MathPlus's definitions

Exclamation Point

A question mark that has been straightened out by God, if you put your faith in Him for things you don’t understand—when you are in the valley where life seems unfair, yet you wait upon His grace and goodness to turn things around.

Whenever you find yourself in those dark places (breakup, betrayal, death, debt, divorce, hurt, job loss, sickness, …), know that God can turn your question marks into exclamation points.

by MathPlus December 30, 2018

Space

What you need if you want to represent nothing with nothing.

What’s the difference between nothing and zero? Is one the empty space and the other one a numeral?

by MathPlus December 31, 2018

Pythagorean Theorem

A little juicy formula that exposes the covert relationship between the sides in a right triangle—no other elementary mathematical result has excited so many people from all walks of life to try proving it from different angles.

Just as without Christ, there’s no Christianity, without the Pythagorean theorem, there’s no Trigonometry.

by MathPlus December 31, 2018

Durianian

Someone who just loves eating the durian in spite of its pungent smell, which tastes like heaven to them—the only tropical fruit that is banned on Singapore’s public transport system.

Singapore secretly wants more of its citizens to be durianians, so that in the event of any of its unfriendly neighbors trying to pollute its limited air space with the fruit’s pungent smell, it’d minimize any potential “death by durian.”

by MathPlus January 1, 2019

Stop Pursuing Things, Start Pursuing Him

When what you need is the presence of Jesus and His favor and blessing in your life to make you a success, and not the material things you have accumulated.

If you let your big job title, fat bank account, or connections with people of influence be your life success, you’ll feel like a failure when these are gone; however, when you’ve Jesus in your life, you needn’t try to be a success, because you’re a success—stop pursuing things, start pursuing Him.

by MathPlus January 2, 2019

Lie Tumor

When someone tries all deceitful ways to cover up any previous falsehoods, or to avoid looking incompetent, inefficient, or untrustworthy in the face of difficulties or new ethical challenges.

An unhealthy number of senior math and science editorial staff in Singapore, who are shortchanging dozens of authors and their publishers, have contracted the lie tumor, as they selfishly take up key positions that are beyond their abilities or capabilities.

by MathPlus January 3, 2019

Singapore Election

When ministers reluctantly have to kiss their voters’ asses or pretend to listen to them to get re-elected, while reminding them that if they tick the wrong party, their constituency or surrounding won’t get upgraded, or would be given the least priority.

Singapore election is generally a low-key affair, because most Opposition members of choice can’t run—they’re disqualified because of some fine, were previously jailed for illegal public gatherings, or are now bankrupt due to lawsuits filed by some ministers.

by MathPlus January 3, 2019