The National Taiwan Science Education Center is hosting an event yesterday and today to observe the International Day of Mathematics and help people see mathematics in a new light.
The event involves students and faculty from 30 universities of science and technology, as well as organizations hoping to promote interest in mathematics, and features eight MathTalk seminars, 13 workshops and a musical theater piece introducing Hedy Lamarr to the public, according to the center.
Lamarr and American composer George Antheil filed — and were granted — a patent for a “secret communications system involving the use of carrier waves of different frequencies, especially useful in the remote control of dirigible craft, such as torpedoes.” The process, known as frequency hopping, formed the basis of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology as we know it today.
Photo courtesy of the National Taiwan Science Education Center via CNA
The center’s event features the 13-sided polygon that helped solve the “einstein problem.” Event visitors are encouraged to play with the prototile and come up with their own designs.
David Smith, an amateur mathematician, published a paper in 2023 touting the prototile, which he discovered using a software package called PolyForm Puzzle Solver, to solve the “einstein problem,” which in plane geometry is the question of whether one single shape can form an aperiodic set of prototiles.
The problem is not related to Albert Einstein, the physicist, but is instead a play on the German phrase ein Stein, which means “one stone.”
Center director Liu Huo-chin (劉火欽) said commonly seen shapes in mathematics, such as the square or the hexagon, would form repetitive patterns when placed together, adding that the prototile discovered by Smith would not.
He said the discovery affected mathematics and could be applied to materials science, crystallography and encryption.
The center hopes that the exposure of event visitors to the prototile would help them understand the main theme of this year’s International Day of Mathematics, Mathematics, Art, and Creativity, Liu said.
The event is cohosted by the National Taiwan Science Education Center and the Mathematical Society of the Republic of China.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
RSS