The Math Factor Podcast http://mathfactor.uark.edu The Math Factor Podcast Site Tue, 13 May 2008 18:49:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 en © strauss@uark.edu () strauss@uark.edu 1440 A weekly math podcast! strauss@uark.edu No no http://mathfactor.uark.edu/mathfactor/podcastImage.jpg The Math Factor Podcast http://mathfactor.uark.edu 144 144 DX. Dumb Robots http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/05/13/dx-dumb-robots/ http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/05/13/dx-dumb-robots/#comments Tue, 13 May 2008 17:02:30 +0000 strauss http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/05/13/dx-dumb-robots/

The Collatz function on the counting numbers is really quite amazing: Divide by 2 if you can, otherwise multiply by 3 and add 1. Iterating this seems always to lead to the loop … 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 1

For example: 7 → 22 → 11 → 34 → 17 → 52 → 26 → 13 → 40 → 20 → 10 → 5 → 16 → 8 → 4 → 2 → 1 → 4 → 2 → etc.

Does this always happen??

Dunno. No one does. But it is known that you will eventually loop if you start with any number up to about 5 x 10^19

(we accidentally exaggerated this in the podcast).

Try it for 27 for a daunting peek at the difficulty of this problem!

And we have a quick puzzle from Jeff Yoak, on crashing dumb robots together!

 ]]> http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/05/13/dx-dumb-robots/feed/ 9:19 The Collatz function on the counting numbers is really quite amazing: Divide by 2 if you can, otherwise multiply by 3 and add 1. Iterating ... The Collatz function on the counting numbers is really quite amazing: Divide by 2 if you can, otherwise multiply by 3 and add 1. Iterating this seems always to lead to the loop ... 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 1 For example: 7 #8594; 22 #8594; 11 #8594; 34 #8594; 17 #8594; 52 #8594; 26 #8594; 13 #8594; 40 #8594; 20 #8594; 10 #8594; 5 #8594; 16 #8594; 8 #8594; 4 #8594; 2 #8594; 1 #8594; 4 #8594; 2 #8594; etc. Does this always happen?? Dunno. No one does. But it is known that you will eventually loop if you start with any number up to about 5 x 10^19 (we accidentally exaggerated this in the podcast). Try it for 27 for a daunting peek at the difficulty of this problem! And we have a quick puzzle from Jeff Yoak, on crashing dumb robots together! The,Mathcast,,math,puzzles,,numbers strauss@uark.edu no No DW. The Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences! http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/05/05/dw-the-online-encyclopedia-of-integer-sequences/ http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/05/05/dw-the-online-encyclopedia-of-integer-sequences/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 17:34:32 +0000 strauss http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/05/05/dw-the-online-encyclopedia-of-integer-sequences/ Neil Sloane of ATT Labs shares some his favorite integer sequences from his online encyclopedia!

Recaman’s Sequence is especially perplexing! Sloane asks: does every number eventually appear?

(No one yet knows the answer!)

]]> http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/05/05/dw-the-online-encyclopedia-of-integer-sequences/feed/ 14:16 Neil Sloane of ATT Labs shares some his favorite integer sequences from his online encyclopedia! Recaman's Sequence is especially perplexing! Sloane asks: does every ... Neil Sloane of ATT Labs shares some his favorite integer sequences from his online encyclopedia! Recaman's Sequence is especially perplexing! Sloane asks: does every number eventually appear? (No one yet knows the answer!) Favorites,,The,Mathcast,,guests,,numbers strauss@uark.edu no No DV. Dealing with Chaos http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/05/05/dw-dealing-with-chaos/ http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/05/05/dw-dealing-with-chaos/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 14:13:56 +0000 strauss http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/05/05/dw-dealing-with-chaos/ We explore Barry Cipra’s Tag Deal a bit more…

]]> http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/05/05/dw-dealing-with-chaos/feed/ 00:01:01 We explore Barry Cipra's Tag Deal a bit more... We explore Barry Cipra's Tag Deal a bit more... The,Mathcast,,answers,,logic strauss@uark.edu no No DU. Chaos at the Card Table http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/18/du-chaos-at-the-card-table/ http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/18/du-chaos-at-the-card-table/#comments Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:58:52 +0000 strauss http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/18/du-chaos-at-the-card-table/ Mathematics writer Barry Cipra shows us Tag Deal, a simple but perplexing puzzle with cards.

]]> http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/18/du-chaos-at-the-card-table/feed/ 8:55 Mathematics writer Barry Cipra shows us Tag Deal, a simple but perplexing puzzle with cards. Mathematics writer Barry Cipra shows us Tag Deal, a simple but perplexing puzzle with cards. Favorites,,The,Mathcast,,guests,,math,puzzles strauss@uark.edu no No Follow Up: Smullyan’s Paradoxes! http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/17/follow-up-smullyans-paradoxes/ http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/17/follow-up-smullyans-paradoxes/#comments Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:20:32 +0000 strauss http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/17/follow-up-smullyans-paradoxes/ We present a recording of Raymond Smullyan’s lecture at the Gathering for Gardner, March 30, 2008; Newcomb’s paradox really is a stumper.

]]> http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/17/follow-up-smullyans-paradoxes/feed/ 13:50 We present a recording of Raymond Smullyan's lecture at the Gathering for Gardner, March 30, 2008; Newcomb's paradox really is a stumper. We present a recording of Raymond Smullyan's lecture at the Gathering for Gardner, March 30, 2008; Newcomb's paradox really is a stumper. Follow,Up,,guests,,paradoxes strauss@uark.edu no No DT. Speaking of Self-reference http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/14/dt-speaking-of-self-reference/ http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/14/dt-speaking-of-self-reference/#comments Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:12:09 +0000 strauss http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/14/dt-speaking-of-self-reference/ We catch up with Raymond Smullyan, author of many fantastic books on logic, puzzles and paradoxes at this year’s Gathering for Gardner!

]]> http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/14/dt-speaking-of-self-reference/feed/ 6:12 We catch up with Raymond Smullyan, author of many fantastic books on logic, puzzles and paradoxes at this year's Gathering for Gardner! We catch up with Raymond Smullyan, author of many fantastic books on logic, puzzles and paradoxes at this year's Gathering for Gardner! The,Mathcast,,guests,,logic,,math,puzzles,,paradoxes strauss@uark.edu no No DS. Math Chat With Frank Morgan http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/09/ds-math-chat-with-frank-morgan/ http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/09/ds-math-chat-with-frank-morgan/#comments Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:22:23 +0000 strauss http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/09/ds-math-chat-with-frank-morgan/ Frank Morgan chats about math and gives us the solution to his bubble puzzle. If you’re in the area, don’t miss his lecture, Thursday April 10, at 7:30 pm in POSC 211!

]]> http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/09/ds-math-chat-with-frank-morgan/feed/ 5:33 Frank Morgan chats about math and gives us the solution to his bubble puzzle. If you're in the area, don't miss his lecture, Thursday ... Frank Morgan chats about math and gives us the solution to his bubble puzzle. If you're in the area, don't miss his lecture, Thursday April 10, at 7:30 pm in POSC 211! Mathfactor,Events,,The,Mathcast,,Topology,and,geometry,,answers,,guests strauss@uark.edu no No DR. Double Bubble http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/01/dr-double-bubble/ http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/01/dr-double-bubble/#comments Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:59:40 +0000 strauss http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/01/dr-double-bubble/ Frank Morgan of Williams College asks “What is the shape of a double bubble?”

photo: Jeff Bauer

]]> http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/04/01/dr-double-bubble/feed/ 6:09 Frank Morgan of Williams College asks "What is the shape of a double bubble?" photo: Jeff Bauer Frank Morgan of Williams College asks "What is the shape of a double bubble?" photo: Jeff Bauer Favorites,,The,Mathcast,,Topology,and,geometry,,guests strauss@uark.edu no No DQ. We Are Not Liars http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/03/26/dq-we-are-not-liars/ http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/03/26/dq-we-are-not-liars/#comments Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:37:20 +0000 strauss http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/03/26/dq-we-are-not-liars/ We discuss, among other things, whether all mathematicians are liars.

Send us your favorite paradoxes of this kind and we’ll report back on April 15.

]]> http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/03/26/dq-we-are-not-liars/feed/ 5:38 We discuss, among other things, whether all mathematicians are liars. Send us your favorite paradoxes of this kind and we'll report back on April 15. We discuss, among other things, whether all mathematicians are liars. Send us your favorite paradoxes of this kind and we'll report back on April 15. Mathfactor,Events,,The,Mathcast,,answers,,guests,,logic,,math,puzzles,,paradoxes strauss@uark.edu no No DP. Would Chuck Wood http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/03/19/dp-would-chuck-wood/ http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/03/19/dp-would-chuck-wood/#comments Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:32:13 +0000 strauss http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/03/19/dp-would-chuck-wood/ We consider that perennial spring conundrum: Would a woodchuck chuck her own wood if she would chuck wood for exactly those woodchucks who would not chuck their own wood?

]]> http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2008/03/19/dp-would-chuck-wood/feed/ 1:21 We consider that perennial spring conundrum: Would a woodchuck chuck her own wood if she would chuck wood for exactly those woodchucks who would not ... We consider that perennial spring conundrum: Would a woodchuck chuck her own wood if she would chuck wood for exactly those woodchucks who would not chuck their own wood? The,Mathcast,,logic,,math,puzzles strauss@uark.edu no No