The Math Club
How many dimensions does a sphere have? If you said three (like Noah did), you may be surprised to hear that you overshot. In this episode, Pete and Noah explore spatial dimensions, and use a literary classic to illustrate what it even means when mathematicians talk about spaces with more than three.
info_outline Rooty Tooty: Calculating Square Roots by HandThe Math Club
A family movie night reminds Pete of an ancient algorithm for calculating square roots, so it’s back to The Math Club with pencils and paper in hand. Join Pete and Noah as they investigate this algorithm to see just how accurate its results can be.
info_outline Math Club Encore: So Many BirdsThe Math Club
Hey there, Math Club. We're taking some time off to spend the holidays with our families, so this week we have a rerun of last year's holiday episode... So Many Birds. Season's Greetings! With the holidays on the horizon, a famous song leads Pete and Noah to talk about strategies for adding up long sequences of numbers. Come join the fun, and learn how a young Carl Gauss may (or may not) have done it. And if you're up for a challenge, we even "sum it up" with a special holiday puzzle for you to try. • • • •
info_outline Math Club Encore: Tales from DecryptThe Math Club
Hey there, Math Club. We're taking some time off to spend the holidays with our families, so we have a rerun of one of our favorite episodes this week... Tales from Decrypt. Today’s match-up answers the age-old question of what happens when an unstoppable brain meets an unbreakable cipher. In the red corner, weighing in at 2,193 digits…. Noah’s deviously encrypted message! And in the blue corner.... The Commissioner of Codebreaking…. The Foreman of Frequency Analysis…. Pete’s decoding skills! Only one will leave the ring...
info_outline Video Bonus: Hip to be SquareThe Math Club
In our last episode, Hip to be Square. Pete told us about two famous magic squares—the Sagrada Família magic square and the Dürer magic square—and he mentioned that it’s worth seeing them side by side. We thought it would be fun to put together this short video showing how they compare with one another.
info_outline Hip to be Square: Investigating Magic SquaresThe Math Club
Ever heard of a magic square? How about 17 quintillion magic squares? In this episode, Pete and Noah explore these fascinating mathematical objects to find out more about them. Join in the fun as we look at examples of centuries-old magic squares, and investigate the fascinating connections they share with some modern day puzzles.
info_outline Video Bonus: Linear ThinkingThe Math Club
In our last episode, Linear Thinking, Pete mentioned that one practical application of linear algebra is in the field of urban planning and traffic flow. Here's a video bonus to illustrate how a linear system of equations can be created from traffic data.
info_outline Linear Thinking: A Puzzle Involving a Linear System of EquationsThe Math Club
In this episode, Pete and Noah tackle an “unsolvable math problem” that appeared in a recent Newsweek article (Spoiler: It's not that unsolvable). Join us as we apply linear algebra to this puzzle from start to Finnish.
info_outline MathGPT: Can AI Do Math?The Math Club
In this episode, Pete and Noah explore the question, "Can AI do math?" Armed with several boxes of Chicken McNuggets, they put ChatGPT to the test, scrutinizing its mathematical prowess and giggling over how bad its attempts sometimes are. Join them as they investigate just how far the digital mind can go in mastering the realm of numbers.
info_outline A Tactical Advantage: An interview about Fact Tactics with Dr. Juli DixonThe Math Club
A somewhat traumatic memory about fifth grade timed multiplication tests inspires Pete and Noah to have a conversation with Dr. Juli Dixon, author of a brand new program for teaching math facts fluency without all of the anxiety. Join us for our most factacular episode to date!
info_outlineIf you use the internet, you rely on mathematical algorithms to securely transmit your private data over public networks. In this episode, Noah describes an encryption scheme he made up in high school, which leads to a discussion about how computers securely exchange encryption keys today. It all ends up with Noah getting Pete to put his money where his math is, by accepting an interesting decoding challenge.
• Diffie and Hellman’s original paper: New Directions in Cryptography
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