Euler’s number
The number e is a very mysterious constant. Unlike “pi,” it’s not at all obvious where it came from or what it actually means. And it’s far from clear what “magical” properties it possesses,...
Tagged: Math
What is a logarithm
One of the most misunderstood mathematical operations is the logarithm. Why logarithms are needed, how and where they are used, almost no one knows. It seems like something boring and only needed by mathematicians....
Squaring the Circle
There is one remarkable mathematical problem in history, which evolved from a simple mental exercise for the philosophers of ancient Greece into a very complex issue that had a significant impact on science on...
The History of Pi
This is the most famous irrational and transcendental number in the world. Even people who don’t know what it means and don’t remember what they were taught in school know that there is such...
Different Methods of Multiplication
Everyone knows how to multiply column-wise, fewer people know about multiplication with lines, but there are other interesting methods too. Multiplication is a very simple operation, in fact, it’s essentially the same as addition....
What is an integral in simple terms
Integrals are first studied in school. But no teacher explains why they are needed or how to use this knowledge in life. Few people can even explain in simple terms what an integral is,...
What are limits in simple terms
Limits are one of the most difficult concepts to understand in mathematics. It’s hard to explain simply what a limit is, so most often, no one tries. And moreover, few teachers can give an...
Zero to the power of zero
Zero is probably the most mysterious number and the most counterintuitive. After all, there is no real-life analog for it. Zero is the absence of something. But why is zero raised to the power...
Multiplication table
Not everyone knows it, but surely everyone learns it in school. The multiplication table is a very useful thing even today in the era of artificial intelligence and calculators on phones. Who invented the...
Binary number system
Everyone has heard of the binary numbering system, and everyone knows that it is some kind of “computer language”. But why exactly is that? Why not use the familiar decimal system? What’s the point?...
When there were no digits?
We are so used to letters and numbers that we cannot imagine how people counted without digits. But how did people count in the good old days when digits did not yet exist? Yes,...
Ancient numeral systems
No one knows how long ago people learned to count. But we almost certainly know how they did it in the past. At least from the moment ancient numbers began to be recorded. A...
