Ivars Peterson

All Stories by Ivars Peterson

  1. Math

    Does Defense Win Championships?

    In pro football, a good defense doesn't generally trump a good offense.

  2. Math

    Pancake Sorting

    Flipping pancakes to stack them according to size can be a tricky business.

  3. Math

    Making Sense of the Web’s Structure

    Pioneering studies of social networks and the Web's structure lead to a prestigious prize.

  4. Math

    Puzzling Names in Boxes

    An ingenious search strategy leads to a death-defying feat.

  5. Math

    Lake Wobegon Averages

    Computing average class size can give different answers that depend on your point of view.

  6. Math

    Math Lit

    Cryptography and other mathematical topics play key roles in several recent novels.

  7. Math

    Names for Numbers

    Named numbers, such as Smiths, have all sorts of intriguing properties.

  8. Math

    Aircraft Boarding by the Numbers

    Random airplane boarding isn't so bad.

  9. Math

    Chaotic Chomp

    A new, physics-based approach to analyzing simple games, such as Chomp and Nim, reveals changing geometric patterns reminiscent of crystal growth.

  10. Math

    Flirting with the Impossible

    A new book champions the importance of imagination and fantasy in mathematics.

  11. Math

    Bending a Soccer Ball

    Mathematics suggests a variety of alternative designs for soccer balls.

  12. Math

    Magic Square Physics

    Taking a magic square or cube for a spin reveals some interesting properties. For more math, visit the MathTrek blog.