Mathematics
17 questions tagged Mathematics — spanning every one of the seven Ws.
What is the Fibonacci sequence?
The Fibonacci sequence is a series where each number is the sum of the two before it: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13… It appears throughout nature and links to the golden ratio.
Whose Mathematics Described Geometry?
Euclid, writing around 300 BC, created the definitive geometry textbook — the Elements — used for over 2,000 years.
Whose Encryption Secures the Internet?
The RSA algorithm, created by Rivest, Shamir, and Adleman in 1977, became the foundation of internet encryption and secure communication.
Whose Mathematics Founded Computer Science?
Alan Turing 1936 paper "On Computable Numbers" introduced the theoretical Turing machine and established the mathematical foundations of computer science, defining computability and its limits.
Whose mathematics invented calculus?
Calculus was invented independently by Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in the late 17th century.
What is compound interest?
Compound interest is interest earned on both your original money and on the interest it has already earned, so savings or debts grow faster and faster over time.
What is the butterfly effect?
The butterfly effect is the idea that tiny changes in a complex system can lead to huge differences later.
What is the golden ratio?
The golden ratio is about 1.618, a proportion where the whole relates to the larger part as the larger part relates to the smaller.
What is pi?
Pi (π) is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, about 3.14159.
What is a prime number?
A prime number is a whole number greater than 1 that can be divided evenly only by 1 and itself.
What is infinity?
Infinity is the idea of something without any end or limit, larger than any number.
What is a googol?
A googol is 1 followed by 100 zeros, or 10 to the power of 100.
What is the Pythagorean theorem?
In a right-angled triangle, the square of the longest side equals the sum of the squares of the other two: a² + b² = c².
What Is the Fibonacci Sequence?
The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers where each number is the sum of the two preceding ones: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, and so on.
Whose Puzzle Is Sudoku?
Sudoku was created by American architect Howard Garns, who published it as 'Number Place' in 1979; it got its name in Japan in 1984.
What is a Möbius strip?
A Möbius strip is a loop with only one side and one edge, made by giving a strip of paper a half-twist before joining its ends.
Whose equation is the foundation of modern computing theory?
Alan Turing laid key foundations of computer science and artificial intelligence. His 1936 paper described the abstract Turing machine.