Mathematical feature in all Sudoku puzzles

For Numberphile, Simon Anthony explains the Phistomephel Ring. The shape always contains the same numbers as the corners do. Math magic!

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Infinity abstractions

Infinity is an abstraction of endlessness, which seems to suggest that it cannot be measured with finite units or occur in the real world. With a fun visual project, Dea Bankova wonders otherwise.

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Explorable explanation for matrix transformations

Instead of using a bunch of equations to memorize, Yi Zhe Ang visually explains matrix transformations to provide some intuition behind the math. Make it to the end so that you can transform a 3-D image of a cat.

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Visual explanation of exponential growth and epidemics

3Blue1Brown explains exponential growth and epidemics and answers the question of when the curve levels off:

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Map of mathematics

The Map of Mathematics from Quanta Magazine explains key concepts with animated visualizations:

From simple starting points — Numbers, Shapes, Change — the map branches out into interwoven tendrils of thought. Follow it, and you’ll understand how prime numbers connect to geometry, how symmetries give a handle on questions of infinity.

And although the map is necessarily incomplete — mathematics is too grand to fit into any single map — we hope to give you a flavor for the major questions and controversies that animate the field, as well as the conceptual tools needed to dive in.

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Math gender gap bigger in richer school districts

This is quite the scatterplot from Claire Cain Miller and Kevin Quealy for The Upshot. The vertical axis represents by how much girls or boys are better in standardized tests; the horizontal axis represents wealth; each bubble represents a school district; and yellow represents English test scores, and blue represents math test scores.

The result: a non-trend up top and a widening gap at the bottom.

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Mathematical gift wrapping

Mathematician Katie Steckles shows logical solutions to wrapping variously shaped presents.

I could've used this a few days ago. At some point in the wrapping process I wondered if it'd be better if I just haphazardly threw a bunch of paper scraps onto the gift and covered it in tape.

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Pascal’s triangle, not just a stack of numbers

You know the thing. It's the triangle of numbers that you learned about in high school. Each number in a row is the sum of the two numbers above it in the previous row. Of course, as explained in the video below, there's more to it than that. SECRETS REVEALED.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMriWTvPXHI

[via kottke]

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Teaching math through percussive dance

Malke Rosenfeld uses percussive dance to teach math to her elementary students. The program is called Math in Your Feet. Through learning dance patterns, students also pick up on math concepts such as "congruence, symmetry, transformation, angles and degrees, attributes, pattern recognition, symbols, and mapping on a coordinate grid." Rosenfeld explains in the video below.

Too bad it's not learning dance through math. I could've used some carefully drawn diagrams to get through the awkward dance portion of physical education.

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