Numerati's definitions

Squaring a Supermarket

When math geeks are lured to visiting a supermarket or supermart that sells most things that look like a square or a cube: cheese slices, origami paper, Rubik’s cube, cream crackers, CD-ROM covers, condoms, and the like.

What are the chances that the opening of more “Everything’s a Square” outlets statewide or nationwide would attract both regular and curious customers to squaring a supermarket as they look for new square novelties or collectibles?

by Numerati October 11, 2024

GPT Math

Any published or plagiarized content passing as new or novel that has been produced with the help of ChatGPT—a dark practice that is accelerating at an exponential rate among pirates in every corner of the globe, who are hoping to cash in before someone else beats them to the dirty game.

Are the days of Singapore math writers and publishers numbered with the advent of GPT math, as fake authors from India, Nigeria, and Pakistan capitalized on the wisdom of the virtual crowd to become GPTpreneurs?

by Numerati November 9, 2023

Wasan

The native Japanese mathematics that was developed independently during the Edo period (1603–1868)—when Japan was isolated from the rest of the world, and when math was enjoyed as a pastime by both adults and children, and by folks of all social classes.

Wasan was replaced by its Western counterpart after the start of the Meiji era (1868–1912)—when Japan opened up to the West, and local scholars started adopting Western mathematical techniques.

by Numerati September 12, 2023

Prime Mates

Prime numbers that produce another prime number when they intimately come together—for example, when primes 2 and 3 have fun together, they produce the prime 23.

Among the first 23 primes, guesstimate what percents of them are potential prime mates.

by Numerati August 12, 2024

Post Truth Math

Also known as “Fake Math,” “Trump Math,” “Bigly Math,” and “BS Math.” Half-lies and conspiracies about or on math and math education, which look superficially or uncritically fun, but they are conceptually dangerous to most semi-innumerates and non-symbol-minded folks.

Millions of MAGA patriots have been brainwashed or radicalized to believe post truth math without questions, which has indirectly led to the banning of some math titles or classics in some puritan circles.

by Numerati August 4, 2024

Piranoia

When the number π can’t forget or let go of all the things she sees, hears, and does—all the memories, good and bad, haven’t stopped haunting her to the point of affecting her mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.

Her piranoia had fellow mathematical constants e and φ worried that she might do something that could endanger her life.

by Numerati January 1, 2025

Singapore Math

A mélange or rojak of the best math methodologies and pedagogies from the East and the West, which has given local students in the “fine” city of Singapore an asymmetric or unfair advantage over their peers overseas—when even their weaker students fare better than the global average.

Singapore Math has sprung up a cottage industry in math education, as millions of homeschoolers worldwide realized that wallet-friendly, brain-unfriendly math titles have helped their children hone their problem-solving skills.

by Numerati December 15, 2024