Tag Archives: Mathematics

The Political Necessity of Mathematical Education

Posted on September 23, 2013 by thevenerablecorvex

I touched upon this briefly in my previous post, but I’m going to expound upon it at greater length here: those who are knowledgeable in mathematics have an inherently privileged knowledge of the way that civilization works. Now, this is … Continue reading →

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Concerning Mathematical Illiteracy

Posted on September 23, 2013 by thevenerablecorvex

You will not be surprised to learn that in the course of my work as a tutor, I have encountered a great many people who are not particularly skilled in mathematics*. Most of them are blasé about this: they will … Continue reading →

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Digits of Pi

Posted on April 20, 2013 by thevenerablecorvex

I have an advanced degree in mathematical physics. How many digits of pi do you suppose that I know off of the top of my head? The answer may surprise you. The answer is six. I know 3.14159. That’s it; … Continue reading →

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Don’t Look Down.

Posted on February 16, 2013 by thevenerablecorvex

Calculus is a subject whose very name tends to strike terror into the hearts of anyone who hasn’t taken it. It is, for whatever reason, infamous throughout the popular culture for its difficulty. When I was teenager, I feared it. … Continue reading →

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My Short Long Weekend (The Didactic Express, Day 25)

Posted on October 7, 2012 by thevenerablecorvex

This Monday is Thanksgiving in Canada, so as a result I have a long weekend. Unfortunately, however, I also have a thesis due. So as a result I don’t have a long weekend because I needed to go to my … Continue reading →

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Work Before Pleasure Before Work Before Pleasure Before Work Before… (The Didactic Express: Day 8)

Posted on September 20, 2012 by thevenerablecorvex

I have managed to sleep for perhaps eight hours out of the last three days. It’s the anxiety which is keeping me up; mostly, I’m concerned about my thesis; I promised a draft to my supervisor for last Friday, but … Continue reading →

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Why Are There So Few Women In Physics?

Posted on May 13, 2012 by thevenerablecorvex

Last year, I taught two lab sections, both offered to undergraduate engineering students. There were only two women in each of these labs, out of  classes of twenty-five; consultation with the people TA’ing other sections led me to the conclusion … Continue reading →

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*Yoink!*

Posted on January 23, 2012 by thevenerablecorvex

Today is a good day, I think, for cribbing a meme from two of my fellow bloggers, Clarissa and n8chz. The gist of the meme is to list three things in the course of your lifelong learning that came as … Continue reading →

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Of Progress and Simplicity

Posted on January 10, 2012 by thevenerablecorvex

Maybe it’s just because my father used to teach a course about the History of Calculus, but I’m continually amazed by the mathematicians of the ancient world. Consider someone like Archimedes, for example; a brilliant geometer whose law of buoyancy … Continue reading →

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How Old Am I?

Posted on November 25, 2011 by thevenerablecorvex

If you are old enough to be reading this now, you have probably noticed that time seems to pass by much more quickly now than it did when you were a kid. Folk wisdom has it that this is because … Continue reading →

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