Posts Tagged: "math"

World Pi Day: 3/14 — The Ongoing Mystery of Pi

Today is National and World Pi Day because the numbers of the day (3-14) match the first three digits for pi or , the Greek letter, 3.1415926535897… Although most people think that is relegated to just geometry and trigonometry, the number pervades all of mathematics and the natural sciences, even statistics.

Raymond Van Dyke

March 14, 2018

Operational Mathematics on a Processor is not an Abstract Idea

Mathematics has long been accepted as a tool to model the physical reality. For many it is hard to grasp that math actually “does something.” The reality is that mathematics based instructions in computers generate signals that are useful and used. This type of mathematics may be called “operational mathematics.” Operational math already replaces devices that used to be made from valves and gears or from electronic components. Operational mathematics also enables new devices that were previously unimaginable.

Peter Lablans

February 19, 2017

The Patent Gender Gap: Less than 20% of U.S. patents have at least one woman inventor

Although women have more than quintupled their representation among patent holders since 1977, a pronounced patent gender gap remains. In 2010, according to a new briefing paper by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), fewer than one in five patents had at least one woman inventor named. Although quintupling the number of women inventors over the last 30+ years is impressive, at the current growth rate it is projected that it will take until 2092 for women to reach parity in patenting.

Gene Quinn

August 1, 2016

3-14-15 brings a once in a lifetime Pi Day

The pursuit of pi, the numerical constant which represents the ratio of a circle’s diameter to its circumference, is a subject which has driven mathematicians to extremes. The date 3/14/15 coincides with pi calculated to five digits (3.1415). The next time this will occur will be 100 years from now, making this year’s Pi Day a once in a century event.

Steve Brachmann

March 14, 2015

Fish & Richardson Awards 33 Scholarships to U.S. Space Camp

Fish & Richardson has awarded full scholarships to 33 students and their teacher chaperones this year, marking 14 years of supporting kids and providing them with an opportunity to attend the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala. The goal of Fish’s Space Camp Scholarship program is to get middle school students excited about the fields of math, science, and technology.

Gene Quinn

August 13, 2012

Building on Rhetoric: Time to Inspire Youth in Math & Science

At one point during his remarks last night President Obama said: “Nobody rushes on the field and dumps Gatorade on them (laughter) when you win a science award. Maybe they should!” Indeed we should celebrate science and math victories every much, if not more, than we celebrate sports victories, but that is not our culture unfortunately. We need to change our culture to raise the profile of those who are succeeding on every level in the scientific fields. President Obama can play a major role in bringing about that change, and his raising the profile of those who are science fair winners is certainly encouraging.

Gene Quinn

November 18, 2010

Bilski and Software Patents: A Programmers Perspective

It is true that math itself is not protected, because it has been deemed (and rightfully so) an abstract idea, but the use of math in other processes and inventions is different. If you or I come up with a useful process that includes a mathematical calculation as one of its essential steps, then that calculation can be patented as part of the process.

Just because algorithms are processed mathematically by a computer, doesn’t mean the results have any mathematical value. The electrical charges that zip around inside a computer only have value because we assign it to them, not because they have any inherent value of their own. A piece of software is usually not designed to make mathematical calculations for the purpose of obtaining numerical results, but rather to transform information represented numerically into other pieces of information that do have value to us.

Andrew Cole

June 27, 2010

Innovation Starts with Math and Science Education

When it comes to talking with their kids, parents say the topics of math and science are harder to discuss than drug abuse, according to a survey of 561 adults who have children ages 5 to 18. The survey was conducted online between Sept. 23 and 28, 2009 by Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates on behalf of Intel Corporation, and…

Gene Quinn

October 21, 2009