Math Trek

  1. Math

    Pentomino Battleships

    Many of you are probably familiar with the two-player, pencil-and-paper (or electronic) game known as Battleships. There are 12 different pentominoes, each one consisting of five adjacent squares. Traditionally, each pentomino is identified by the letter of the alphabet that it roughly resembles. On separate 10-by-10 grids of squares, each player deploys a fleet consisting […]

    By Ivars Peterson
  2. Math

    Cool Rationals

    It’s curious how some classroom words, activities, or incidents can stick in your mind for years. I can still recall certain grammar rules from lessons long past, for example. When one of these rules comes into play as I write, I can remember not only the teacher’s words but also the tone and manner in […]

    By Ivars Peterson
  3. Math

    Geometreks

    Strolling down a city street or along a country road can provide a geometrical feast for the eye—when the viewing is done from a mathematical perspective.