Definition of terms is the first step in communication. “Zero,” “multiply,” “possibility” are all terms, fraught with myriad layers of meaning in a world in which the highest level of maturity is defined as not taking a position on…
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The concept of Paradox is critical to the development of mathematics as paradoxes highlight those areas of our knowledge where intuition or ‘common sense’ seems to fail. The relationship of mathematics with reality has often been problematical. Mathematics has often…
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Zeno of Elea was a Greek philosopher born circa 490 B.C. and died circa 430 B.C. Zeno presented many paradoxes to support Parmenides’ hypothesis that “all is one”. The three paradoxes of motion are most famous. They are “Achilles And…
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Statistics is the science of collecting and interpreting numerical data. It is closely related to mathematics and uses mathematical methods based on probability theory, but it has empirical roots and applications ranging from economics to biology, epidemiology, genetics, sociology and…
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Benoit Mandelbrot (1924-2010) was an important French-Jewish-American mathematician. The most important achievement of his career was the development of fractal geometry. Childhood and Education Mandelbrot was a man of many nationalities. Although remembered as an American mathematician, he was born…
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How many pieces complete the jigsaw puzzle? Three, ten, twenty-five, 100, 500, 1000,…more? Some children seem to enjoy the success of putting together jigsaw puzzles. This is developed by encouraging these children to piece together puzzles with the fewest…
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Mathematical Inclusion and Exclusion can be stated as The Law of Non-Contradiction. “If A, then not B.” “If this, then no other answer is possible.” For instance, 1+1=2; 2+2=4; 3+3=6; 4+4=8; 5+5=10. 2X will always be equal to the number…
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I see mathematicians and teachers on here saying that you can divide by zero based upon studies by “insert rule by whoever.” Why don’t we simplify, no pun intended, this question. Can you divide by zero. Nope, you cannot, but…
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David Hilbert was a famous mathematician. He was born on January 23, 1862 in the Province of Prussia and died on February 14, 1943. He received a doctorate in 1885 from the University of Koenigsberg. He was a member of…
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A prime number is any integer that cannot be divided by any integer except itself and one. A composite number is an integer that has divisors other than itself and one. The only even integer is 2 because all other…
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