MathFest Day Four Challenge Problem

No more MathFest after today, but we're not stopping early! Here's the last Challenge Problem, which puts a spin on a mathematical construct you may well know and love already.

 Like before, if you're at MathFest and you show us you've solved the problem before we put the answer up this afternoon, you could win some cool Center of Math stuff! Make sure to check out our booth (19) if you haven't already. If you've enjoyed these, our Problems of the Week will continue onward on Monday, so don't worry that these problems are going away.

MathFest Day Three Challenge Problem

MathFest is already halfway over! We've got another Challenge Problem lined up for you today: here it is!

The solution will be posted in this post late this afternoon. Before that, however, if you're at MathFest, and you tweet with the correct answer to the Challenge Problem, the hashtags #MAAthFest and #WCoMChallenge, and a picture from MathFest itself, you'll be entered to win some Center of Math swag! 


UPDATE: Check out the solution below the break!

MathFest Day Two Challenge Problem

I hope everyone's having a good morning and is ready for more MathFest! Here's the Center of Math's MathFest Challenge Problem for today. 

We'll have the solution up later in the afternoon today. Remember, if you're at MathFest, and you tweet with the correct answer to the Challenge Problem, the hashtags #MAAthFest and #WCoMChallenge, and something that shows us how much of a good time you're having in the capitol, you can have a chance to win some Center of Math gear! 

UPDATE: The solution is now available! Check below the break if you want to see it.

The Center of Math is at MathFest!

The Center of Math is headed to Washington, DC to attend MathFest 2015! This year the Mathematical Association of America is celebrating its centennial, which we are honored to be a part of. Stop by our booth where we will provide information on our products, hand out cool swag, and feature brand new practice problems that were created just for MathFest. 

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google+, to see what we're up to at MathFest. You can use #MAAthFest to share with us your MathFest experiences as well as enter our giveaway—check below the break for more details. We can't wait to see you there!

Math and the Earth (and a Giveaway!)

Math intern Tori and two friends in Center of Math wristbands out in nature.
Find out how to get your own at the bottom of the post!

In the Center of Math's 100^th blog post, let's talk about Monther Earth. 

Math and nature go together. Despite the math quote of the week that we posted last Sunday, I think that math is not a construct of the human mind- it’s always existed and it always will. This is evidenced all over. Sunflower seeds are arranged on the flower in a golden spiral, the ratio between your forearm and hand is the Golden Ratio, objects fall to Earth at (ignoring air resistance) an exponential rate, and the fractal patterns found on Romanesco broccoli (pictured below with a sunflower) are mesmerizing. In fact, the universe may even be made of math.

The Center and the Community

Zach from the Center of Math helps Juan from Boston Latin Academy load the books. 

Today, April 7^th 2015, the Worldwide Center of Mathematics completed a good deed, and helped over 170 students all over Boston get the tools they need to be the best students they can be. With some help from Esther Kan, a librarian at the Campbell Resource Center in Dorchester (a division of the Boston Public School system), employees at the Center helped give textbooks to high school students who needed them.

Because we’re so excited about this whole experience, we’re going to break down the specifics a bit more. The Center of Math had 25 copies of Introduction to Statistics, 36 copies of Worldwide Pre-Calculus, and nearly 125 (!) copies of AP Calculus to donate to various schools.

Boston Latin Academy received 80 copies of AP Calculus, Madison Park High School and East Boston High School split the 25 copies of Intro to Stats, English High School received 21 copies of AP Calc, and Brighton High received the last 25 copies of AP Calc. All of the schools will split the Pre-Calc books amongst themselves.

The lack of textbooks perfectly represents the inequality that is too prevalent in America’s public school systems, and is one of the main reasons that the education and income gap continue to grow in the U.S. One of the beliefs that motivates the employees at the Center of Math is the idea that education should be available to anyone who wants to learn. This idea is why our textbooks are so affordably priced, and this is why our YouTube channel is stocked with informative videos and lectures – if you want to learn, we are here to help.

We are thrilled to have played such an integral role in making so many students’ education easier, as well as lightening the stress-load that these teachers had been dealing with. We know that these students will use the books in good health and with good intentions. The idea that we may have sparked one student’s passion for mathematics is enough for us, but knowing that these kids now have the textbooks they need, well it is a great feeling and it has motivated us to try our hardest and do more good in the education world. 

UncommonGoods Pi Day Giveaway

UPDATE: The contest has concluded, and the winning comment has been randomly selected! Congratulations Sara, we are working to get in contact with you now. Thanks everyone for participating!

Image: http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/pi-basket

March 14, 2015 will be a date of celebration for many "math nerds" around the country. Whether you celebrate the date, or think it's a little too silly, it's fun to see all of the creativity that pours out of mathematicians, designers, writers, and artists alike as "Pi Day" approaches each year. This year's date is even more momentous than usual- at 9:26:53 AM and PM, the date and time will represent the first 10 digits of pi. 3.141592653... If you count your milliseconds and beyond, to each infinitessimally small fraction of a second, the date and time will represent the infinite digits of pi between 9:26:53 and 9:26:54.