November 19, 2009
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Mathfactor Events, The Mathcast, Topology and geometry, math puzzles, toys and math products
So, I’m teaching a new course, Math 2033, Mathematical Thought, and it’s going great! I’d like to take a moment to write about it!
(This is one reason the MF has been kinda slow lately; another is that I’m chair) When it’s fully up and running, we’ll have about 150 students in one large section each semester (we’re starting with about 100). In a nutshell, it’s the Math Factor, as a course.
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November 12, 2009
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The Mathcast, guests, toys and math products
Michael Huber discusses the mathematics of the Twelve Labors of Hercules!


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May 22, 2009
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The Mathcast, guests, math puzzles, numbers, toys and math products
Rob Fathauer discusses the ins and outs of the mathematical toy business, and we ask: For which numbers is the sum of digits the same as the sum of digits of twice the number. For example:
The sum of the digits of 351 is 9 and the sum of the digits of 2 x 351 = 702 is also 9.
1) If a number has this property, can we always rearrange its digits and obtain another number with this property (513, 135, etc all have it)
2) Which powers of 2 have this property?
3) And most of all, can you give a simple characterization of the numbers with this property, in terms of just the digits themselves?

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December 1, 2008
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Favorites, The Mathcast, logic, math puzzles, toys and math products
Our favorite new and not-so-new products of 2008!

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Check out these great gifts!
- Zome is an incredibly powerful construction system!
- the great puzzles of Puzzellation (available at Barnes and Nobles)
- The terrific puzzle computer game DROD
- The Magic Mirror Image Coloring Book
- The Riddles of the Sphinx by David J Bodycombe, an amazing compendium of puzzles, of hundreds of kinds, at all levels of difficulty, with historical essays to boot!
- Which leads us to Nikoli, the great Japanese puzzle co! (Rules can be found here)
- The Princeton Companion to Mathematics is a landmark classic. A must-have for every serious student, researcher or amateur.
- How Round is Your Circle just one of the many fantastic titles out on Princeton University Press
- AK Peters is another fantastic press, with a wide range of interesting math and CS titles, including, ahem, the Symmetries of Things.
- Binary Arts/ThinkFun is another source of great puzzles!
- And the authors Martin Gardner and Ivan Moscovitch are always fantastic!
Hope this helps and have fun!! Let us know how it works out!
Happy Holidays from the Math Factor!
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May 21, 2008
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Favorites, Mathfactor Events, The Mathcast, Topology and geometry, guests, toys and math products

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Now, really, tell me, what good is a podcast if you can’t promote your beautiful new book?
We are very very pleased to announce the publication of The Symmetries of Things, a comprehensive, modern account of the mathematics of symmetry, complete with over 1000 illustrations!

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January 15, 2007
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Mathfactor Events, The Mathcast, Topology and geometry, guests, toys and math products
We visit a giant model of a four-dimensional polyhedron, made of the fabulous Zome math construction toy. Paul Hildebrandt, president of Zome, weighs in!
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