The May #ProblemSolving Calendar is here! Solve yourself or w/your students & share your working-out thoughts here or on the blog.
*special theme* -- Function Composition #Algebra2 #precalculus
#iTeachMath #MTBoS #T3Learns #RecreationalMath #MathsToday #ClassroomMath
https://karendcampe.wordpress.com/2026/05/01/may-calendar-problems-4/
Want to hear two nerds chatting about maths history?
You're in luck!
Ben Cornish invited me onto *The Mathematicians Podcast* to talk about *The Mathematicians' Library*: https://mathematicians.podbean.com/e/episode-55-injective-thomas-k-briggs-on-the-mathematicians-library/
In this special book club episode of 'The Mathematicians Podcast', I sit down with author, maths communicator, and museum learning consultant, Thomas K. Briggs. Join us for a glass of wine and a deep dive into Tom's book, 'The Mathematicians Library', a title so intriguing it was a must-have for the show. This 'Injectives' sub-series episode is a one-to-one conversation; today exploring the vast history of mathematical literature. Discover the oldest book in Tom's personal collection and unravel the criteria for what truly constitutes a "book of mathematics". Tom paints a vivid picture of ancient mathematical works, describing the evolution of writing media before the age of flat sheets and ink. The discussion navigates through the emergence of authorship in the Mediterranean, Indian, and Chinese traditions, and Tom shares his favourite example of a significant mathematical work without a known author. He also recounts the fascinating journey of a particular mathematical text through the ages, a story of translation and transcription that has preserved ancient knowledge. In a new segment of "Desert Island Codex," Tom reveals which ancient mathematical document he would choose to study in solitude and which ancient lecture he would love to have heard. Moving beyond the book, the episode looks into Tom's work as a museum consultant. He sheds light on the origins of encryption and the methods ancient leaders used to send secret messages. The discussion also explores the vast, untranslated collection of Babylonian tablets and what they might still reveal about Mesopotamian mathematical understanding. Finally, Tom offers his own insightful, pithy definition of what mathematics truly is. He also reveals which mathematician he is most excited to see featured on a future episode of the podcast. Tune in for a captivating conversation that journeys through the annals of mathematical history, from ancient texts to modern museum exhibits. You can find Ben on Bluesky @mathematicians-pod. You can support him at ko-fi.com/benjamincornish. You can find Tom: on his website https://tkbriggs.co.uk/ ; on Bluesky @TeaKayB.mathsy.space ; Join the History and Mathematics in Education Network https://historyand.mathsy.space/ ; The music was-"Danse Macabre - Finale"Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Keywords: history of maths, ancient mathematics, mathematical literature, Thomas K. Briggs, The Mathematicians' Library, Euclid, ancient texts, encryption, Bletchley Park, Babylonian tablets, museums, history of science, mathematics podcast. Hashtags: #TheMathematiciansPodcast #HistoryOfMaths #AncientMaths #MathematicalBooks #STEM #Podcast #Interview #Maths #History #Science #Books #Museums #Encryption #TheMathematiciansLibrary
Reading ancient languages takes a lot of time, effort, experience, & other things involved in learning so it's *really* difficult for kids (or most adults) to engage with ancient texts on historical objects in museums...
... Except there's a relatively quick win, if a little infrastructure is put in place to take advantage of it:
*Numbers.*
Ancient civilizations had their own unique ways of presenting and manipulating numbers, but recognising, extracting, and converting them to a more familiar number system is a process which has a very low entry point and a massively high ceiling. It's a fantastic opportunity for any museum with examples of ancient numbers amongst its collection to give visitors the feeling of being a time-travelling codebreaker, unraveling the mysteries of ancient writing.
Bonus: engaging with ancient number systems in this way can prompt deeper thinking about and engagement with the number system that a visitor considers "the normal one", which can support their learning of contemporary mathematics.
We're watching The X-Files from the beginning. They're both so very pretty, with great hair and *massive* shoulder pads.
When it was first aired in the UK I was 11 and very into the paranormal. That interest, catalysed by The X-Files and some other TV, movies, & books, pushed me towards a love of science and, later, mathematics, so The X-Files definitely helped to bring present-day Tom into existence!
Off to London today! Going to the British Museum for secret #maths purposes!
#MathsToday #MathsInMuseums #Museum #History ๐๏ธ๐
Karen Campe
Maths Week Scotland
Tommaths (he/him)
Tommaths (he/him) ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ณ๏ธโโง๏ธ