{"id":11065,"date":"2016-12-27T14:37:16","date_gmt":"2016-12-27T06:37:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intmath.com\/blog\/?p=11065"},"modified":"2016-12-27T14:55:06","modified_gmt":"2016-12-27T06:55:06","slug":"intmath-newsletter-squaring-circle-17-equations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intmath.com\/blog\/letters\/intmath-newsletter-squaring-circle-17-equations-11065","title":{"rendered":"IntMath Newsletter: squaring circle, 17 equations"},"content":{"rendered":"

27 Dec 2016 <\/p>\n

In this Newsletter:<\/p>\n

0. PhotoMath - what I should have said
\n 1. Squaring the circle with rope
\n 2. East Asian countries perform best in TIMMS
\n 3. Resource: 17 equations
\n 4. 2016 in review
\n 5. Math movies: Unexpected math
\n 6. Math puzzles
\n7. Final thought: tolerance <\/p>\n

0. PhotoMath - what I should have said...<\/h2>\n

In the last Newsletter I mentioned the product PhotoMath. Reader Forrest correctly pointed out in the comments that:<\/p>\n

\n

PhotoMath is a great app for students to cheat on math tests with their cell phone. You should not be publicizing this app.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I agree that such tools (including even the humble calculator) can be used to "cheat", so I added the following disclaimer: <\/p>\n

\n

"PhotoMath, like all such computer-based math solving tools, should ONLY be used to check your own work (which helps you to learn) - NOT to simply solve the homework for you (which usually results in your never knowing it)." <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

1. Squaring the circle with rope<\/h2>\n

I've had an interest in the problem of "squaring the circle" (finding a square with the same area as a given circle, using straight edge and compass only) for some time now. I named this blog "SquareCirclez" in memory of the challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Squaring<\/a><\/td>\n\n

I recently came across a solution by Jonathan Crabtree using rope. This could be turned into an interesting class exercise. <\/p>\n

I developed an animation of the method including a proof. See: Squaring the Circle: rope method<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

2. East Asian countries perform best in TIMMS<\/h2>\n

One of the reasons I moved to Singapore 20 years ago was because of its strong showing in international comparisons of math and science achievement. I wanted to know how they did it. <\/p>\n

Singapore, as well as other East Asian countries, once again performed well in the 2015 results, published recently. From the report<\/a>: <\/p>\n

\n

Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, Korea, Chinese Taipei, and Japan continue outperforming all participating countries in mathematics at the fourth and eighth grades, maintaining a 20 year edge according to results released today from TIMSS, the longest running, large scale international assessment of mathematics and science education in the world. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Pisa, too:<\/b> From Singapore's Straits Times, How Singapore's students rose to No. 1<\/a>, we read:<\/p>\n

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Earlier this month, 15-year-olds in Singapore were ranked No. 1 in maths, science and reading in the 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) test, dubbed the \"World Cup for education\".<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The New York Times chimes in with What America Can Learn From Smart Schools in Other Countries<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You may be interested in these related IntMath articles:<\/p>\n