MathPlus's definitions

Sharia Math

Math problems that directly or indirectly leverage on dozens of man-made religious rules, which often discriminate against women and girls, that dictate how faithful Mohammedans ought to live among “infidels,” especially if they are the minority in the population.

Radical Islamist groups want certain math topics like percentages, probability, and statistics to be banned from a sharia math curriculum, because they promote interest rate earnings, unhealthy lifestyles, or gambling, which could lead students into unwholesome activities or vice, thus compromising their faith.

by MathPlus September 18, 2021

The Five Senses of Pi

Hearing: Your ears can listen to the musical digits of the seemingly random pattern of the decimal number π as they are being recited.

Smell: Your nose can scent the fragrance or sweet aroma of the digits of the transcendental number π.

Sight: Your mind’s eye can see at a glance the entire beautiful landscape of the real number π.

Taste: Your tongue can savor the different flavors of the digits of the sacred number π.

Touch: Your skin can feel the different sensations of the digits of the normal number π, when it is truncated to a certain number of significant figures.

Guesstimate how many autistic people or idiot savants around the world could experience at least one of the five senses of pi.

by MathPlus September 19, 2021

Math Kaki

The name of the K–12 Singapore math project that aims to help students who are struggling with school math but can’t afford private tuition, or to prevent the unmotivated ones from dropping the world’s most disliked school subject because they are allergic to the teaching style of their teacher or tutor—“kaki” is the Singlish word to describe a close friend or a buddy.

Unlike teachers employed by self-help groups, who tend to be of the same race as that of the students, volunteers from Math Kaki come from all racial groups and economic backgrounds, who have a heart to raise the mathematical proficiency level of those under their charge, regardless of their race, religion, or orientation.

by MathPlus September 19, 2021

byslexic

A dyslexia sufferer who has difficulty in algebra as they are prone to confusing variables like b and d, or p and q, thus reducing their chances of evaluating an expression, or solving an equation, involving these letters correctly.

Guesstimate how many byslexics worldwide fail their algebra test every year through no fault on their own.

by MathPlus October 1, 2021

Brexit Math

Also known as “Boris Math.” When hardcore math educators, most of whom are white supremacists or racists, object to using wallet-friendly, better-quality foreign math textbooks under the guise of protecting local authors and publishers, or are opposed to recruiting foreign math teachers and lecturers to teach in local schools and universities, because their presence unprovenly threatens the livelihoods of locals, who would find it hard to compete with cheaper foreign talents.

PM Johnson and his diehard supporters would fight hard to maintain Brexit math for nationalistic reasons, because any compromise to let in alien mathematical talent would be perceived as going against their Brexiteer principles—math and math education must be local, and not adulterated by foreign elements.

by MathPlus October 2, 2021

The Holy Bible

The all-time bestseller the devil hates seeing someone reading it, or the one book leaders from certain faiths would forbid their followers from owning a copy, because its contents have the power to set them free from spiritual blindness and bondage, and to change their lives for the better forever.

It’s not surprising that those caught carrying, much less reading, the Holy Bible in public places, in some parts of the world, could be fined or/and jailed, because religious and political leaders are afraid that the truth revealed in it would undermine their position and authority in leading people to avoid heading to the wrong side of eternity.

by MathPlus July 13, 2021

Pi Trance

When autistic folks or idiot savants claim that hours-long meditation on the digits of the decimal number π puts them in some kind of hypnotic state, thus allowing their mind’s eye to see sexy numerical relationships, or kaleidoscopic geometric shapes linked to the “sacred” digits of the transcendental pi in hyperspace.

Pure mathematicians or number theorists obsessed with the beautiful properties of π love to indulge themselves in pi trance activities, hoping to experience a few aha! moments in the process.

by MathPlus July 13, 2021