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.
And while the date may not be as exciting as the rotationally symmetric 02/02/2020, there is something interesting about today’s day: It’s the only permutation day this year! So enjoy it by switching things up today.
I know it’s a bit late for a Year in Review post, but in trying to keep the series alive, better late than never I guess.
One reason it’s been hard to find time to reflect is that I started at a new school this past year, by far my most significant professional event in 2019. After 12 years at Brooklyn Technical High School, I started at Stuyvesant last fall.
It’s been a lot of work starting at a new school after 12 years at my last. But a lot of that work comes from being forced to re-imagine everything I do as a teacher, and that has been exciting and invigorating.#edchat
I had a great time at Brooklyn Tech. Over 12 years I taught everything from algebra to multivariable calculus, designed and developed new courses in advanced mathematics and computing, and rebuilt Tech’s Mathematics Major. And in my role as instructional coach I mentored teachers, led teacher teams, redesigned curricula, and developed and structured professional learning for a department of over 40 teachers.
But the right opportunity came along at the right time, and I made the move. I’ve been very lucky to work with great students and teachers throughout my career, and that continues for me at Stuyvesant. And if these first few months are any indication, I have a lot to look forward to at my new school.
Writing was again a big part of my professional year. In August my test-prep book was published, the culmination of a long and satisfying experience working with Barron’s / Kaplan. I continued writing my column for Quanta Magazine, where I explored a faster way to multiply, the geometry of Netflix, and the limits of mathematics and our imagination, among other modern mathematical breakthroughs. And I also reviewed several manuscripts and book proposals this past year, which is always interesting and educational.
As usual the new year is filling up, and going by, quickly. I’ve got several interesting projects in the works for 2020, but a strong finish to my first year at my new school is my primary goal. After that, making adjustments for year two will be next on the list.
My latest column for Quanta Magazine starts with a simple question: If you had a cover a hole that was at most 1 inch wide, what kind of patch would you need?
This problem is related to Lebesgue’s universal covering problem: The goal is to find the smallest such patch that could cover any hole of diameter one. After 100 years mathematicians still don’t have a full answer, but some techniques from high school geometry are getting us closer.
By starting with known covers, we can chop off pieces we can prove we don’t need, and make our covers smaller and smaller.
Read the full article for more, which is freely available in Quanta Magazine.
