MathPlus's definitions
An equivalent of asking “Could Donald J. Trump be nearing the last stage of his decade-long corrupt and criminal lifestyle after devilishly and successfully avoiding fines and jail sentences time and time again?”
How long could Trump’s “political persecution” be used as a legal excuse to exonerate him from being locked up? Did Trump have nine lives? Have bribes, crimes, and lies finally lost patience with him and his cronies? Has Heaven’s impatience taken hold of them?
by MathPlus July 2, 2021
Get the Did Trump Have Nine Lives?mug. A counterintuitive, underused strategy that is seldom emphasized in generating creative solutions, compared to the oft-canned strategy of “think outside the box”—better still, if there is no box.
Unlike novices who religiously think out of the box, professionals know that breakthroughs often take place when they reluctantly think inside the box—constraints are the catalyst to creativity.
by MathPlus December 17, 2018
Get the Think Inside the Boxmug. Mathematicians’ hypotheses or theorems on the number π that grace the pages of gay math journals, which are clandestinely or covertly circulated to protect the authors from getting fired, especially if they work for a conservative college or faculty that doesn’t condone unnatural relationships.
Due to recurring prejudices against them, a number of first-rate minds decide not to submit their pink pi results to oft-anti-LGBT+ reputable math journals, thus reducing their chances of securing tenure—they think that the criteria for career promotion shouldn’t be influenced by sexual orientation.
by MathPlus October 16, 2021
Get the Pink Pimug. When both developed and developing nations are receptive to adopting a foreign or an alien math curriculum, or part of it, because of its rich or creative content—when they recognize that there is much to gain and no political agenda in embracing it.
Singapore, an island-state that has punched above its academic or economic weight, is using math as propaganda to endear itself to both rich and poor nations—its top ranking in international comparative studies like PISA and TIMSS adds weight to its mathematical credential.
by MathPlus July 16, 2018
Get the Math as Propagandamug. Colleagues, friends, or relatives who overshare on your WhatsApp group, whom you want to kick out, because their selfish or inconsiderate behaviors pose a high risk for other members to wanting to exit the chat group.
Digital pests are spammers whose posts often compound the exponential chat in a group—if only their messages were as controversial or disruptive as Donald Trump’s tweets, they might be excused for promoting heated debates among the members.
by MathPlus December 8, 2018
Get the Digital Pestsmug. When the public announcement of the proof of a famous unsolved problem on π turned out to be short-lived, because the result was later found to contain grave errors.
Mathematicians worldwide were excited to hear that the number (π + e) has been proved to be transcendental (i.e., its value can’t be the root of an algebraic equation with rational coefficients), but the news was nothing but a pi moment.
by MathPlus March 22, 2021
Get the Pi Momentmug. What most incompetent, ineffective, or unethical workers do every day to remain on the payroll, or to avoid being fired.
Gullible bosses mistake busyness and long hours for productivity or good work ethics, because their staff are always looking busy, feeling productive all the time.
by MathPlus January 13, 2019
Get the Looking Busy, Feeling Productivemug.