MathPlus's definitions

Drill-and-Kill Math

A teaching format that effectively prepares students to the test: worked examples followed by lots of practice on similar questions—algorithmic mastery over conceptual fluency.

Average teachers just love drill-and-kill math, because it gives oft-low self-esteem kids the illusion that they've mastered the concepts—teachers are happy, students gain self-confidence, and parents are pleased with the decent grades.

by MathPlus April 18, 2017

Mathematical Virgin

One who has never experienced the joy (or pain) of rigorous proofs in high-school Euclidean geometry or college calculus.

Angel couldn't understand why mathematicians make such a big fuss about rigorously proving mathematical results that are intuitively obvious to her—one should forgive her for her immaturity as she's still a mathematical virgin.

by MathPlus April 20, 2017

I Safe! You Safe! We Safe!

A half-broken English slogan used by construction companies in Singapore to remind their workers to be accident-conscious—zero success is the goal to preventing any casualties, accidents, or deaths.

If a grammatically incorrect slogan can get people to stop and comment, its impact in conveying the intended message is likely to be greater—I Safe! You Safe! We Safe! looks like a potential winner.

by MathPlus June 8, 2017

Trapped

The state when you are making the right or sensible decisions as anyone else—you need to make the "wrong decision," by doing the very opposite to stand out from the crowd.

If you don't want to be trapped, do the unreasonable thing, by taking the "bad decisions"—the safe decision often has boredom, danger, or poverty written all over it.

by MathPlus June 19, 2017

Red Kidnapping

When mainland Chinese security agents abduct those who publish or promote materials that depict China's communist leaders in a negative light, who are then detained without trial.

In the last two years, President Xi's agents had carried out a number of red kidnappings of booksellers in Hong Kong and Thailand, who didn't like the books they published about the Chinese government.

by MathPlus June 25, 2017

Insomgebra

Unable to sleep because of one’s fear of failing an upcoming algebra test, because of low confidence or poor self-esteem, or an irrational fear working with letters that represent numbers.

Jenny suffered from severe insomgebra and loss of appetite over the weekend before she sat for her math paper on Monday morning.

by MathPlus October 31, 2017

1

The devil’s number that makes you feel bad or look stupid if you are not ranked top in everything you plan to do in life—the lie that not being first is only reserved for the weaklings.

Singapore’s obsession in being No. 1 in business, education, and technology is taking its toll on its oft-underrated, but overpaid citizens, who are told that if they’re not the world’s most productive or smart workers, they’re no different from their counterparts in any developing country.

by MathPlus November 12, 2017