A by-election for the Seanad Éireann Dublin University constituency, arising from the election of Ivana Bacik to Dáil Éireann, is in progress. There are seventeen candidates, eight men and nine women. Examining the ballot paper, I immediately noticed an imbalance: the top three candidates, and seven of the top ten, are men. The last six … Continue reading The Improbability Principle and the Seanad Election
Tag: Social attitudes
Some Characteristics of the Mathematical Psyche
What are mathematicians really like? What are the characteristics or traits of personality typical amongst them? Mathematicians are rarely the heroes of novels, so we have little to learn from literature. A few films have featured mathematicians, but most give little insight into the personalities of their subjects [TM226 or search for “thatsmaths” at irishtimes.com]. Absentmindedness Sweeping … Continue reading Some Characteristics of the Mathematical Psyche
The Rise and Rise of Women in Mathematics
The influential collection of biographical essays by Eric Temple Bell, Men of Mathematics, was published in 1937. It covered the lives of about forty mathematicians, from ancient times to the beginning of the twentieth century. The book inspired many boys to become mathematicians. However, it seems unlikely that it inspired many girls: the only woman … Continue reading The Rise and Rise of Women in Mathematics
Face Recognition
As you pass through an airport, you are photographed several times by security systems. Face recognition systems can identify you by comparing your digital image to faces stored in a database. This form of identification is gaining popularity, allowing you to access online banking without a PIN or password. [see TM146, or search for “thatsmaths” at irishtimes.com]. … Continue reading Face Recognition
The Citizens’ Assembly: Why do 10 Counties have no Members?
Recently, the Irish Government established the Citizens' Assembly, a body of 99 citizens that will consider a number of constitutional issues. The Assembly meets on Saturday to continue its deliberations on the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, which concerns the ban on abortion. It will report to the Oireachtas (Parliament) on this issue in June … Continue reading The Citizens’ Assembly: Why do 10 Counties have no Members?
The Mathematics of Voting
Selection of leaders by voting has a history reaching back to the Athenian democracy. Elections are essentially arithmetical exercises, but they involve more than simple counting, and have some subtle mathematical aspects [TM085, or search for “thatsmaths” at irishtimes.com]. The scientific study of voting and elections, which began around the time of the French Revolution, is called … Continue reading The Mathematics of Voting
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
Invention or Discovery?
Is mathematics invented or discovered? As many great mathematicians have considered this question without fully resolving it, there is little likelihood that I can provide a complete answer here. But let me pose a possible answer in the form of a conjecture: Conjecture: Definitions are invented. Theorems are discovered. The goal is to prove … Continue reading Invention or Discovery?
Beauty is the First Test
This week, That’s Maths in The Irish Times (TM048: Search for "thatsmaths" at irishtimes.com) is about the beauty of mathematics. “Beauty is truth, truth beauty” wrote John Keats in his Ode on a Grecian Urn. Mathematical theorems have an enduring truth and the truly great ones are profoundly beautiful. Proofs of theorems can be technically … Continue reading Beauty is the First Test
The Future of Society: Prosperity or Collapse?
The article in this week’s That’s Maths column in the Irish Times ( TM045 ) is about a mathematical model to simulate the future of society. Our extravagant lifestyle is draining the Earth's natural resources. Population is climbing and climate change looms ever larger. Is the collapse of society imminent? The historical precedents are ominous. Many civilizations … Continue reading The Future of Society: Prosperity or Collapse?
Population Projections
The Population Division of the United Nations marked 31 October 2011 as the "Day of Seven Billion". While that was a publicity gambit, world population is now above this figure and climbing. The global ecosystem is seriously stressed, and climate change is greatly aggravated by the expanding population. Accurate estimates of growth are essential for … Continue reading Population Projections
The Two Cultures
The Two Cultures Of course I've heard of Beethoven, but who is this guy Gauss? The “Two Cultures”, introduced by the British scientist and novelist C. P. Snow in an influential Rede Lecture in 1959, are still relevant. Ludwig von Beethoven and Carl Friedrich Gauss were at the height of their creativity in the early … Continue reading The Two Cultures
ThatsMaths 