Suppose a circle is divided by two radii and the two arcs a and b are in the golden ratio: b / a = ( a + b ) / b = φ ≈ 1.618 Then the smaller angle formed by the radii is called the golden angle. It is equal to about 137.5° or … Continue reading Golden Moments
Month: March 2015
You Can Do Maths
Bragging about mathematical ineptitude is not cool. There is nothing admirable about ignorance and incompetence. Moreover, everyone thinks mathematically all the time, even if they are not aware of it. Can we all do maths? Yes, we can! [See this week’s That’s Maths column (TM064) or search for “thatsmaths” at irishtimes.com]. We use simple arithmetic … Continue reading You Can Do Maths
A King of Infinite Space: Euclid I.
O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space ... [Hamlet] The Elements – far and away the most successful textbook ever written – is not just a great mathematics book. It is a great book. There is nothing personal in the book, nothing to give any clue as … Continue reading A King of Infinite Space: Euclid I.
Café Mathematics in Lvov
For 150 years the city of Lvov was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After Polish independence following World War I, research blossomed and between 1920 and 1940 a sparkling constellation of mathematicians flourished in Lvov [see this week’s That’s Maths column in The Irish Times (TM063, or search for “thatsmaths” at irishtimes.com). Zygmunt Janeszewski, who … Continue reading Café Mathematics in Lvov
ThatsMaths 