MathPlus's definitions

No Calculators Allowed

When students’ reliance on a scientific or graphing calculator prevents them from being fluent in performing certain basic operations, such as factorizing a function, finding the zeros of a cubic polynomial, and standardizing a normal distribution from the Statistical Tables—ritually pressing a set of keys often conceals their poor understanding or mastery of these routines.

If only math teachers and tutors would implement the “No Calculators Allowed” rule, students would be manually forced to learn the routine or tedious steps in getting the answer to some intermediate step of a problem.

by MathPlus October 31, 2021

Mathematical Typhoon

A cyclone or hurricane that is named after a famous mathematician—like math, its presence never fails to instill fear in the general population.

Pascal is expected to hit the Philippines by early Monday morning—which happens to be a public holiday—after the mathematical typhoon had caused havoc in southern China.

by MathPlus March 24, 2017

Death by Mask

The number of people worldwide who have died not of the coronavirus but accidentally or frighteningly because of the face mask, be it in the incorrect way they handle or wear the mask, which leads to breathing difficulty; or old or weak-hearted folks who were shocked by a masked family member, who wanted to pull a scary prank on them.

During this pandemic crisis, which is likely to be higher: death by math or death by mask?

by MathPlus July 4, 2021

Covid-👶

When some high-GDP countries whose low fertility rate is below their mortality rate are offering baby bonus cash gifts to their citizens who give birth during the coronavirus pandemic—the authorities don’t want the plague to prevent their nation from having “corona babies.”

Thanks to Covid-👶, Singaporean families could receive up to $35,000 as Baby Support Grant if they planned to add a new member to their family to help arrest the population decline.

by MathPlus October 11, 2020

Pinographic Memory

When an oft-autistic person can see the first few hundred or thousand digits of the number π in their mind’s eye.

Don has such a pinographic memory that he can effortlessly recite the first ten thousand digits instantly, as he sees them flowing down a mountain top.

by MathPlus January 20, 2021

Trumpificate

Also known as a “Trump certificate.” A fake Covid-19 vaccine passport that could be purchased on the black market or dark web, or sometimes even downloaded free of charge by clicking a link and filling in one’s personal details.

Guesstimate how many trumpificates are in circulation worldwide as anti-vaxxers play cat and mouse with the authorities, which don’t have the manpower nor the knowhow to expose those digitally savvy criminals.

by MathPlus November 15, 2021

Stand-back-stand-by Math

When President Trump repealed the “leftish” Common Core Math, approved by President Obama, with zero idea how to replace it with a better “rightish” math curriculum to help millions of US students compete internationally in math—he just wants to pacify opponents of the “left curriculum,” whose children can’t cope with it, in exchange for their votes.

Does the stand-back-stand-by math sound like some curricular or mathematical equivalent of the repeal-and-replace Obamacare? If politics over math could increase the odds of getting the president re-elected, the risks are worth taking.

by MathPlus October 1, 2020