The Math Club

All you have to do is look around to see that the world is changing very rapidly. But the course sequence of math education in American schools has changed little since the 1950s. In this episode, Pete and Noah welcome Ted Dintersmith, author of the book Aftermath, for a lively discussion about which math skills and concepts can best prepare today's students for the world of tomorrow. Find Aftermath on Amazon Leave us a voice message Find us on Twitter Send us an email Questions Answered in the Episode: • What mathematical skills and concepts are most important for students to learn to prepare for the future? • Why are statistics and data analytics considered more practical than traditional high school calculus for most students?

It's finally here! Part Three of the Fermat Trilogy! In this exciting conclusion, Pete and Noah talk about the mathematicians who ultimately proved (or thought they'd proven) Fermat's Last Theorem. Join us for the final chapter of this riveting 350 year journey! The Proof - Nova Documentary on Andrew Wiles's proof Leave us a voice message Find us on Twitter Send us an email Questions Answered in the Episode: • Who proved Fermat's Last Theorem? • How does the Taniyama-Shimura conjecture relate to the proof of Fermat's Last Theorem?

A few episodes back, our hosts talked about the great unsolved mathematical problems of our time, and Pete teased an interesting story about one such problem that was finally solved not too long ago. In this first of a two-part episode, we dive into the fascinating story of Fermat's Last Theorem... from its inception, to Fermat's bold claim that he had a proof that he couldn't share, to the mathematical greats of yesteryear who took up the challenge to prove it. Join us for a look into this intriguing conjecture, and its amazing history. Leave us a voice message Find us on Twitter Send us an email Questions Answered in the Episode: • What does Fermat's Last Theorem state and how does it relate to the Pythagorean Theorem? • Why is it called Fermat's Last Theorem?

If you've ever seen a science fiction movie or TV show, then you've heard of the spacetime continuum. But what is it, and is there math that describes it? In this episode, Pete and Noah dive into the facts about spacetime, and its fascinating mathematical history. Leave us a voice message Find us on Twitter Send us an email Questions Answered in the Episode: • What is the mathematical definition of spacetime? • How does the Lorentz factor explain time dilation in special relativity?

In our last episode, finding Primo, Pete explained a couple of tests that mathematicians use when trying to decide if very large numbers are prime. We thought it might be helpful to see the math written down, so we put together this video bonus. Finding Primo - full episode

Are you ready to revisit the best of The Math Club? Pete and Noah share a trip down memory lane with a pair of special guests. But as they dive deeper into their past episodes, a nagging feeling grows harder to ignore.. Who are these mysterious guests, and what strange secret are they hiding from our hosts? Episodes we reference in our conversation: Tales from Decrypt Positive Thinking Discovery vs. Invention MathGPT Try out NotebookLM Leave us a voice message Find us on Twitter Send us an email

An unlikely string of coin flips leads to a conversation about a counterintuive puzzle that Pete found online. Join in on the fun as Pete and Noah dissect this problem, and talk about multiple ways to approach understanding its solution. • Daniel Litt's Twitter post with the puzzle • Noah's Scratch simulation of the problem • Leave us a voice message • DM us on Twitter • Send us an email Questions Answered in the Episode: • What are the odds of flipping n heads in a row? • In the Daniel Litt coin puzzle, who is more likely to find two heads first: Alice or Bob?

Unsolved. From the origin of Stonehenge, to the identity of Jack the Ripper, to the location of all those missing dryer socks, the world is full of unsolved questions. But what about math? Join Pete and Noah as they discuss some of the great unsolved problems facing mathematicians today. Leave us a voice message Find us on Twitter Send us an email Questions Answered in the Episode: • What are some unanswered problems in mathematics. • What is the Goldbach conjecture and how does it relate to prime numbers? • What is the Twin Prime conjecture and how are these pairs distributed along the number line?