Go Jays go!
The Blue Jays are heading into the playoffs after a poor start to the season as the American League East Champions! The offense recently went through a slump that let the New York Yankees tied them atop the American League East. Fortunately, the Jays pulled it together and won their last four games. Even though […]
Cribbage Tips: Part II
To pair or not to pair? That is the eternal question in cribbage. When you pair, you get 2 points but you risk pairs royal from your opponent which would give him 6 points. On average, it has been shown that if you pair all the time regardless of the board position, you will be […]
Rory's Masterpiece
At long last, Rory got his masterpiece. The last time I was so excited watching the Masters was in 2004 when Phil Mickelson finally won his first major. I did not think at the time that anything would top it. I guess I was wrong. Yesterday's dramatic finish was at least as exciting (and probably […]
Cribbage Tips: Part 1
As mentioned in an earlier post, cribbage is my favourite card game. Obviously, luck is involved to the extent that even a skilled player cannot win anywhere close to 100%. If you can win 58%, you are really doing well. In this series of articles, I like to share some tips that might improve your […]
Unforgettable mathematical problems: Episode III
In high school, one of my favourite contests is the CNML (Canadian National Mathematics League). The contest is still in existence now. Out of curiosity, I bought online access to all the contests recently. The questions are generally not too difficult. Each year consists of 6 contests of 6 questions each to be done in […]
Applying Modular Arithmetic in Accounting
What does modular arithmetic have anything to do with accounting? I didn't know until this sentence appeared in the textbook of my Grade 10 accounting course: "In a bank reconciliation, if the two sides don't match, take the difference and see if it is divisible by 9. If it is, then a possible source of […]
Unforgettable mathematical problems: Episode II
Another unforgettable problem is the following problem from the Canadian Mathematical Olympiad in 1989. Although I did not participate in that year's competition, I came across it as I was preparing for the competition in subsequent years. It is memorable not only because the problem is elegant but also from the personal connection with the […]
Hail Cribbage!
My favourite card game is cribbage. I have played online for over 20 years. While it is not as well-known as other card games such as bridge or gin rummy or euchre, I enjoy the game for its combination of strategies, application of basic probability theory and psychology. Of course, as with many other card […]
Unforgettable Mathematical Problems: Episode 1
I am planning to start a series of unforgettable mathematical problems that I have encountered in my life. First of all, what makes a mathematical problem unforgettable? This of course is a subjective question. Usually, it is a combination of personal factors and elegance of the problem itself. This is the first of of these […]
Difference of Squares in Mental Arithmetic
One of the first tricks taught in factoring polynomials is the difference of squares formula, namely: This simple formula comes in handy in mental arithmetic when we substitute and with numbers, especially when you have your square numbers memorized. For example, suppose someone asks you to calculate 27 X 23. Here's a quick […]