Math Concepts
What does e (Euler's number) represent?
(Don't just say the number)
"Pert" formula / interest compounded continuously / exponential growth / natural logarithm / etc.
Which was invented first: Arabic numerals (0-9) or the plus and minus signs (+, –)?
Arabic numerals: they were invented in India, likely sometime before 1000 AD, and the + and – signs were not used until the 14th-15th centuries.
What does CPU stand for?
Bonus points for describing its function!
Central Processing Unit
To execute instructions and perform calculations in a computer
Which programming language came first, Python or Javascript?
Python, by 5 years (1990)
Who are the chairs of the Math and Comp Sci department here at Oberlin?
Chris Marx and Cynthia Taylor
Why are they called "rational" numbers?
From the word “ratio”; all rational numbers can be expressed as a ratio/fraction
What word is the subject of a math class and the title of a hit movie from 1999?
The Matrix
In binary, what does 1010 represent?
10
Where does the coding language Python get its name?
Monty Python!
What was the very first feature-length computer-animated film?
Toy Story
What does QED stand for?
Bonus points to translate from Latin to English!
Quod erat demonstrandum
"Thus it was demonstrated"
Which of the following numbers have been proven to be irrational?
√2, e, pi, ⅓, pi + e, 2^e
Only the first three: pi, e, √2
What coding language is Minecraft Bedrock Edition written in?
a) Java b) C++
c) Python d) SQL
b) C++
Who is sometimes referred to as the "father of computers"?
How many ways can you shuffle a deck of cards?
52! / 52 factorial / 8 x 10^67
What concept/theory is typically taken as the foundation for all of mathematics?
Set Theory ("ZFC" set theory - "Zermelo-Fraenkel with Choice")
Isaac Newton was NOT the only person to invent/discover calculus. It was also invented/discovered at the same time by whom?
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
In Python, the * symbol is used to indicate multiplication. What does a double star mean? (a**b)
Powers (a^b)
What is the longest time on record between the discovery of a computer bug and its fix?
~19 years - Y2K bug
What is the absolute maximum speed in the entire world that one can drive on a road?
Bonus points for naming the country that has the maximum!
Infinite: German autobahns have no speed limit!
Only one of these numbers is prime. Which is it?
1, 27, 35, 44, 57, 63, 73, 82, 91
73 is prime!
27 = 3*9
35 = 5*7
44 = 2*22
57 = 3*19
63 = 7*9
82 = 2*41
91 = 7*13
1 has ONE, not TWO factors like primes
What is the myth of what happened to the mathematician that first discovered irrational numbers?
He was drowned / banished!
From Brilliant.org: 300 years before Euclid's proof that √2 is irrational, Hippassus of Metapontum showed that the diagonal of a unit square does not have rational length. Either he was thrown overboard at sea and forced to keep it a secret, or he was ostracized and died on a sea voyage. Or neither of those!
What does HTML stand for?
HyperText Markup Language
What can AI bots NOT do?
a) Pretend to be a historical figure
b) Write a fantasy novel
c) Write your politics essay for you
d) None of the above
d) None of the above
We all know that 0/0 is not defined by ordinary arithmetic…but what did mathematician Brahmagupta (c. 598-668) say 0/0 was equal to in the very first text to treat zero as a number?
0