IntMath Newsletter: Cultural math, visual stats, matrices and persistence

13 Jan 2011

In this Newsletter:

1. Happy new multicultural year
2. Inverse of a matrix by Gauss-Jordan elimination
3. Who lives there? Visual stats and social engineering
4. Twitter follower semi-log graphs
5. 500 billion words: visual stats give us cultural insights
6. Final thought – persistence

Hi everyone and Happy New Year!

A new year always brings fresh hopes, new goals and a chance to think about where we've been and where we're going. I hope 2011 is a good year for you.

This Newsletter includes some interesting cultural insights which we can get from analysizing visual statistics. There's also a new section on Gauss-Jordan Elimination.

1. Happy new multicultural year

Suitable for: Everyone.

There are many calendars in use around the world. Here are 4 of them in one. Happy new multicultural year

2. Inverse of a matrix by Gauss-Jordan elimination

Suitable for: Those who have studied matrices.

Here's a method for finding inverses of matrices which reduces the chances of getting lost. Inverse of a matrix by Gauss-Jordan elimination

3. Who lives there? Visual stats and social engineering

Suitable for: Everyone.

Here's some interesting visual statistics showing the racial composition of places in the USA. Who lives there? Visual stats and social engineering

4. Twitter follower semi-log graphs

Suitable for: Everyone, (but will make more sense if you know something about log- and semi-log graphs).

Here are some semi-log graphs showing Twitter follower (and following) numbers. Twitter follower semi-log graphs

5. 500 billion words: visual stats give us cultural insights

Suitable for: Everyone.

Here's some interesting "real-life" visual statistics - especially good for those who love text more than math. 500 billion words: visual stats give us cultural insights

6. Final thought – persistence

Most of us are not born with "innate math talent" and even if we are, we need to put in some effort to fulfill our potential in math. This quote is from the US president who served for most of the 1920s:

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "Press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.

Calvin Coolidge

Until next time, enjoy whatever you learn and have a great 2011!

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