Maths-Whizz Blog

Maths – the best use for golf balls

May 5th, 2010

Reluctant golfer that he is, the God of Whizz has finally stumbled across the best use for all those silly little balls – maths. Fractals, in fact.

Rather than serve only to be hooked, sliced, or shanked into the near distance, chased by a volley of insults, hundreds of red and blue golf balls have been put towards a magnificent three-dimensional Sierpinski Triangle (or tetrahedron, in this instance).

A use for golf balls - maths fractal pyramid

A use for golf balls - maths fractal pyramid

To those otherwise unversed in Sierpinski’s Triangle (also known as a ‘gasket’), it’s a beautifully elegant fractal.

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Simple Pumpkin Pie recipe – just use ‘math’

May 4th, 2010

Stuck without a simple pumpkin pie recipe? Try this!

Pumpkin Pie recipe

Pumpkin Pie recipe

Lessons from the Iceland Volcano – Part 2432

April 20th, 2010

As Iceland’s famously unpronounceable and temperamental volcano continues to rumble on, the travel ban imposed across northern Europe is showing signs of being lifted.

The flight ban is being lifted after the Iceland Volcano

The flight ban is being lifted after the Iceland Volcano

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Maths and the Financial Crisis

April 19th, 2010

Financial mathematics.

If the God of Whizz was of an uncharitable turn of mind he might suggest that the world of finance has recently honoured mathematical accuracy more in the breach than in the observance.

In this vein, the Financial Times’ Gillian Tett suggests that mathematicians must get out of their ivory towers to restore credibility to the idea of ‘financial mathematics’, whose reputation the Credit Crunch and international financial crises have done so much to sully.

As Gillian Tett suggests:

What really damaged the financial system in recent years was not so much “maths” or “economics”; instead the crucial problem was bad maths (and economics) that was used and abused. Now, more than ever, mathematicians need to get out of their ivory towers or back offices and state that loudly, not just for their sake, but for economists. And, of course, those bankers.

The God of Whizz agrees, and humbly suggests a course of primary maths tutoring for the wizards who did all that financial abusing.


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