Japheth Wood

Month: September 2010

  • The Grasshopper Problem

    This is my newest problem, to appear in the October 2010 issue of La Voz.

    What is this picture asking? Ben suggested that instead of bold black squares, I should have indicated the squares with something especially significant to grasshoppers. Something tasty or something dangerous?

    Where did this come from? This problem is related to a derivation of the formula for Primitive Pythagorean Triples: Find all relatively prime natural number triples (a,b,c) that satisfy the equation

    The first step in my favorite elementary number theory proof is to show that not both a and b are odd. This would imply that c is one of the shaded squares above: 2, 6, 10, 14, …

    Does the grasshopper land on a (boxed) square?

  • SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ORDER ALGEBRA AND LOGICS

    =========================
    FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT
    =========================

    (Honoring Ralph McKenzie, Hiroakira Ono and Andrzej Wronski on the occasion of their 70th Birthdays)

    June 6-10, 2011

    Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
    =========================

    This meeting shares the goals of the conference with the same title, held Nashville in June 2007, and continues the tradition of related conferences in Prague, Novi Sad and Szeged.

    Recent years have witnessed increased research activity on the interface between logic and universal algebra. In particular, the use of algebraic methods has proved to be fruitful in the study of non-classical logics as well as in investigations related to the constraint satisfaction problem. The purpose of the conference is to bring together researchers from these fields to foster collaboration and further research.

    FEATURED AREAS
    The featured areas include, but are not limited to, the following (in alphabetical order):

    • Algebraic logic
    • Algorithmic problems in algebra
    • Applications of universal algebra to logics
    • Applications of universal algebra to the constraint satisfaction problem
    • Complexity and other algorithmic problems
    • Duality theory for algebraic structures
    • Lattice theory
    • Modal logics
    • Non-classical logics
    • Ordered algebraic structures
    • Ordered sets
    • Proof theory
    • Residuated structures and substructural logics
    • Tame congruence theory and applications
    • Topological methods in algebra and logic

    The scientific program consists of 50-minute plenary lectures, and 20-minute contributed talks.

    INVITED SPEAKERS

    • Libor Barto (Prague)
    • Nikolaos Galatos (Denver)
    • Mai Gehrke (Nijmegen)
    • Keith Kearnes (Boulder)
    • Tomasz Kowalski (Lisbon)
    • Tadeusz Litak (Leicester)
    • Petar Markovic (Novi Sad)
    • Miklos Maroti (Szeged)
    • Vicenzo Marra (Milan)
    • George McNulty (South Carolina)
    • George Metcalfe (Bern)
    • Daniele Mundici (Florence)
    • Kazushige Terui (Kyoto)
    • Matthew Valeriote (Ontario)
    • Ross Willard (Waterloo)

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
    Details regarding conference registration, submission of abstracts of contributing talks, and local accommodations will be included in the forthcoming second announcement.

    ORGANIZERS

    • Wieslaw Dziobiak, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
    • Pawel Idziak, Jagiellonian University
    • Marcin Kozik, Jagiellonian University
    • Constantine Tsinakis, Vanderbilt University

  • Bard Math Circle in Kingston

    View of the Kingston Library
    Kingston Library at 55 Franklin Street, Kingston, NY 12401

    Bard Math Circle meets in the Kingston Library

    The Bard Math Circle will host math activities in Kingston every second Saturday this fall, 1pm to 3pm.
    Each session will include time for puzzles and games, creative mathematical problem solving, and a hands-on math activity with a take-away.
    Meetings this fall: 1pm to 3pm on each second Saturday (September 11, October 9, November 13 and December 11) at the Kingston Library (55 Franklin Street, Kingston NY, 12401).
    First meeting: 1pm to 3pm on Saturday, September 11, 2010.
    Here is the library press release and posters:
    What is a Math Circle?

    According to the National Association of Math Circles,

    Mathematical Circles are a form of education enrichment and outreach that bring mathematicians and mathematical scientists into direct contact with pre-college students. These students, and sometimes their teachers, meet with mathematical professionals in an informal setting, after school or on weekends, to work on interesting problems or topics in mathematics. The goal is to get the students excited about the mathematics, giving them a setting that encourages them to become passionate about mathematics.

    This is certainly the case! The Bard Math Circle is hosted by Bard College mathematicians and math majors, and seeks to work directly with middle school students (although everyone is welcome) who already enjoy mathematics. Bring a friend along, and they may fall in love with math too.

  • Bard Math Circle meets in the Kingston Library

    I’m helping the Bard Math Circle start up math circle activities in the Kingston Library.

    Each session will include time for puzzles and games, creative mathematical problem solving, and a hands-on math activity with a take-away.
    Meetings this fall: 1pm to 3pm on each second Saturday (September 11, October 9, November 13 and December 11) at the Kingston Library (55 Franklin Street, Kingston NY, 12401).

    First meeting: 1pm to 3pm on Saturday, September 11, 2010.
    Please forward these posters (or download and print).

    Poster (Español) Circulo de Matemáticas en Kingston

    This math circle activity is also mentioned in the August 30, 2010 Kingston Community Builder.
    I’m grateful to Margie Menard, director of the Kingston Library, for sending out this press release.
    Thanks for helping me get the word out!