MathPlus's definitions

Queer Pi

The common value of π covertly used by the LGBT+ mathematical community, which appears to change based on geography for nonobvious reasons.

Statistician Jerry is seeking a “rainbow grant” from some tech companies to determine why queer pi differs in different counties or countries.

by MathPlus October 15, 2021

Pi Brexit

When math teachers in a school or state can’t see eye to eye on the degree of accuracy the number π should be given in a math question—for example, should the students be asked to take π to be 22/7 or 3.14?

In the aftermath of the “Pi Brexit” war, a red state in the US has recorded at least a dozen resignations from hardcore evangelical math teachers, who refuse to bulge unless the schools agree to use the biblical value of three for π.

by MathPlus October 16, 2021

What’s the pH of Pi?

An unsolved pseudo-pi problem that has plagued autistic geeks or idiot savants, whose oft-contradictory answers or half-baked explanations have separated rather than brought them together—is the number π acidic, alkaline, or neutral?

Unlike synesthesia questions like “What’s the shape of pi?” and “What’s the color of zero?,” whose answers exhibit some common denominator among geeky dyslexics, the answer to “What’s the pH of pi?” remains so far elusive.

by MathPlus October 16, 2021

Pink Pi

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

Pi in the Sky

When an airplane fleet leave a vapor trail that looks like the symbol π.

Teachers and students in the Greek city couldn’t wait for Pi Day, as they look forward to see the “pi in the sky” display.

by MathPlus October 17, 2021

Pirrot

Short for “Pi Parrot.” Someone who takes part in a memory competition that requires them to recite as many digits of the decimal number π as possible, when the local winner stands a chance of getting their name into their country’s Book of Records, or the global winner into the Guinness Book of Records.

Guesstimate the total number of amateur and professional pirrots worldwide, who spend thousands of hours every year training for the pithon or pi competition.

by MathPlus October 17, 2021

Coronadoku

Short for “Coronavirus Sudoku.” A sudoku that uses nine corona variants represented by the Greek characters (⍺, β, 𝛾, 𝛿, …) rather than numbers 1–9 to make it look devilishly harder to solve.

MathPlus Publishing is releasing “Coronadoku for Gifted Kids” before the Lunar New Year as a reminder of the initial number of people who died of the coronavirus in Wuhan, before the epidemic became a pandemic.

by MathPlus October 18, 2021