Physics & Math, features and articles | Educational Science

Jan 21, 2014

What Are Imaginary Numbers?

An imaginary number is a number that, when squared, has a negative result. Essentially, an imaginary number is the square root of a negative number and does not have a tangible value. While it is not a real number — that is, it cannot be quantified on the number line...

Jan 29, 2014

What Are Complex Numbers?

Complex numbers are numbers that consist of two parts — a real number and an imaginary number. Complex numbers are the building blocks of more intricate math, such as algebra. They can be applied to many aspects of real life, especially in electronics and electromagnetism. The standard format for complex...

Jan 30, 2014

What's the Universe Made Of? Math, Says Scientist

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Scientists have long used mathematics to describe the physical properties of the universe. But what if the universe itself is math? That's what cosmologist Max Tegmark believes. In Tegmark's view, everything in the universe — humans included — is part of a mathematical structure. All matter is...

Feb 18, 2014

After 400 Years, Mathematicians Find a New Class of Solid Shapes

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. The work of the Greek polymath Plato has kept millions of people busy for millennia. A few among them have been mathematicians who have obsessed about Platonic solids, a...

Mar 14, 2014

Happy Pi Day! Fun Facts About Our Favorite Irrational Number

Math lovers celebrate today (3/14) as Pi Day, in honor of the irrational number pi. Pi, or π, is defined as the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi is an irrational number, meaning it cannot be written as a simple fraction. Instead, it can be...

Apr 18, 2014

Calculus Is Fun! Math Exhibit Demos Principles of Motion

NEW YORK — Most people probably don't think of learning calculus as fun. But a new interactive exhibit here at the Museum of Math (MoMath) lets visitors learn about the principles of motion in an interactive way, by walking or running on a special motion-sensing track. The Motion Scape exhibit,...

May 5, 2014

Gallery: Drawings of a Mathematical Savant

Illustration of pi (Image credit: Courtesy of Jason Padgett)Jason Padgett suffered an attack that gave him extraordinary mathematical abilities, a case of acquired savant syndrome. He created these drawings of how he sees reality. I drew circles out of 180 triangles, then 360, then 720. With a finer pencil, he...

May 5, 2014

A Beautiful Mind: Brain Injury Turns Man Into Math Genius

In 2002, two men savagely attacked Jason Padgett outside a karaoke bar, leaving him with a severe concussion and post-traumatic stress disorder. But the incident also turned Padgett into a mathematical genius who sees the world through the lens of geometry. Padgett, a furniture salesman from Tacoma, Washington, who had...

Jun 10, 2014

What Is a Proof?

A proof is a rigorous argument that shows a mathematical claim to be true. Mathematics is different from other fields of science because claims are held to a different standard. Using the scientific method, claims are tested in order to verify or debunk them. Any person can do rigorous experiments...

Aug 13, 2014

A Woman Finally Wins Top Math Prize 'Fields Medal'

For the first time in history, the Fields Medal — the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for mathematics — will be awarded to a woman. The award will go to Maryam Mirzakhani, an Iranian mathematician and professor of mathematics at Stanford University. Mirzakhani and three other mathematicians will be honored...

Mar 13, 2015

Pi, Anyone? The Secret to Memorizing Tens of Thousands of Digits

Every year, math enthusiasts celebrate Pi Day on March 14, because the date spells the first three digits (3.14) of pi, or π, the mathematical constant that represents the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. This year, the event is even more special because, for the first time...

Mar 14, 2015

Math Nerds Celebrate 'Pi Day of the Century' at SXSW Festival

AUSTIN, Texas — It's an event that comes around just once in a century. Math nerds and circle fans everywhere celebrated the Pi Day of the Century today, March 14, 2015, at 9:26 a.m. and 53 seconds. The date and time spelled the first 10 digits of pi: 3.141592653. Revelers...

Mar 14, 2015

Photos: Pi Day Celebrations at 2015 SXSW Festival

Math enthusiasts celebrate Pi Day every year on March 14, to honor the mathematical constant that represents the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. This year's event, however, happens just once in a century. Today, March 14, 2015, at 9:26 a.m. and 53 seconds, the date and time...

Mar 25, 2015

What Is Algebra?

Algebra is a branch of mathematics dealing with symbols and the rules for manipulating those symbols. In elementary algebra, those symbols (today written as Latin and Greek letters) represent quantities without fixed values, known as variables. Just as sentences describe relationships between specific words, in algebra, equations describe relationships between...

Apr 7, 2015

What Are Quadratic Equations?

In mathematics, a quadratic is a type of problem that deals with a variable multiplied by itself — an operation known as squaring. This language derives from the area of a square being its side length multiplied by itself. The word quadratic comes from quadratum, the Latin word for square....