Column

  1. Math

    Defending the Roman Empire

    Years ago, when I was in high school and college, the board games Risk and Diplomacy served as wonderful playing fields where I could develop and exercise my tactical and negotiating skills. One issue that often came up in my forays into international intrigue was how to deploy my limited forces to defend far-flung territories […]

    By
  2. Math

    Möbius at Fermilab

    Fermilab’s Wilson Hall. Courtesy of Fermilab. Soaring into the sky like a medieval cathedral, the twin towers of the structure known as Wilson Hall dominate the flat countryside surrounding the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) in Batavia, Ill. Named for physicist and accelerator builder Robert Rathbun Wilson (1914-2000), the building celebrates Wilson’s vision and skill, […]

    By
  3. Math

    Solving Yahtzee

    Sometimes described as poker with dice, Yahtzee is an immensely popular game.