Monthly Archives: May 2007
Easy as abc
It all starts with the equation a + b = c, which looks straightforward enough. Assume that a, b and c are positive integers that have no divisors in common other than 1; for example, the triple {1, 2, 3} … Continue reading
Posted in mathematics
3 Comments
Amazon poker
Investors are constantly checking the stock ticker, gamblers check the point spread, and everybody is forever checking their e-mail. For a writerly type like me, however, the unshakeable obsession is checking my Amazon sales rank. Amazon.com calculates a sales rank … Continue reading
Posted in books, computing, mathematics, modern life
9 Comments
Welcome MAA readers
I am pleased and proud to note that the previous posting in this space (A mathematical fable previsited) is doing double duty as a column for MAA Online, the Web presence of the Mathematical Association of America. Just so I … Continue reading
Posted in mathematics
5 Comments
A mathematical fable previsited
A year ago, in my American Scientist column, I was deconstructing the oft-told tale of Carl Friedrich Gauss and his boyhood triumph over a despotic schoolmaster. As the story goes, Gauss applied a bit of mathematical ingenuity to quickly solve … Continue reading
Posted in mathematics
3 Comments