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MAA Math Alert - May 2009

News and Views

MathFest 2009 Registration Now Open
Join the MAA in Portland, Oregon August 5-8, 2009 for MathFest 2009!

2009 USA Mathematical Olympiad Winners Announced
525 outstanding high school students qualified for the 2009 USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO). On April 28-29, these students tackled a challenging, six-question exam. The 12 winners have been announced. Read More

Two Poets Unveil the Poetic Beauty of Mathematics (with audio and video)
Poets JoAnne Growney and Karren Alenier engagingly recited a wide-ranging selection of poems, including some they had written themselves. Many selections came from the anthology Strange Attractors: Poems of Love and Mathematics. Read More

Edward Belbruno on Low-Energy Pathways in Space, Chaos, and Random Walks (with audio)
Early in the history of the solar system, the theory goes, an object the size of Mars collided with Earth, and the massive, glancing impact produced the ejected material that formed into the Moon. But where did this object come from? In his presentation at the MAA Carriage House, Edward Belbruno explained how he and a colleague developed a plausible answer to that question. Read More

Vote in the 2009 MAA National Election
It's time to vote for President-Elect and two Vice Presidents of the MAA. This is your opportunity to influence the future of the organization.

PREP 2009 Registration Now Open
Looking for a great way to join with your peers this summer to explore new ideas? Whether you are interested in looking for more effective approaches to geometry courses or learning about new topics such as mathematical biology, the PREP program has something for you. Get details on this year's program here.


Featured Articles

LOCI - Seashells: The Plainness and Beauty of Their Mathematical Description
This article uses seashells and snails to show that many aspects of the growth of plants and animals may be described by remarkably simple mathematical laws. Read More

Card Colm by Colm Mulcahy - The Yummie Deal and Variations
This month's Card Colm discusses an elimination idea called "The Yummie Deal" and several of its variations. Read More

Devlin's Angle by Keith Devlin - Do You Believe in Fairies, Unicorns, or the BMI?
This month's column discusses the flaws in how the medical community calculates Body Mass Index (BMI). Read More


New From the MAA

Visual Group Theory by Nathan Carter by Nathan Carter

Calculus Deconstructed by Zbigniew H. Nitecki

I Want to Be a Mathematician: A Conversation with Paul Halmos (DVD)

The United States of Mathematics Presidential Debate (DVD)

Visit the new MAA Podcast Center
Listen to past MAA Carriage House lectures and invited speaker previews.

Did you miss a Math Alert?
Visit the MAA Math Alert archive.

Publishing Date: 
May, 2009