Doughnuts and Dumplings are Distinct: Homopoty-101

As everyone knows, a torus is different from a sphere. Topology is the study of properties that remain unchanged under continuous distortions. A square can be deformed into a circle or a sphere into an ellipsoid, whether flat like an orange or long like a lemon or banana. Technically, sets are topologically equivalent if there … Continue reading Doughnuts and Dumplings are Distinct: Homopoty-101 →

Will mathematicians be replaced by computers?

There are ongoing rapid advances in the power and versatility of AI or artificial intelligence. Computers are now producing results in several fields that are far beyond human capability. The trend is unstoppable, and is having profound effects in many areas of our lives. Will mathematicians be replaced by computers? [TM195 or search for “thatsmaths” at irishtimes.com]. … Continue reading Will mathematicians be replaced by computers? →

TeX: A Boon for Mathematicians

Mathematicians owe a great debt of gratitude to Donald Knuth. A renowned American computer scientist and mathematician, Knuth is an emeritus professor at Stanford University. He is author of many books, including the multi-volume work, The Art of Computer Programming. Knuth is the author of the powerful and versatile mathematical typesetting system called TeX. The … Continue reading TeX: A Boon for Mathematicians →

Suitable Names for Large Numbers

One year ago, there were just two centibillionaires, Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates. Recently, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg has joined the Amazon and Microsoft founders. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is tipped to be next to join this exclusive club [TM194 or search for “thatsmaths” at irishtimes.com]. The word centibillionaire has slithered into common usage for … Continue reading Suitable Names for Large Numbers →