Column
- Math
Cutting a Pie Is No Piece of Cake
Mathematicians find that slicing a pie into fair pieces is harder than divvying up a sheet cake. The problem is that pie cuts are radial, not parallel.
- Math
Ancient Islamic Penrose Tiles
Medieval Islamic artisans developed a process for creating elaborate, nonrepeating patterns now associated with Penrose tiles.
- Math
Ancient Islamic Penrose Tiles
Medieval Islamic artisans developed a process for creating elaborate, nonrepeating patterns now associated with Penrose tiles.
- Math
The Complexity of TipOver and Other Puzzles
Solving puzzles such as TipOver and River Crossing can be surprisingly difficult.
- Math
Divide-and-Conquer Multiplication
The most efficient way to multiply two large numbers is often far from obvious.
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- Math
Knitting Network
A skein of intriguing mathematical objects comes out of an evening devoted to knitting, crocheting, and other crafts.
- Math
A Polyhedron with a Hole
A polyhedron with seven faces, 14 vertexes, 21 edges, and a hole makes an intriguing lamp.
- Math
Art of the Tetrahedron, Revisited
A New Orleans sculptor and his tetrahedron-based artworks survived Hurricane Katrina.
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- Math
The Coin in the Cake
Hiding a coin in a cake offers a lucky slice and a tantalizing math problem.
- Math
Rankings, Tournaments, and Playoffs
All outcome-based sports ranking systems are fundamentally flawed.
