theory approach led to the creation of seven categories of metaphors and similes and three overarching themes. Math was viewed as a journey, a puzzle, a personal experience, a creative process, an algorithm, infinite, and an embodied process. Pre-service elementary teachers viewed mathematics as a process that takes effort. Overall, mathematics is a positive experience for them. In addition, mathematics involves fitting …
