I used to be roommates with a magician. He kept all of his materials locked up in a trunk in our hall closet. Although he had devoted himself to the study of human psychology, I still convinced him to crack open the trunk and show me a trick from time to time. This experience was one of the most frustrating yet intellectually stimulating experiences of my life. I was a mathematics undergrad immersed in a stressful environment of number theory, numerical analysis, and abstract algebra. I was being trained to reason effectively, and his antics refreshed my perspective on reality. Life often muddies mathematics; such is the unfortunate reality.
Author: natbanting
The Blue Jays Defense
Un-Locking Prior Knowledge
I enjoy mathematics in the morning. It wakes my brain up, and makes my coffee that much more comforting. Much of the deliberate mathematics learning that I do takes place in the morning. I say deliberate, because mathematics always finds ways to sneak itself into all parts of my day. Morning is just when I open the door and embrace the learning with open arms.
Today’s dose came courtesy of @republicofmath via @jamesgrime. The problem took longer than I expected, but the result was quite eloquent. I ended up using a method that I had no intention of ever using again. It was the use of this prior knowledge that made the experience valuable.
Large Number Numeracy
Gigantic numbers are all around us. This has never been more apparent since the US Debt ceiling became a major issue. The facts and figures are thrown around by the news, and joked about on Late Night television to the point where their potency is diluted. Not many Americans seriously understand what a trillion dollars is. That statement can be broadened to include all earthlings. The comprehension of large numbers is a very interesting task, especially given the role that the media plays in our students’ lives.
Messy Mathematics
This post is really a vehicle to get a comment that I received on my blog more face time. I thought the potency of the words could not be ignored. It was in response to my post entitled Measuring Roots.
To get the full story, first read that particular entry. Basically, I was reliving my encounter with a small boy where he challenged me to answer a square root problem. He let the answer slip prematurely, and quickly rephrased his question. It was very obvious that he had the answer in mind before the question had begun.
Using this idea, I wrote:
Measuring Roots
Jets Logo Not So Golden
The experienced hockey fan will recognize the title of this post as a reference to Bobby Hull, who was a legend with the Chicago Blackhawks before coming to the Winnipeg Jets in 1972. He became one of the biggest draws in the fledgling WHA; his blinding speed and rocket shot gained him the nickname “The Golden Jet” league-wide. The Winnipeg Jets folded in 1995, and only returned weeks ago. Today was the unveiling of the new Jets logo; an event that I refreshed the same page for hours to witness. There had been numerous leaks over the past few weeks, but nothing had been confirmed. When the page loaded at exactly 5:00 PM EST I saw this image:
The “Nearly” in Mathematics
Mathematics is the purest form of science, or at least that is what they tell us in university. This ideology carries over into the school staff; it wasn’t long until another member of the staff referred to me as a “math guy”. As much as this label is also self-imposed, I still struggle to understand what it means. The labels “english guy”, “phys-ed guy”, and “science guy” all persist within the building as well, but there is something that about the title of “math guy” that gets me.
Manipulative Revelation
I am teaching 5 new classes next year. I am trying not to think of it that way; rather, I am taking it one step at a time. Unfortunately, most of these steps need to be taken during my summer vacation. This isn’t the end of the world; I am fairly stationary, and enjoy a mental workout as much as some enjoy time on the beach or in a foreign shopping mall. I began my massive preparation marathon with a unit for Grade 10 Precalculus on factoring. As I dove into the curriculum and textbooks, I found myself actually enjoying the intricacies of the topic…nerdy, I know!