Mathematics has got to be the most interesting of all subjects. As I was telling the wonderful math faculty at Berkshire Community College, even arithmetic is fascinating. Addition and multiplication are commutative: 4+7=7+4 and 4×7=7×4. I recall MIT Professor Michael Artin saying: When I ask my kids what’s 4×7,… Continue reading »
Annual π Day Missive from Nick Yates ’06 Once again, Pi Day has arrived! As you probably know, pi (π) is a mathematical constant found in circles and throughout mathematics! Since pi’s decimal expansion starts off 3.14…, and today’s date is 3/14, we celebrate pi and all things mathematical on… Continue reading »
Williams Professor Julie Blackwood’s research on bats has been featured in an article in the Berkshire Eagle: It was previously featured in an article by NBC News on “Why killing vampire bats won’t stop spread of rabies” and… Continue reading »
Nathan Kaplan, who worked with Prof. Allison Pacelli in our 2005 SMALL Undergraduate Mathematics Research Project and who gallantly competed September 13 on Million Second Quiz, gave our Faculty Seminar Friday November 22 on “Curves and Surfaces Over Finite Fields and Coding Theory.” Kaplan is… Continue reading »
Math seniors gathered for pizza and a program on the coming year by introduced by Colloquium Czar Professor Pacelli and Department Chair Professor Stewart Johnson. Professors Miller and Stoiciu announced coming contests and puzzles. Philippe Demontigny received the 2012-13 nonsenior colloquium attendance prize. Professor Garrity explained how… Continue reading »
The 2013 Williams College SMALL Undergraduate Research Project is in full swing, many preparing for the summer meeting of the Mathematical Association of America in Hartford next week. The SMALL Undergraduate Research Project marched proudly in the Williamstown Parade, July 4,… Continue reading »
Math has finally renumbered our courses according to difficulty, with Linear Algebra moved from Math 211 to its central spot Math 250 and the core courses moved to the middle of the 300s, with the pre-core electives below and the post-core electives above. (For the full list of our offerings… Continue reading »
Humans have been investigating mathematical objects for thousands of years, and yet there is still so much more to investigate. Over 2000 years ago, Archimedes penned a letter to Diogenes describing a new method for computing areas and volumes. He performs a thought experiment whereby he weighs two shapes on… Continue reading »
You can sign up to give a 15-minute talk by March 4, 2013. On Saturday April 6, 2013 Williams College will be hosting the 20th Annual Hudson River Undergraduate Mathematics Conference (HRUMC). One of the first conferences of its kind, HRUMC was founded by four local schools: Siena… Continue reading »
What do you think? How do you think? And can you think even better? I’ve spent nearly ten years focusing on these and related questions. The result is a recently-published book, co-authored with Michael Starbird from The University of Texas at Austin, entitled The 5… Continue reading »