Numerati's definitions

xtremist

A symbol-minded person who spends most of his waking hours thinking how to solve the value(s) of x in all kinds of equations, or the range of the values of x in inequalities (or inequations).

Last Christmas, Pastor Jonah mistook an xtremist for the world’s most dangerous fellow on social media, who also happens to be the world’s richest man.

by Numerati October 8, 2024

First-World Christianity

When the majority of even lower-middle class believers in developed countries selfishly focus on their perceived lack and discontent, who already live in abundance and comfort, compared to their brothers and sisters who are struggling to put food on the table or feed their families.

Be it on rising costs of living, influx of immigrants, or access to abortion and fertility clinics, what percentage of the faithful in America are often guilty of practicing a form of faux or first-world Christianity?

by Numerati July 30, 2024

AI-gebra

The use or misuse of AI to generate free algebra questions, most of which are quasi-plagiarized from social media platforms, where unknowns, variables, or parameters are represented by look-alike logos or trademarked symbols.

On querying ChatGPT to produce a sample of middle-school AI-gebra questions, Mr. Pinocchio was greeted with the following:

1. Solve these equations.
a) 𝕏 = 𝕏 + 1
b) 5 + 4x = 4(x – 2)

2. Find 𝕏 for which (𝕏 + 3)² = 𝕏² + 9.

3. Solve the following:
(i) 𝕏(2𝕏 + 3) = 2𝕏(𝕏 + 3)
(ii) (x + 2)² = x² + 4x + 3

by Numerati August 4, 2023

Bar-Modeling Orthogonality

When incorporating Singapore’s bar model method—the problem-solving visualization strategy to tackle word problems—at the elementary school level and its aim to develop students’ pre-algebraic thinking skills (before they are introduced to formal algebra) are not often partially achievable or necessarily correlated in practice.

Wallet-friendly Singapore math textbooks, workbooks, and teachers’ resources on their own doesn’t guarantee problem-solving mastery—bar-modeling orthogonality seems to be a constant in many traditional American classrooms, often because of teachers’ or parents’ faux perception that a foreign math curriculum or publication is harder (or even inferior) than their local inch-deep-mile-wide one.

by Numerati December 5, 2024

Alien Pi

When a mean neighbor had come in the middle of the night, while you were away, to mow your lawn flattened in the shape of the number π, which your consoling community claimed to be a “crop circle” signifying an advanced civilization, most likely caused by some extraterrestrial visitors.

Mr. Paulos made a police report about his lawn probably being vandalized by some inconsiderate alien pi forces.

by Numerati November 12, 2023

Matherapy

When indulging in some math-related activity or project could serve as a powerful wellness practice, be it reading a pop or recreational math book, or solving some math puzzles or trickies, or philosophizing about simple or abstract math concepts or proofs.

Prescribing matherapy to her patients—even to those who’d had a negative experience of school math, or who’d called themselves a “nonmath person”—Dr. Janice is encouraged by their high healing success rate—no side effects as a result of zero prescription of medication and pseudoscientific therapies.

by Numerati March 30, 2025

Pi as Propaganda

When the number π is used to draw attention to herself through posters, banners, and graffiti in public places, because these oft-powerful images can influence or change people’s minds about the mathematical constant.

Unlike other noteworthy but struggling constants like e and 𝜙, π has continually succeeded to be part of popular culture, because she believes that “pi as propaganda” is an effective marketing tool to remain relevant in the minds of both math and nonmath people.

by Numerati November 23, 2024