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Hard Problems and Hints
I have a friend O with a very mathematically engaged son J, who semi-often corresponds with me about his and J’s mathematical experiences together. We had a recent exchange and what I was saying to him...
View ArticleMath is like…
Math is like an atomic-powered prosthesis that you attach to your common sense, vastly multiplying its reach and strength. – Jordan Ellenberg, How Not to Be Wrong
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The History of Calculus / Honor Your Dissatisfaction
I was just rereading an email exchange with a friend (actually the O of this post), and found that I had summarized the history of calculus from the 17th to 20th centuries, up through and including...
View ArticleHidden Figures: Visibility / Invisibility of Brown Brilliance, Part I
Has everybody seen Hidden Figures yet? It’s delightful: a tight, well-acted, gripping drama, based on a true story about an exciting chapter in national history. You can just go to have a good time....
View ArticleMath is Democracy I: The Citizen and the Gerrymander
I am intending a series of my typically long, elaborate blog posts entitled Math is Democracy. The ideas have been brewing for years although they have been rapidly expanding and taking on new urgency...
View ArticleMath is Democracy II: Math is Democracy!
I announced a series on math and democracy back in October. It will deal with a lot of concrete areas. Last time I talked about a case that is before the Supreme Court and will influence voting law...
View ArticleI Just Started a Math Blog!
Hey y’all, I just started a new blog for completely random thoughts about math. I just figured something out yesterday morning that would probably never go in a paper or anything, but I wanted to...
View ArticleMath, Democracy, Equality, and Classroom Culture
This is a contribution to Sam Shah‘s Virtual Conference on Humanizing Mathematics. As a secondary matter, it fits into my series of posts exploring the relationship of math to democracy. One aspect of...
View ArticleMy work on the AMS Teaching & Learning Blog
I don’t know why I didn’t think to tell you this earlier, but: in 2019 I joined the editorial board of the American Mathematical Society’s Teaching & Learning Blog, and I’ve written several pieces...
View ArticleEverybody is very nerdy about geometry
This is just a short post cataloging some occasions when people geeked out on me about geometry in non-mathematical contexts. I feel like everybody loves geometry. When a family member explained to me...
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