The Mathematical Significance of Pi
For Pi Day, a mathematician breaks down a figure that goes beyond the universal.
Mathematics
How Prime Numbers Are Used for Cybersecurity
It may seem odd to spend enormous amounts of time to discover new prime numbers, but these figures play a key role in keeping information safe in the digital age.
Blame Math for Women's Inconsistency in Tennis
New research shows that playing five sets per match instead of three would close most of the gap between male and female players.
Cracking the Code of the New Economy
Don’t be afraid to stick with your liberal arts education. If history is any guide, it could be just as valuable as knowing how to write code.
The Mona Lisa Landscape Was Probably a Studio Backdrop
Researchers compared the Mona Lisa's background with the hills shown in its stereo pair. In doing so, they revealed a da Vinci secret.
The Dangerous Mathematical Con of Hedge Funds and Financial Advisers
Using too many trials to design investment algorithms renders them statistically useless and potentially devastating.
The STEM Talent Shortage Debate
Do today's high school students prefer to take the AP Art History exam over AP Biology?
Can Physics Solve Child Custody Battles?
Parents with multiple ex-partners and children can plan their weekend custody schedules with a not-so-simple mathematical model.
Mapping (and Potentially Preventing) Crime With Math
Mathematicians propose using the “Lévy flight” model to reveal and police hotspots of crime.
Your Child's Brain on Math
Why do some children benefit more from tutoring than others? And does one small education study have the ability to drastically change our behavior as parents?
Predictions for the 2013 Major League Baseball Season
The Detroit Tigers will probably dominate, but the rest of the league might be a toss-up, says statistician Bruce Bukiet.
Women, Math, and the Addition of Stereotypes
Do women often perform less well at higher math because of the stereotype that they have less ability than men, or is there another reason for the achievement gap?
Study: Mother-Daughter Talks Need More Math
Why do young girls lack confidence in math? One study shows American parents are far more likely to talk numbers with young sons than daughters.
Calculating an End to Divisive Politics
Prolific political scientist Steven Brams has been promoting peace and fairness one algorithm at a time.
Brams: Use Approval Voting in Presidential Primaries
Steven J. Brams says approval voting, in which voters can vote for more than one candidate, is a better way to conduct multiple candidate elections.
Brams: Let Congress Select Super Committees
Instead of party leaders selecting members of Congress to form a super committee to hash out problems, Steven J. Brahms suggests full houses of Congress make the picks using the minimax procedure.
Brams: Negotiate Mideast Peace With Point System
When rivals negotiate, Steven J. Brams' suggests using the adjusted winner technique, which gives negotiators 100 points apiece and for them to start the bidding.
Brams: Kick Coin Flips Out of NFL Overtimes
Instead of leaving it up to a coin flip, Steven J. Brams says the NFL should start overtime by giving the ball to the team that wins a bidding war for the kickoff.
Showing Where Community Colleges Pass, Fail
As the fall semester begins, we look at some of the ways community colleges are meeting — or failing to meet — the needs of their students.
U.S. Middle Schoolers are Behind in Math
A new study shows that the math curriculum of U.S. eighth-graders is two years behind what their peers in other countries are studying. In the U.S., the poorest students tend to get the least demanding math classes.
Understanding Popular Uses of Percentages
While "figures lie and liars figure," that's no reason not to pay attention to some basic facts about common numerical comparisons.
Obama's Sputnik Analogy Still on the Pad
Looking to goose American participation in science, math and technology, President Obama's "Sputnik moment" lacks the urgency and clarity of the original.