MathPlus's definitions

Trump Algebra

Equations that are derived from Donald J. Trump’s irrational or unethical logic, which generally defy conventional algebra rules. For example, based on the twice-impeached president’s collusion and insurrection, we could formulate the following counterintuitive relationships:
Republicans: “Two impeachment wrongs don’t make a right”—when (–) × (–) = (–).
Democrats: “Two impeachment rights do make a wrong”—when (+) × (+) = (–).

Trump algebra falls under what we call “negative math,” when it’s not axiomatically incorrect for the product of two positives to be a negative, or for the product of two negatives to be still a negative.

by MathPlus January 13, 2021

π-Shaped Person

Someone with skills in “left brain” (math, data, analytics) and “right brain” (creative, intuitive, subconscious) disciplines—the horizontal line on the top stands for breadth of knowledge across domains, while the vertical lines represent two areas of depth knowledge.

Most math teachers are I-shaped; some are T-shaped (a generalist to a shallow level with a depth of skill in one field), and very few are π-shaped persons.

by MathPlus August 20, 2021

Bolsonaro Virus

The Brazilian strand of Trumpvirus, which is deadlier than the coronavirus itself—named after President Jair Bolsonaro, whose fake leadership and ineptitude had failed to contain the pandemic crisis, which he continues to downplay in spite of the rising death toll.

With more than a quarter million corona deaths, which is the second-highest number of fatalities in the world after the US, Brazil is fighting two viruses: the coronavirus and Bolsonaro virus.

by MathPlus March 5, 2021

Who wants a Covaxin jab?

The dreaded vaccination question everyone in Africa and Asia is avoiding to answer even as India continues to donate millions of its home-grown, half-baked vaccine, which has received zero approval from WHO, to the developing world as part of its vaccine diplomacy—when the locals themselves have near-zero faith in their own vaccine.

In and outside India, the question to ask shouldn’t be “Who wants a Covaxin jab?” but rather “Who doesn’t want a Covaxin jab?”

by MathPlus March 21, 2021

Xi Thought

The capitalist-communist ideology Emperor Xi desires to indoctrinate on a billion-odd mainland Chinese citizens to “make China great again.”

Increasingly, more and more educated and middle-class citizens in China are reluctant to embrace “Xi Thought” in dictating their lives.

by MathPlus November 28, 2018

V Math

Short for “Vegan Math.” Math titles that indirectly promote a vegan lifestyle, by having zero questions on diary products like meat and milk, and excluding any brain-unfriendly chickens-and-rabbits and eggs word problems.

Math publishers are pressuring their meat-eating textbook authors for a V Math edition, by replacing questions on eggs, chocolate bars, and the like with non-diary products to target the millions of students and teachers with a vegan or vegetarian diet worldwide.

by MathPlus February 16, 2021

Math Con-sultant

A symbol-minded person who knows all 64 main intimate positions, including their 200+ variations, but struggles to get a date except with bots or digital dolls.

Guesstimate how many folks in academia, who consult or moonlight for publishing houses worldwide, are in fact math con-sultants, whose names on textbook covers could potentially yield a higher adoption rate among local or regional schools, especially among titles-minded teachers and parents.

by MathPlus May 1, 2023