Algebra Extra Credit Blog #3

^In dividing this cake, A marks the cut where
you think the two pieces have equal value.

B shows the division where your friend thinks

the two pieces are equal. By a new method, you'd
get the leftmost piece and your friend would get
the rightmost piece, and the two of you would
share the middle section.
-- E. Roell

Have you ever wondered what mathematicians really study? And where they develop theories? Well, you have probably never heard of this one......

An article states: "Sharing can be hard. Every kid knows that, and mathematicians do, too. So mathematicians have spent a lot of time thinking about how to make sharing easier." Now we know how they spend most of their time :) (Just kidding!) This particular article tells us how we should cut a cake in equal parts so that each one of us is happy with our piece. An old solution was known as "I cut, you choose", which implies that you decide on how to cut the cake, and the other person chooses which piece they prefer. Steven Brams of New York University does not agree with this theory and says, "...a division should be considered fair only if two people think they both got pieces of the same value." So Steven recommends that you and your friend ask someone else (an elder) to cut the cake where you want to, and then both of them would be happy!

SOURCE: http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20061220/Note3.asp (Article)

http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20061220/a1327_239.jpg (Image)

White Killer Whale Spotted

My blogs for the trimester are already done, but I felt like doing this one anyways...

A white killer whale has been spotted! It's true, after years of speculation and rumors about this "mythical" creature, it was finally seen last month on the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Holly Fearnbach, a research biologist with the National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle, captured the top part of the whale on camera, which is quite a rare sight. The whale appeared to be a male, in healthy condition, about 20-35 feet long and wighing more than 10,000 pounds.

SOURCE:
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/03/07/white-killer-whale.html (Article)

Algebra Extra Credit Blog #2

(This may not be considered as a current event)

The 49th International Mathematical Olympiad is taking place in Madrid, Spain from July 10th to 22nd, 2008. Students and mathematicians from around the world meet at a certain location every four years to share and exchange theories and ideas and to take part in the competition.

SOURCE:

http://www.imo-2008.es/

Algebra Extra Credit Blog #1

A 140 year old math problem has finally been solved! Professor Darren Crowdy at Imperial College, London discovered the solution to this tough problem. The problem dealt with conformal mapping, which is translating information from a complicated shape to a simpler circular shape so that it is easier to analyse. For these type of problems, the Schwarz-Christoffel formula was developed in the 19th century. Professor Crowdy, after solving this problem, found some flaws in the formula and added to it so that it is more helpful and efficient.


This article was was published on March 4, 2008.

SOURCES:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303110214.htm (Article)
http://www.sandomenico.org/uploaded/photos/Library/blackboard_math.gif (Image)