Fasters's definitions

Taiwan Math

Often mistaken as “China Math.” Little-known methodologies using 3D abacus and problem-solving strategies or heuristics, and non-Marxist or non-Maoist pedagogies, practiced by local non-drill-and-kill math educators in Taiwan, which are waiting to break free to enlighten the global mathematical community.

The global success of Singapore math has spurred cottage industries in math education like Shanghai Math and Korea Math, which have come and gone quietly. What about Taiwan Math considering that Taiwan is one of the four little dragons besides Hong Kong, South Korea, and Singapore?

by Fasters August 3, 2022

Pitradamus

Short for “Pi Nostradamus.” Someone who not only coins π-related terms and popularizes oft-preposterous π concepts, but also predicts π breakthroughs—or makes bold claims on π hypotheses that could be proved or disproved in a-not-too-distant future.

It’s estimated that there are a dozen-odd pitradamuses or “pi futurists” who are unofficially affiliated with higher institutions of learning worldwide—they work as ghost researchers or ghostwriters for tenured math profs.

by Fasters June 14, 2022

Metamates

What Facebook employees are unofficially being called by fellow geeks, as “the Zuck” shift their attention to the Metaverse or to the world of virtual reality (VR).

Math geeks who are bewitched or mesmerized by what the Metaverse could offer the physical world in coming years or decades have a very high chance of being recruited as Metamates.

by Fasters June 14, 2022

TOL

Short for “Thinking Out Loud.” The mathematical equivalent of LOL, which is recommended for students to do, as they discuss with others how to solve a math problem, or articulate which step in a math proof has led to a faux solution or contradictory result.

Math teachers and tutors ought to encourage their students to TOL, because this under-utilized or overlooked habit would help them articulate their mental processes, while allowing others to expose their faux or flawed reasoning, if any.

by Fasters June 14, 2022

Twitter

The microblogging platform that could serve as ground zero to explore any potential extraterrestrial life, which would not only help advance both human and alien civilization and consciousness, but also prepare the planet from any future alien invasion, provided the world’s richest man succeeds in buying the money-losing company.

Mr. Musk, who desires to own Twitter, is being sued for $258bn by an investor in the Dogecoin cryptocurrency, who accused him of running a digital pyramid scheme to drive up its price.

by Fasters June 17, 2022

Algebra

The branch of mathematics that turns simple-minded students into symbol-minded graduates, who work out the values of unknowns x’s, y’s, z’s with the help of a’s, b’s, c’s.

Algebra helps students to move from the particular to the general, as they learn to speak the language of science.

by Fasters June 18, 2022

Golden Pi

When a picture frame that depicts the number π or pi-related items has its length to its width in the ratio (1 + √5)/2 : 1.

The postmodern artist of “Golden Pi” decided to affix a smaller painting underneath it as an explanatory note to the larger one.

by Fasters June 22, 2022