{"id":12092,"date":"2019-08-29T17:18:41","date_gmt":"2019-08-29T09:18:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intmath.com\/blog\/?p=12092"},"modified":"2019-08-30T06:00:25","modified_gmt":"2019-08-29T22:00:25","slug":"intmath-newsletter-css-matrix-humble-pi-van-gogh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intmath.com\/blog\/letters\/intmath-newsletter-css-matrix-humble-pi-van-gogh-12092","title":{"rendered":"IntMath Newsletter: CSS matrix, Humble Pi, van Gogh"},"content":{"rendered":"

29 Aug 2019 <\/p>\n

In this Newsletter:<\/p>\n

1. New on IntMath: CSS matrix math
\n2. Resources: Humble Pi, AnswerThePublic
\n3. Math in the news: Proof
\n4. Math movies: Parker, van Gogh
\n5. Math puzzle: Mystery object
\n6. Final thought: Dry leaves <\/p>\n

1. New on IntMath: CSS matrix math <\/h2>\n

I recently gave a talk to a local meetup group on the mathematics behind CSS matrix. CSS stands for "cascading style sheets", and is the system where Web designers can set font sizes, colors, and also set sizes and vary shapes for objects like images and videos.<\/p>\n

Matrices are used to transform<\/strong> geometric objects (scale, skew, rotate, translate and so on.) Computer games<\/strong> make extensive use of matrices to simulate depth, 3D objects and so on. <\/p>\n\n\n
\"CSS<\/a><\/td>\n\n

Here is the content of the talk. It explores how CSS transform is the result of matrix multiplication<\/strong>. Even if you're not interested in Web design, it's interesting to see another real-life application of matrices. <\/p>\n

See CSS Matrix - a mathematical explanation<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

I also developed the following interactive graph applet that demonstrates the concepts in the talk.<\/p>\n\n\n
\"CSS<\/a><\/td>\n\n

This is an interactive graph where you can vary sliders to see how CSS matrix changes the size, shape and location of an object. <\/p>\n

See CSS matrix interactive applet<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

2. Resources<\/h2>\n

(a) Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors<\/h3>\n

When I was teaching a group of engineering students some years ago, I went to my boss with an idea. I suggested we incorporate examples of cases where things went wrong, so students would learn the importance of accuracy and the safety issues that can arise out of sloppy and inaccurate mathematics.<\/p>\n

He wasn't enthusiastic and squashed the idea, saying it would scare off students from choosing the degree. I felt it was a lost opportunity. <\/p>\n

So I was interested when I came across the book "Humble Pi - A Comedy of Maths Errors<\/em>" by Matt Parker. <\/p>\n

\n\"Humble
\nMatt Parker's Humble Pi<\/em><\/div>\n

This readable book was exactly what I had in mind when I approached my boss. Let's learn from cases where people made math errors, and see what the consequences were – not to apportion blame, but to learn what can go wrong. <\/p>\n

We all make math errors, but usually the worst outcome is a drop in grade, or momentary embarrassment. The people working in science and engineering fields should be aware of why their math teachers insisted on accuracy.<\/p>\n

So I suggested the book for the local library, and was pleasantly surprised how long I had to wait before I could read it (it turned out to be quite popular).<\/p>\n

I recommend this book for any math student or teacher. <\/p>\n

One of the videos below features Parker, covering some of the same errors detailed in the book. <\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I have no connection with Matt Parker (other than through Twitter) and receive no commission.<\/small> <\/p>\n

(b) Teachers: Address the questions students are really asking<\/h3>\n

Some teachers see their job as simply giving out information, but there is no "value add" in that approach, especially since students can easily access such information in abundance.<\/p>\n

One thing we can do better while teaching a topic is to actually address the questions<\/strong> students really have about that topic. One approach is to simply ask students what their questions are, and there are a lot of apps and sites that facilitate this process (e.g. Google Forms<\/a> and Survey Monkey<\/a> are both easy to use). <\/p>\n

Another thing to consider is to look at the questions students are likely<\/strong> to ask, before you even start planning the lessons. AnswerThePublic is a good resource for this. <\/p>\n\n\n
\"Answer<\/a><\/td>\n\n

AnswerThePublic<\/a> is a database of common questions that people ask about topics. It provides a rich source of ideas on how we might go about introducing a topic, and pre-empting the stumbling blocks. <\/p>\n

See Answer the Public <\/a> <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Topics to try are:<\/p>\n