{"id":6520,"date":"2011-09-05T19:17:30","date_gmt":"2011-09-05T11:17:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intmath.com\/blog\/?p=6520"},"modified":"2019-12-07T06:50:07","modified_gmt":"2019-12-06T22:50:07","slug":"intmath-newsletter-golden-spiral-0-math-e-books-cdf-format","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intmath.com\/blog\/letters\/intmath-newsletter-golden-spiral-0-math-e-books-cdf-format-6520","title":{"rendered":"IntMath Newsletter: Golden spiral, $0 math e-books, CDF format"},"content":{"rendered":"

5 Sep 2011 <\/p>\n

In this Newsletter:<\/p>\n

1. Golden Spiral
\n 2. Math e-Books for $0
\n 3. 13 yr-old designs efficient solar collectors using Fibonacci and trees
\n 4. Wolfram's new Computable Document Format
\n 5. Math Puzzle: Solution and new one
\n 6. Friday math movies
\n 7. Final thought: Powerful weapon <\/p>\n

1. Golden Spiral<\/h2>\n

Suitable for: <\/strong>This is an interesting article because there are several important math concepts involved. If you have some basic understanding of trigonometry and exponentials you will get more out of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"fern<\/a><\/td>\n\n

Golden Spirals involve a lot of interesting math, from exponential curves to polar coordinates, tangents to a curve and approximating curves.<\/p>\n

Golden Spiral<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

2. Math e-Books for $0 <\/h2>\n

Suitable for: <\/strong>Everyone who likes a freebie! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Free<\/a><\/td>\n\n

Here's a collection of free (or cheap), mostly good quality math text books in PDF format.<\/p>\n

Math e-Books for $0 <\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

3. 13 yr-old designs efficient solar collectors using Fibonacci sequence and trees <\/h2>\n

Suitable for: <\/strong>Everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Tree<\/td>\n\n

This is a useful discovery by a 13 yr-old, using math and good observation skills.<\/p>\n

Trouble is, it turned out to be not as efficient as claimed! (See the comments.) <\/p>\n

It also turned out to be a hoax...<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

4. Wolfram's new Computable Document Format and Online Conference<\/h2>\n

We've had PDF format for some time now. <\/p>\n

Wolfram, developers of Mathematica and the brilliant Wolfram|Alpha, have released a new type of document which can include interactive animations of math concepts.<\/p>\n

The documents it produces are free, but you need to purchase Mathematica if you want to produce such documents. But never mind, there's still a lot of value in this. You'll need to download a small file in order to view, and play with, the CDF files. <\/p>\n

Interactive Whiteboard users - this is for you!<\/p>\n

Go to Computable Document Format<\/a><\/p>\n

Wolfram Mathematica Online Conference<\/b><\/p>\n

Wolfram is also hosting a free Mathematica Virtual Conference on Sep 26th (for US time zone) and on 27th Sep (Europe time zone - also good for Asia).<\/p>\n

For those new to Mathematica, the \"Discover Mathematica\" session will be good. There's also a session on \"Applying Mathematica in Industry and Research\" and for the teachers, \"Applying Mathematica in Education\".<\/p>\n

I'll be attending the 27th Sep session - say hello if you see my name in the participant list!<\/p>\n

Information and free registration: Wolfram Mathematica Virtual Conference 2011<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Math Puzzle - solution and new one<\/h2>\n

Last newsletter<\/a>, the math puzzle was:<\/p>\n

\n

If the end of the world should come on the first day of a new century, what is the probability that it will happen on a Sunday?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

While it seems the probability should be 1\/7, it isn't! <\/p>\n

The first day of a century can never fall on a Sunday; nor on a Wednesday or a Friday. See here for an explanation<\/a>. <\/p>\n

New puzzle: <\/strong><\/p>\n

A business man works on the 10th floor of an office building and always takes the elevator down to ground level at the end of the day.<\/p>\n

Yet every morning he only takes the elevator to the 7th floor and walks up the stairs to the 10th floor, even when he is in a hurry.<\/p>\n

Why? (You can answer here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

6. Friday math movies<\/h2>\n

I have a back-log of math movies this Newsletter. Enjoy! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Should<\/a><\/td>\n\n

(a) Miss USA 2011 - Should math be taught in schools?<\/h2>\n

Suitable for: <\/strong>Everyone - brief (2 min) and funny.<\/p>\n

This is hilarious - or very disturbing - depending on your point of view.<\/p>\n

Friday math movie: Miss USA 2011 - Should math be taught in schools?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"Wireless<\/a><\/td>\n\n

(b) Wireless data from every light bulb<\/h2>\n

Suitable for: <\/strong>Everyone - about 13 minutes.<\/p>\n

Here's a great idea - get your wireless data more efficiently and safely.<\/p>\n

Friday math movie: Wireless data from every light bulb<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"How<\/a><\/td>\n\n

(c) How algorithms shape our world<\/h2>\n

Suitable for: <\/strong>Everyone - about 15 minutes.<\/p>\n

Done a Google search today? You've used an algorithm that is helping to change the world.<\/p>\n

Friday math movie: How algorithms shape our world<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"Trial,<\/a><\/td>\n\n

(d) Trial, error and the God complex<\/h2>\n

Suitable for: <\/strong>Everyone - about 18 minutes.<\/p>\n

How can we cope with the 10 billion-odd bits of data that assault us every day? Tim Harford shows how we learn by trial and error.<\/p>\n

Friday math movie: Trial, error and the God complex<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

6. Final thought \u2013 powerful weapon <\/h2>\n

Sadly, a lot of students (and some teachers!) mope around complaining about how everything "sucks" and is "sooo boring". But the world is full of so many great and interesting things - we only have to look - and enjoy! <\/p>\n

Ferdinand Foch, French soldier and military theorist of the late 19th century, could have been talking to jaded students when he said: <\/p>\n

\n

The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.
\n [Ferdinand Foch]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Until next time, enjoy whatever you learn. <\/p>\n

See the 12 Comments<\/a> below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this Newsletter:<\/p>\n

1. Golden Spiral
\n 2. Math e-Books for $0
\n 3. 13 yr-old designs efficient solar collectors using Fibonacci and trees
\n 4. Wolfram's new Computable Document Format
\n 5. Math Puzzle: Solution and new one
\n 6. Friday math movies
\n 7. Final thought: Powerful weapon <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":""},"categories":[104],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intmath.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6520"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intmath.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intmath.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intmath.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intmath.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6520"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.intmath.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6520\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12314,"href":"https:\/\/www.intmath.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6520\/revisions\/12314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intmath.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intmath.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intmath.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}