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Math Horizons Contents—April 2014

I'm pleased to announce that the April issue of Math Horizons is now online. In the cover story, Julie Barnes, Tom Koehler, and Beth Schaubroeck show how to use multivariable calculus to compute upper-level wind speeds and to predict airline flight times. Andrew Simoson writes about how Bilbo Baggins determined when he and the Company should arrive at the Lonely Mountain. Matt Koetz, Heather A. Lewis, and Mark McKinzie present humorous rewordings of the standard theorems of undergraduate mathematics. And—for those readers wanting more mathematics—eight experts recommend books to read this summer in the long wait between the April and September issues of Math Horizons. I encourage you to read all the fascinating articles on mathematics and the culture of mathematics in this month's issue.—David Richeson, editor

Volume 21, Issue 4

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Fly with the Wind

Julie Barnes, Tom Koehler, and Beth Schaubroeck

Use multivariable calculus to calculate wind speed and estimate airline flight times. (pdf)

JSTOR: http://dx.doi.org/10.4169/mathhorizons/21.4.10

Bilbo and the Last Moon of Autumn

Andrew Simoson

Bilbo uses mathematics to get the hobbits to the Lonely Mountain by Durin’s Day—the last full moon of autumn.

To purchase the article from JSTOR: http://dx.doi.org/10.4169/mathhorizons.21.4.5

Colorful Symmetries

Brian Bargh, John Chase, and Matthew Wright

Burnside’s lemma is the key to solving one of Google’s colorful puzzles.

To purchase the article from JSTOR: http://dx.doi.org/10.4169/mathhorizons.21.4.14

Do the Math: TracTricks

Burkhard Polster

Teach the classical tractrix curve some new tricks.

To purchase the article from JSTOR: http://dx.doi.org/10.4169/mathhorizons.21.4.18

The Bookshelf: Summer Reading List

Looking for a good book to read when school lets out? Allan Rossman, Jim Wiseman, David Kung, Jim Wilder, Pam Pierce, Marc Chamberland, Tim Chartier, and David Richeson recommend their favorites.

To purchase the article from JSTOR: http://dx.doi.org/10.4169/mathhorizons.21.4.20

X Goes First: Wild Tales of a Tic-Tac-Toe Grandmaster

Bryan Clair

A lively dialogue about the not-so-trivial mathematics behind this children’s game.

To purchase the article from JSTOR: http://dx.doi.org/10.4169/mathhorizons.21.4.23

Bovino-Weierstrass and Other Fractured Theorems

Matt Koetz, Heather A. Lewis, and Mark McKinzie

Humorous rewordings of the theorems of undergraduate mathematics.

To purchase the article from JSTOR: http://dx.doi.org/10.4169/mathhorizons.21.4.26

The View from Here: Anonymity—A Thing of the Past?

Elizabeth DeCarlo describes her work in a computational linguistics lab determining the authorship of disputed works.

To purchase the article from JSTOR: http://dx.doi.org/10.4169/mathhorizons.21.4.28

THE PLAYGROUND!

The Math Horizons problem section, edited by Gary Gordon

JSTOR: http://dx.doi.org/10.4169/mathhorizons.21.4.30

AFTERMATH: Every Math Major Should Take a Public-Speaking Course

Rachel Levy argues that all mathematics majors should learn the art of public speaking.

To purchase the article from JSTOR: http://dx.doi.org/10.4169/mathhorizons.21.4.34