Leonardo Fibonacci, sometimes called Leonardo of Pisa, was a thirteenth-century Italian mathematician. He was instrumental in bringing the Arabic numbering system to Europe to replace the use of Roman numerals. He is also remembered for a series of numbers that …[Continue]

In honor of April’s status as Math Education Month, I’m starting off the month with a look at how math is used in our everyday lives. Like the little girl in Jon Scieszka’s Math Curse who wakes up to find …[Continue]

This week’s topic is one usually studied in first year algebra: sequences and series. Let’s start with some definitions. A sequence is an ordered list of numbers, and a series is the sum of the terms (the individual numbers) of …[Continue]

A ratio is the mathematic relationship between two numbers, where one is divided by the other. A proportion is an equation where two ratios are equal. A typical use might be something like this. The ratio of boys to girls …[Continue]

In celebration of Square Root Day on March 3, 2009, here are my picks for pre-algebra students learning about square roots. Square Root day is celebrated whenever the day and the month are both the square root of the last …[Continue]

Need help with your math homework? Who ya gonna call? When mom, dad, your older sister, your best friend, and your next-door-neighbor can’t help, these sites will be there for you. Some offer archives of previously asked questions and answers, …[Continue]

Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Regardless of the size of the circle, pi is always the same irrational number: approximately 3.14. Thirty years ago, physicist Larry Shaw created a Pi Day celebration …[Continue]

William Mueller (see Wmueller.com below) describes precalculus as the bridge between the math you know, such as arithmetic and algebra, and a wondrous, fertile land ahead: calculus. In order to cross the bridge, you need a good understanding of how …[Continue]