Category: Theorem

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Benford’s Law: Why 1 Comes First

Benford’s Law is a curious mathematical rule that describes how often different digits (1–9) appear as the first digit in many real-life datasets. Surprisingly, lower digits (like 1) show up much more frequently than higher ones (like 9).

Simple Formula

The probability of a digit d being the first digit is:

📌 P(d) = log₁₀(1 + 1/d)

For example, the number 1 appears as the first digit about 30% of the time, while 9 appears only about 5% of the time! This pattern shows up in finance, science, populations, and even street addresses.

A fascinating rule of nature—numbers aren’t as random as they seem!

benford's law

⇨ Further reading.

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Neuberg’s Theorem

A captivating result from geometry:

  1. Construct squares outwardly on the sides of triangle △ABC.
  2. Use the centers O1, O2, O3 of these squares to form a new triangle.
  3. Next, construct squares inwardly on the sides of this new triangle.

The surprising outcome? The centers of these inward squares will perfectly coincide with the midpoints I1, I2, and I3 of the sides of the original triangle △ABC.

For a deeper dive into the proof, check out this resource:
Neuberg’s Theorem – Detailed Explanation.

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Timeless Trigonometry: Plimpton 322’s Revolutionary Legacy in Mathematics

“Plimpton 322,” a clay tablet originating from ancient Mesopotamia during the Old Babylonian period (1900-1600 BCE), precedes Hipparchus by over 1,000 years. This artifact not only provides novel avenues for contemporary mathematical research but also holds implications for mathematics education. The trigonometry revealed in “Plimpton 322” presents a more straightforward and precise approach, showcasing distinct advantages compared to our current methods.

The Plimpton 322 clay tablet, featuring numbers inscribed in cuneiform script.

Read more.

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Toeplitz’ Conjecture

Does every simple closed curve in the plane contain the vertices of a square?
No one knows, but the answer to this question is positive if the curve is sufficiently regular.

Toeplitz conjecture
The black dashed curve goes through all corners of several green squares.

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Life, the Universe, and Maths

For years, mathematicians have worked to demonstrate that x3+y3+z3 = k, where k is defined as the numbers from 1 to 100. This theory is true in all cases except for an unproven exception: 42.

By 2016 and over a million hours of computation later, researchers of the UK’s Advanced Computing Research Center had its solution for 42.

Sum of 3 cubes

More intriguing number facts here.