Column

Math

Winning at Tennis

The probability of winning a tennis set or match doesn't depend, in theory, on which player serves first.

Math

Knot an Interchange

Highway interchanges can get you into knotty situations.

Math

Mean Median Surprise

Calculations of means and medians lead to surprising sequences of numbers.

Math

Divisibility by Seven

An ingenious, recently developed method tests if a number is divisible by 7.

Math

Coins in a Row

A simple game involving coins in a row has unexpected complexities.

Math

Coins in a Row

A simple game involving coins in a row has unexpected complexities.

Math

Works in Progress

Studying math in school doesn't often give you a sense of what mathematical research is about.

Math

Classroom Birthdays

What's the probability of finding matching birthdays in a small group?

Math

Captcha the Puzzle

A computer creates a test that it can't pass but most people can.

Math

Sosa’s Corked Bat

Does Sammy Sosa's hitting reveal a corked-bat effect?

Math

Sea Shell Spirals

The golden ratio doesn't figure into the spiral structure of the chambered nautilus shell.

Math

Fibonacci’s Other Numbers

Arrays of whole numbers can give intriguing sums.