We Use Math Blog

What makes humans human?  "Homo sapiens" literally means "knowing man" because human intelligence, or sapience, is the main factor that sets us apart from other creatures.  For thousands of years, we’ve assumed that we are the only species capable of abstract reasoning, language, and problem solving. 

Now, a highly specialized branch of math and computer science is challenging this age-old assumption, comparing humans not to other creatures but to computers.  Artificial-intelligence researchers face formidable challenges, but they’ve also made remarkable progress in recent years, including speech recognition, face recognition, and natural language processing.  Even in this recent explosion of ideas, one sector of artificial intelligence has remained seemingly off-limits:  simulating human creativity.  Enter:  Explicit-Implicit Interaction theory, the scientific dissection of the human creative process.  Read more about the new psychology theory that’s turning heads in artifical intelligence.

Anemia is the most common disorder of the blood. People with anemia often don’t realize they have the disease until the symptoms are serious and dangerous, but a collaboration between a physician-researcher and a mathematician may disrupt this pattern.

Read more about the mathematical analysis that can predict who will become anemic almost 3 months before anyone usually starts noticing symptoms.

Hi,

TenMarks has launched a math practice and learning program for grades 3 – High School and as of today, it’s FREE for teachers to use in class or for their students to use at home.

The TenMarks approach gives students a variety of problems on each topic, and ability to use hints if they need a little nudge, and immediate video lessons for them to refresh and learn the topic – on the spot. The end result – students refresh what they know and learn what they don’t.

Teachers choose their own curriculum (mapped to state standards), assign work to students, have it automatically graded immediately, review individual and class performance, and most importantly, take immediate action. TenMarks is super effective and real easy to use – it was designed with the help of math teachers across the country. What’s more – it’s FREE for the entire class!

Check it out at http://www.tenmarks.com/teachers

A ride built on Coney Island in 1895 took roller coasters to a whole new level; its twists and turns were so extreme that they knocked riders out.  Literally.

The Flip-Flap Railway, as it was called, reached 12 times the force of gravity at the bottom of its loops, enough to make most people pass out. Engineers ripped apart the roller-coaster design and found the root of the problem: a neglected math principle.  Read more about the equation roller-coaster designers now use to make sure amusement park goers remain conscious.

Detective Jill must determine the murderer, crime scene, and weapon. There are six possible murderers, 10 locations, and six weapons. Detective Jill tries to guess the correct combination then asks her assistant, Jack, to confirm or refute each theory.  

"Detective Jill" is each of 315 teen computer prodigies, "Jack" is a computer program that each competitor must write on the spot, and this word problem was the first challenge at the International Olympiad in Informatics. 

At IOI, high-school-age students solve problems that baffle graduate students, sometimes inventing algorithms in a matter of minutes.  Dozens of countries from Kazakhstan to Venezuela are represented, and each team member has beaten thousands of countrymen to make their country’s team.  At the "Math Olympics, " even the losers are brilliant.  What teen genius will come out on top this year?  Follow the competition here.