Peter's Blog

I am planning to start a series of unforgettable mathematical problems that I have encountered in my life. First of all, what makes a mathematical problem unforgettable? This of course is a subjective question. Usually, it is a combination of personal factors and elegance of the problem itself. This is the first of of these…

One of the first tricks taught in factoring polynomials is the difference of squares formula, namely:     This simple formula comes in handy in mental arithmetic when we substitute and with numbers, especially when you have your square numbers memorized. For example, suppose someone asks you to calculate 27 X 23. Here’s a quick…

This post is inspired by the well-known Christmas song “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, which starts as follows: “On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me A partridge in a pear tree. On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Two turtle doves, And a partridge in…