## The (Math) Problem with Pentagons — Quanta Magazine

My latest column for Quanta Magazine is about the recent classification of pentagonal tilings of the plane. Tilings involving triangles, quadrilaterals, and more have been well-understood for over a thousand years, but it wasn’t until 2017 that the question of which pentagons tile the plane was completely settled.

Here’s an excerpt.

People have been studying how to fit shapes together to make toys, floors, walls and art — and to understand the mathematics behind such patterns — for thousands of years. But it was only this year that we finally settled the question of how five-sided polygons “tile the plane.” Why did pentagons pose such a big problem for so long?

In my column I explore some of the reasons that certain kinds of pentagons might, or might not, tile the plane. It’s a fun exercise in elementary geometry, and a glimpse into a complex world of geometric relationships.

## 12/07/2017 — Happy Permutation Day!

Today we celebrate a Permutation Day! I call days like today permutation days because the digits of the day and the month can be rearranged to form the year.

Celebrate Permutation Day by mixing things up! Try doing things in a different order today. Just remember, for some operations, order definitely matters!

## Investigating the Math Behind Biased Maps

My latest piece for the New York Times Learning Network gets students investigating the mathematics of gerrymandering.  Through applying geometry, proportionality, and the efficiency gap, students explore the notion of a “workable standard” for identifying and evaluating biased electoral maps.

Here is an excerpt:

Math lies at the heart of gerrymandering, in which the shapes of voting districts and distributions of voters are manipulated to preserve and expand political power.

The strategy of gerrymandering is not new… However, new, sophisticated mathematical and computer mapping tools have made gerrymandering an even more powerful way to tilt the playing field. In many states, where the majority party has the authority to rewrite the electoral map, legislators essentially have the power to choose their voters — to create districts in any shape or size that will weaken their opponents and increase their dominance.

In this lesson, we help students uncover the mathematics behind these biased electoral maps. And, we help them apply their mathematical knowledge to identify and address the problem.

In fact, the questions students will work through are similar to those the Supreme Court is now considering on whether gerrymandering can ever be declared unconstitutional.

The article was co-authored with Michael Gonchar of the NYT Learning Network, and is freely available here.

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## Math Photo: Spiky Symmetry

These cacti caught my. I can see both a dodecagon and a star in the 12-fold symmetry of the cactus in front. And to my surprise, the cactus behind it has thirteen sections!

I wonder about the range, and deviation, of the number of sections of these cacti. And what are the biological principles that govern these mathematical characteristics?

## Regents Recap — August 2017: Yes, You Can Work on Both Sides of an Identity

In a controversial post last year, I argued that it’s perfectly acceptable to work on both sides of an equation in proving an algebraic identity. While it’s common to tell students “You can’t cross the equal sign” in this situation, doing so is mathematically legitimate as long as the new equation is true under exactly the same circumstances as the original.

For example, when proving an algebraic identity, multiplying both sides of an equation by 2 is permissible, because = y and 2x 2y are true under exactly the same conditions on x and y. Squaring both sides of an equation however, is not, since

$x^2 = y^2$

can be true under conditions that make y false, say, when x and y-2.

The post in question, “Algebra is Hard”, was a response to a June 2016 Regents scoring guide that deducted a point from a student who, in proving an algebraic identity, multiplied both sides of the equation by a non-zero quantity. The student was penalized for “not manipulating expressions independently in an algebraic proof“, a vague and meaningless criticism.

“Algebra is Hard” received quite a bit of attention, and while many agreed with me, I was genuinely surprised at how many readers disagreed. Which was terrific! Of course my argument makes perfect sense to me, but it was great to have so many constructive conversations with teachers and mathematicians who saw things differently.

But my argument recently received support from the most unlikely of sources: another Regents exam.

Take a look at this exemplar full-credit student response to an algebraic identity on the August 2017 Algebra 2 exam.

Notice that the student works on both sides of the equation and subtracts the same quantity from both sides. Even though the student did not manipulate expressions independently in an algebraic proof, full credit was awarded.

The note here about domain restrictions is an amusing touch, given that it was the explicit domain restriction in the problem from 2016 that ensured the student wasn’t doing something impermissible (namely, multiplying both sides of an equation by 0).

So in 2016 this work gets half credit, and in 2017 this work gets full credit.

While it’s nice to see mathematically valid work finally receiving full credit on this type of problem, it’s no consolation to the many students who lost points for doing the same thing the year before. What’s especially frustrating is that, as usual, those responsible for creating these exams will admit no error nor accept any responsibility for it.

Be sure to read “Algebra is Hard” (and some of the 40+ comments!) for more of the backstory on this problem.

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