Terms
What is the mathematical term for the study of shapes and objects?
Geometry. Geometry is considered to be the oldest branch of mathematics outside of arithmetic.
In what movie does Russell Crowe portray mathematician John Nash?
A Beautiful Mind. After attending Princeton University on a mathematics scholarship, Nash earned an appointment at MIT. However, shortly after, Nash suffered from severe schizophrenia episodes. Eventually Nash returned to Princeton University.
What famous game involves rolling five dice to make certain numerical combinations?
Yahtzee. Yahtzee players use a variety of mathematical skills, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and probability.
In what country was Albert Einstein born?
Germany. Einstein was born in Ulm, Württemberg, Germany, in 1879, and two major events shaped his early years. One was his interaction with a compass at the age of five, and the other event, at the age of 12, was reading a book of geometry.
What famous mathematical constant does Einstein share a birthday with? Hint: Einstein’s birthday was March 14.
Pi. Many recognize March 14 (3/14) as “Pi Day”; however, it was also Einstein’s birthday. It is reported that Einstein never made any jokes about this coincidence because in Europe the day is written as 14/3. But, nevertheless, you can always see Einstein impersonators on the streets of Princeton in the days leading up to Pi Day
What test, which was developed and named after a mathematician, determines if a computer is capable of thinking like a human being?
The Turing test. Aside from the Turing test, created by Alan Turing in 1950, the mathematician also played a key role in cracking the Enigma, a mechanical device used by the Germans to encode messages
What does the acronym PEMDAS stand for?
Parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction. PEMDAS, also known as the order of operations, is a rule that tells the problem solver in which order the expression should be solved. A good way to remember this is Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.
In what movie does Kevin Spacey portray an MIT professor who recruits students to use math as a way to count cards in casino blackjack?
21. The movie is based on the book Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich, the true story of how the MIT blackjack team used card-counting in the 1980s.
What idiom means a number that is near or around the actual number? Hint: Think baseball.
A ballpark number. The term has its roots in the game of baseball. It was typical for the commentators to estimate the number of people in attendance before the game started. The estimated figure eventually became known as a ballpark figure.
Einstein shared a zip code and workplace with what famous American theoretical physicist? Hint: Think the Manhattan Project.
Robert Oppenheimer. Both Einstein and Oppenheimer lived in Princeton, New Jersey, and worked at the Institute for Advanced Study, where Oppenheimer acted as director from 1947–1966.
What year was Einstein awarded the Nobel Prize: 1911, 1921, or 1931?
1921. Amazingly, Einstein did not win the Nobel Prize for his theory of relativity. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 “for his services to Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect.”
What is the only number that cannot be represented in Roman numerals?
Zero. Although the Greeks were aware of the concept of zero, they did not have a number for it. Instead of having a number for zero, they used the word nulla.
What is the term for a number or word that is read the same forward as it is backward?
Palindrome. The word palindrome was introduced by English poet and writer Henry Peacham in 1638.
What movie stars Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics baseball team who decides to use mathematical and statistical equations to develop a team?
Moneyball. The movie Moneyball is based on a true story of the baseball team’s management employing sabermetrics—using statistics to make decisions on players—to develop a championship caliber baseball team.
What is the name of the popular math puzzle game that involves filling in grids with numbers 1 through 9?
Sudoku. Playing sudoku has been shown to have various health benefits, such as improved concentration and focus, and easing symptoms of depression.
What social cause was Albert Einstein known for supporting?
Civil rights. In 1946, Einstein traveled to Lincoln University, the first school in America to grant college degrees to Black people, where he gave a speech condemning racism by calling it a “disease of whites.” He continued to fight for equal rights and support this cause throughout his life.
What famous Star Wars character’s look was inspired by Einstein? Hint: Get this question right, you will.
Yoda. According to the special effects artist for Star Wars, a picture of Einstein was on the wall behind the original Yoda sculptures, and slowly the character began to show a striking resemblance to the great Albert Einstein.
What is the name of the prestigious award given once every four years for outstanding achievements in mathematics?
The Fields Medal. The Fields Medal has an age limit. Interestingly, a recipient of the Fields Medal must be under 40 years old on January 1 of the year the medal is awarded.
What is the most commonly used measuring system in the world?
The metric system. There are only three countries in the world that only partially use the metric system: the United States, Liberia, and Myanmar.
What is the name of the famous Sesame Street character who teaches children how to count?
Count von Count, or “The Count.” Count von Count first made his appearance on Sesame Street in 1972 and was created by a writer who simply thought it would be funny to have a vampire who loved counting.
How many possible outcomes are there when rolling a pair of dice?
36 (6 X 6). Historians believe that dice are one of—if not the—oldest gaming implements known to man, with the oldest pair ever found dating back 5,000 years
What government agency spied on Einstein?
The FBI. As surprising as it may be, the FBI spied on Einstein for decades. Einstein’s support for pacifism, civil rights, and left-wing causes drew suspicion from J. Edgar Hoover, and an investigation was launched, resulting in a file that was 1,800 pages long. All claims of nefarious activity were unsubstantiated when all was said and done
What instrument did Einstein excel at playing: piano, violin, or harpsichord?
Violin. Einstein’s mother was a talented piano player and made sure that young Albert incorporated music into his own life. He began playing the violin at five years old, but it was not until his teenage years, when he heard Mozart, that he fell in love with music.
What theory is Einstein most famous for?
The theory of relativity (E=mc2 ). The theory of relativity revolutionized the world’s understanding of space, time, gravity, and the universe.
What is the name for a whole number that is greater than 1 that cannot be divided by any other number besides itself and 1?
A prime number. The largest prime number to date has roughly 13 million digits in it.
What famous movie starring Robin Williams and Matt Damon follows the story of a mathematical prodigy as he is discovered by a college professor?
Good Will Hunting. Amazingly, Good Will Hunting was only supposed to be a 40-page homework assignment for Matt Damon while he was attending a playwriting class at Harvard University.
What is the smallest number of moves it takes to solve a Rubik’s Cube?
20. Although it is now a known fact that any Rubik’s cube can be solved in 20 moves, it took 36 years for a group of mathematicians to figure this out because of the complexity of the cube.
What famous town in New Jersey did Einstein live and work in?
Princeton. Fun Fact: Einstein never actually worked as faculty at Princeton University. However, he did have an office in the university’s mathematics building during the 1930s. Einstein worked at the Institute for Advanced Study
What famous magazine named Albert Einstein the “Person of the Century”?
What famous magazine named Albert Einstein the “Person of the Century”?
What year was the first calculator invented: 1642, 1742, 1842, or 1942?
1642. The first calculator was invented by a French mathematician named Blaise Pascal. The device could do only addition and subtraction with the numbers being entered on dials. It was invented for Pascal’s father, who was a tax collector.