Logicomix: A Mathematical Graphical Novel

logicomixThis is an innovative and intriguing idea:  a graphic novel based on the infamous struggles to articulate the foundations of mathematics.

http://www.logicomix.com/

The story is apparently narrated by the great mathematician and philosopher Bertrand Russell, and the cast of characters includes Georg Cantor, Kurt Godel, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and many other prominent figures from mathematics and logic.  A review in the New York Times can be found here.

The philosophy of mathematics is extremely interesting (start by asking yourself “What is a number?”), and this particular tale is truly a fascinating one.   I am eager to see how these graphic artists tell the story.

Math Photo: (Sine) Waves on the Beach

While on vacation, I passed some of my time looking for math on the beach, and I saw a sine wave creeping up the shore.

sine wave in nature

I thought I might be looking too hard for something mathematical, thereby seeing things that weren’t really there.  Thankfully, Geogebra is well-equipped to justify my observations.

wave sine wave equation

Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say that Geogebra helps enable my obsessions.

Number Dictionary

numdic 144This is a fun little website that offers information on numbers from 1 to 1000000:

www.numdic.com

For example, I put in one of my favorite numbers, 144, and saw four ways to write 144 as a difference of squares (always a useful little trick)  and five ways to write it as the sum of primes (in case we were trying to verify Goldbach’s conjecture).

I find the Mayan representation of 144 really cool, and the Roman Numeral representation will make this website handy for crossword puzzles!

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox

Join other followers: