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All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning.

Great works are often born on a street corner or in a restaurant's revolving door.
~ Albert Camus

BEACON
2013
Dept. of Mathematics
St. Xaviers College (Autonomous), Kolkata

Message from the Principal

Rev. Dr. J. Felix Raj, S.J. Principal, St. Xaviers College (Autonomous), Kolkata

It gives me immense pleasure to know that the Department of Mathematics is publishing the first edition of their magazine Beacon. I am certain that the journal will provide a vibrant platform for academic exchange among students and teachers and broaden their mathematical outlook. I wish to congratulate all the faculty members and the Editorial Board on their wholehearted, rejuvenated and consolidated effort in mouldingout the first edition of Beacon. I also wish them success in all their future endeavours! God bless you allNihil Ultra!

Rev. Dr. J. Felix Raj, S.J.

Message from the Vice Principal


Prof. Bertram da Silva, Vice Principal, Arts and Science Department, St. Xaviers College (Autonomous), Kolkata

I am glad that the Department of Mathematics has published the first edition of the departmental magazine, Beacon. The Honble Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has proclaimed 2012 as the National Mathematics Year to commemorate the quasquicentennial birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan. I would like to believe that the Department of Mathematics has honoured that anniversary with this publication. I would like to believe that the magazines name has symbolic significance. Indeed, may it be a beacon of the departments pursuit of academic excellence in teaching, learning and research.

Prof. Bertram da Silva

Message from HOD

Mr. Anindya Dey, Head of the Department, Department of Mathematics, St. Xaviers College (Autonomous), Kolkata

As the Head of the Department of Mathematics, I really feel proud for my students who have taken a lot of enthusiasm in bringing out the first edition of the colourful departmental magazine, Beacon 2013, even amid a tight schedule of classes and the uphill task of organizing Analytica 2012. It is not just a magazine manned by mathematical articles but a platform to express the talents of the students of our department and the college at large. It is expected to be interactive and fun to read.

Mr. Anindya Dey

Beacon 2013

Head of the Department, Mathematics

Anindya Dey
Editorial Board
Prerona Dutta Aditya Ghosh (chief editor) Nimisha Jain Sayantan Maitra

Cover Design and Photography


Avishek Chatterjee, Debarpan Panday, Sayan Mukherjee, Editorial board

Photo Courtesy etc


Avishek Chatterjee, Sayantan Guha, Debarpan Panday, Radhika Sengupta, Editorial board

Puzzles, News, Crosswords


Sayantan Guha, Minakshi Punam Mondal, Editorial board

Saaranshs Doodle Corner


Saaransh Kulkarni

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E D I T O R I A L

teve Jobs once said, just explore things. Such powerful words. And these are the words that typify the spirit of the Department of Mathematics. We explored, and are still exploring. In 2008, Analytica took off. And, now its Beacon, our first departmental magazine. Several months of hard work has finally shaped, and the Department of Mathematics continues to extend its boundaries and explore new realms. With the success of last years Analytica, we felt that we should widen our ranges and carry forward the Xaverian spirit of Nihil Ultra, by putting together our talents, ideas and perspectives, and presenting the seemingly arcane world of mathematics in a lucid and perspicuous manner. With this the idea of Beacon was born. And, boy, what an appropriate year it is to launch the first volume of our departmental magazine! The Honble Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has announced that 2012 is the National Mathematics Year, commemorating 125th birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan. Drawing inspiration from this phenomenal master, we present to you, Beacon. Our aim is not to print a journal full of mathematical theorems, rigour and proofs; but to present to you, a mathematical perspective that we in this department firmly believe in, and that we want to share with all of you. Mathematics is fun, mathematics is innovation, and mathematics is anything but boring! With a large variety of articles, ranging from poems to mathematical proofs, Beacon boasts of being a platform for students of the department, and the college at large, to come up with their ideas and express them in their unique way. Check out our column, Math on Web, to get a comprehensive idea of the mathematical resources and the infinitude of information and knowledge that they have to offer. Articles such as An Ever-Raging Disparity, PhD Blacks, , Can Mathematics define our Fuzzy Neighbourhood?, , , Maths and Us, are sure to win your hearts. The magazine is also rife with crosswords, quizzes and puzzles, like Sudoku, Hidato, etc. Check out Saaranshs Doodle Corner as well. Its sure to tickle you pink! Amidst all the exuberance and excitement, with Analytica being round the corner, we fondly remember the cheerful and lighthearted Prof. Dhrubojyoti Bhattacharya, who left for his heavenly abode this year. We at St. Xaviers College miss him dearly and offer our commiseration to his bereaved family. With his demise, a great chapter in the history of the college has come to a close, and we are working tirelessly to write new chapters, drawing inspiration from him.

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E D I T O R I A L

In the words of H.E. Luccock, No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it. Much the same, the departmental magazine is not just the work of a few individuals; no contribution, however small, can be disregarded. It is a collective work where the entire department, the faculty and the students, participated with all their dedication and enthusiasm. The constant support and encouragement from the Principal is truly unparalleled, and we thank him for being with us in the journey. We also thank the Vice Principal, the Head of the Department, the faculty members and all those whose encouragement motivated us to look beyond hardships and provided us with the beacon, the guiding light, which we truly needed. Our hearty gratitude goes out to our friends all well, especially Nilasis, Debasmit, Debanjan, Srijan, Tapojyoti, Sankar, and Bihalan, who have gone out of their way to help us in this endeavour. We express our sincere apology for not being able to mention the names of all the people who have helped us mold this amorphous idea into a concrete reality. Samuel Butler once wrote, There is no such source of error as the pursuit of truth. And we truly understand these words in spirit and thereby apologize for the errors, discrepancies and incongruities that will inadvertently be present in the nooks and corners of the pages hereafter. And for this, we express our deep and sincere apology to you. All in all, working for Beacon 2012 has been immensely all-consuming and gratifying, full of excitement, exuberance and enthusiasm a sort of experience that stays with you long after it is over. All said and done, we sincerely hope that Beacon 2012 thrills you with joy and delight and pleasure, just as it has thrilled us!

~ Aditya Ghosh, On behalf of the Editorial

erona

Aditya

Nimisha

Sayantan

Prerona

Beacon 2013

What's in store
Prof. Dhrubajyoti Bhattacharyya our very beloved Dhruba Sir Teachers and ex-students 1 . 2 PhD Blacks - an excursion into reality Prof. Angsuman Das 3 A Story of an Examination in a University of Reals Prof. Pabitra Debnath 7 Just another way of looking into Q Prof. Anindya Dey 9 An Ever-raging Disparity Does It Exist? Prerona Dutta 11 Time Indranil Roy, Sudip Chakraborty, Subhadip Roy 14 Amazing World of Primes Sayantan Guha 18 Ancient Number Systems Diya Bhattacharyya 20 Pizza Theorem Nimisha Jain 22 Hidato 25 Maths and Us Aditya Ghosh 27 Can Mathematics Define Our Fuzzy Neighbourhood? Srijan Datta 28 Prime Sequence Arnab Dey Sarkar 32 Construction and Observation of Special Table from Multiplication Mriganka Shekhar Chaki 33 Math on the Web Sayantan Maitra 35 Fermats Last Theorem Arnab Dey Sarkar 39 Sudoku 43 Mathematics and Art Radhika Sengupta 44 The Golden Rectangle Poulastya Ray 46 The Curing Mathematics Moumita Seth 49 Who invented Calculus? Riddhi Bandyopadhay 50 Kakuro 52 Ramanujan the Greatest Mathematician Spandan Patra 54 Know the Masters 55

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Palindrome Spandan Patra 56 Quiz Corner 1 59 Visual Multiplication with Lines 60 Mathematics, Music and Us Anisha Khaitan 62 Unexplored Memories: Analytica Debayan Chakraborty 63 Higgs Boson Rajkumar Biswas 66 Cryptography Sayantan Guha 68 Killer Sudoku 70 Ode to Mathematics Anisha Khaitan 72 Palindromic Numbers Shreya Bose 74 Quiz corner 2 77 Euler Master of All Debarpan Panday 78 Tricks of mathematics Arpita Datta 81 Zer0s Story Abhinaba Modak 83 The Rise of Science in India Nehal Kejriwal 85 Thank You for the Music! Aditya Ghosh 87

A Battle Lost and Won Prerona Dutta 88 Tempest: An Un-professional Review Sayantan Maitra 89 91

92

93

97

98

99 102 103 104

[All puzzles, quizzes, crossword have been solved on page 105-107.]

Beacon 2013 Prof. Dhrubajyoti Bhattacharyya our very beloved Dhruba Sir
(from an ex-student and teacherof the department)

We the staff and students of Mathematics department are shattered and perplexed in grief for his sudden demise from our association. A great part of his life was rendered in this institution with honour and profound dedication. As a teacher he was lovable to all and at the same time a silent, faithful friend to all of us. His unparalleled company enriched us and was beneficial from different standpoints of our career. It goes without saying that he was an excellent Mathematics teacher. He used to teach us Real Analysis. In this connection, I would like to cite an event which D.B. Sir used to do often in our Analysis class. There were lots of results that were taught in the class. D.B. Sir used to do one thing after writing some steps of a result which needs to be proved he used to ask us: What is the next line of the proof? and we used to start thinking very deeply with all our efforts about the next step of the proof. After some time Sir used to inform us that there are no more steps left as the theorem is already proved which means he wanted to let us know that in real analysis it may appear difficult to figure out the solution when the problem is already solved. We all are very much aware of his depth of knowledge, his honesty, his co-operation and the sense of affection to us at large. Enormous faith and belief towardshis guidance have driven us to run after him for all kinds of suggestions with respect to several aspects of life which are not only confined to the boundary of an academic career. As a student I have found him as an ideal teacher as a colleague I have discovered him as an ideal master. His transcendent soul is highly honoured and we pray to the Almighty for the eternal peace of his departed soul. At last as his student I would say:
, , ; |

Beacon 2013


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PhD Blacks
An excursion into reality

~ Prof. Angsuman Das


Completed graduation/post-graduation? A Gurgaon-based MNC requires fresher for their Kolkata Branch. For Walk-in Interview contact A very common advertisement in todays corporatized job-world. But, should a fresher go for that? Your parents, well-wishers, teachers or any academician generally will not recommend you for this option. Their suggestion will be that when you have come so far, why not opt for higher education or research/PhD. So, at last with various suggestions and recommendations and with a hope for a well-settled life thereafter, you join an institute/ university for PhD position. Another situation may also arise. Suppose you are good in a particular subject, have completed your post-graduation in that and you really enjoy remaining engrossed in it. So, your obvious choice will be to get a PhD position in an institute of your choice and caliber.

Yet another situation is there. Suppose you have completed your masters and not finding any ads of the first type suitable for you and have somehow bagged a scholarship for a PhD position. So, its better to join that rather than remaining unemployed. At least it will save you from social humiliation. Your parents will feel proud to inform their relatives and neighbors that their son/daughter is yet another Einstein or a would-be Nobel laureate in the making. There are many other situations too (which are not mentioned here for brevity or due to my lack of knowledge) which may land you (safely) in a PhD position. So, whatever would have been the reason, you are finally in research now. And here begins the journey

Area of Research: The area or topic of research that you have chosen might have been interesting to you in your undergraduate days, but the real world is something different. It may (most of the time) happen that the topic chosen by you is either outdated or oversaturated or not in demand this days. If any of these happens, you are in trouble.
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Once you have taken research as a full-time job (for the time being), the very first thing you will notice is that you have gained a lot of enthusiasm and adrenaline. Research is fun and exciting. The thrill of discovery is unique. But, this adrenaline rush will go down as days progress. There are various reasons. Some of them and perhaps the most prevailing ones are as follows:

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Advisor: To start with, let me define once more for you (though it may seem meaningless to you), what this term means. An advisor is an expert in your chosen field who is supposed to advise and guide you through this journey called PhD. But, in many situations, this definition is violated to various extents. As a researcher, you may have to work on someone elses (advisors) ideas or you may be treated as a technician rather than an independent collaborator. Eventually, you will probably be squeezed out of what you had thought the world of research would be. If you were to be a technician at this end, then why are you not getting yourself a job instead of putting up with such a misery? Things can be even worse. As the direction and completion of your thesis depends a lot on your advisor, it is better to have a nice and healthy relationship with him (which can be itself be more challenging than the thesis at times).

Research Funding: The governments, in India as well as in other countries, are now investing a lot in R&D sector and it is a good sign for researchers. But again the problem is far deep rooted than you can think. Universities across the world train roughly four times as many PhDs as there are jobs for them. So, once you are through with your PhD (hope so!), the real challenge is to bag a faculty position in some institute. Now, suppose you fail to do so. What are the options left to you? First of all, you can go back to jobs which you could have bagged with your post-graduate degree. But the fact is the longer you spend in research and the less attractive you will be to prospective employers in other fields. The next option is to look for post-doctoral position in some institute. The post-doc fellowships are awarded for a
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Quality of Research: During your PhD, whenever you arrive at some result or conclusion, the next step is to get it published in some journal or proceedings. But, apart from mistakes and qualitative inferiority, your article may face rejection due to various Universities across the world train roughly four times reasons that you cant even think of. It as many PhDs as there are jobs for them. So, once may be due to the fact that your results are not revolutionary or that you are you are through with your PhD (hope so!), the real challenge is to bag a faculty position in some not having outstanding/eminent collaborators as co-authors. As a institute. Now, suppose you fail to do so. What are beginner, it should not be expected the options left to you? that you will be producing pathbreaking discoveries that the veterans have been trying for a long time. And even if you propose so-called revolutionary ideas, many a times you will find it difficult to convince the community. But, at the end of the tenure (most of the PhD scholarships are for 3-5 years nowadays), you should have at least a few publications to defend your thesis. This time constraint, in many cases, lead to papers of poor quality that provide no real value addition to the subject itself.

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maximum of two year tenure and the chance of getting a faculty position even after that is quite low. So, after two years you will have to look for yet another post-doc to meet your expenses for the next two years and so on.

Research as a career: Look, above everything, research is a profession, neither a religious vocation nor an oath of poverty. The PhD and post-doc scholarships are good as long as you are single or no one to support. But can you raise your family with that? In mid-twenties, these issues might seem meaningless. But, imagine your days in thirties and forties (and more if you can survive this peril). Of course, you dont go In your early research days, you might be idolized as a into research to get rich. In scientist or something of that genre in your social strata. But that case, you could have gone as time progresses, this idolization may change into ultimate for law or medical schools or humiliation. even invest in real estates. By this I dont mean to say that these schools are only for money making purposes, but the fact is that a lawyer or a doctor earns much more than a researcher (one lucky enough to grab a faculty position). If you are already bored, please feel free to throw away this rubbish. But to them, it is my earnest request not to choose research as a career. In case, you are not bored yet, let me give you some more instances:

Cupids Curse: To make the story more interesting, assume that you are in love with someone (a very strong assumption indeed). In your chosen field, generally you will be at least around 32-35 before you can afford to get married. But, especially in India, will it be possible for your would-be partner to wait for you so long. Thats why girls (rare exceptions are excluded here and will be treated separately) avoid being in relationship with guys like you. Now, coming to those exceptions, where you have managed to find someone who can
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Social Status: In your early research days, you might be idolized as a scientist or something of that genre in your social strata. But as time progresses, this idolization may change into ultimate humiliation. Again, there are various reasons for that. First of all, you will see that your friends (who are not into this circus called PhD) have already bagged lucrative jobs, happily married and well-established in the society and you are still in middle of something where nothing is guaranteed, neither a researchers success nor a faculty position. You may argue that you will not be affected by these factors, but my dear friend, there will be many others around you who will somehow make you feel that you are nothing but an incapable and irresponsible fool. And gradually you will turn into a social outcast.

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wait for you till your settlement. As research demands a certain amount of isolation from other worldly things (I am not telling you that you need to be a saint or something like that), most of the times you will find it extremely difficult to find a balance between your personal/family life and your professional time. In fact if you recall lives of great scientists, there were not at all good homemakers. But, that does not mean that they didnt want to be so. Actually, its the nature of your chosen career that demands to keep you away from these.

Lack of Motivation: Though the above reasons are strong enough to demotivate you towards research, but the main cause of frustration is something else. Many of us go into research to secure a white-collar job as well as a social respect. For them, its a strict warning from my part, dont choose research to have a better career. Come here only if you really like doing it. But, this doesnt mean that who are in research should sacrifice their dream for securing a faculty position. There is a difference between doing research for getting a job and doing a job for pursuing your research. People belonging to the first category are more likely to get depressed than the latter. There are many other problems that a young researcher may face during his PhD days, but if he can efficiently handle all the above problems, the rest can be done satisfactorily.

My intention behind writing all these cr*p, is not to demotivate or scare you away from research, but to make you aware of the hurdles that you will be coming across sooner or later in this field. Many senior scientists and researchers (with respect to age) may disagree with me. But in their times, the situation was not so bad. Research no longer offers a reasonable career path. If you expect to spend your If you expect to spend your working life doing scientific working life doing scientific research using your ingenuity and curiosity to solve important research using your ingenuity and curiosity to solve and interesting problems, you will almost certainly be disappointed, probably when it is too late to choose another important and interesting problems, you will almost career. certainly be disappointed, probably when it is too late to choose another career. In fact it will be worse in the coming days. So, my dear friend, choose this as your career only if you really want to do this or if you have no other career options left! And coming to the end, I will stop with a quotation from an American Physicist; whose article Dont Become a Scientist influenced me a lot. I have known more people whose lives have been ruined by getting a PhD in science than by drugs.
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Beacon 2012 A Story of an Examination in a University of Reals


~ Prof. Pabitra Debnath

This is the story of a fictitious university. If it resembles in reality any Indian university, it is merely a coincidence. Although the story is not real, the characters in the story are real (i.e. real numbers). All the students in the university are real numbers - rationals as well as irrationals. Rationals were countable but irrationals were uncountable. Rationals, true to their name, were quite reasonable. Naturals, among them, were very regular in class. Integers also were quite disciplined. They very well knew where to sit in the class and how to behave. Rationals had some problem initially. But later they could be taught to move in an orderly manner, like naturals. But irrational were rowdies. Algebraics among them were somehow manageable. But transcendental created a big problem. Though uncountably many, they were hardly seen in class. Occasionally a few of them like , e, and their friends could be located in class.

The new vice-chancellor of the University was a real academician. He made the examination system more rational so that only deserving students could get through. The result was obvious. Only rationals passed the examination and all the irrationals failed. Comparing the (cardinal) number of successful student with that of failures, it was natural to conclude that rate of passing was zero percent. The next days headlines in the local newspapers were quite devastating: Students massacre in University of Reals. Anti-student policies of insensitive VC, Remove VC, the Enemy of Students - Some journalists even suspected nepotism. Since the examiners were rational, they favoured the rational numbers. There was a big pandemonium in the campus. General elections were round the corner. So the vice-chancellor was removed and more docile, more obliging person was appointed as the new vice-chancellor. The new V.C removed all the rational numbers. As a result, in the next examinations all irrationals got through the examinations and all rationals failed. But the irrationals joy was short-lived. Very soon they realized that it was not enough to get through the examination. They must have a certificate of passing. In fact some irrationals felt that the certificate was more important than the success in examination. Students formed a queue before the window through which they were supposed to get the certificate. But only countably many could stand in the queue. So they decided to join the 7

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convocation procession consisting of infinitely long rows of infinitely many columns, all of them could be easily be accommodated in the procession. But their dismay: the procession could absorb only countably many aspirants. Thus the change in VC did not solve the problem of irrationals. It has been learnt that the irrationals have joined politics for this is probably the only profession where you do not need any formal qualification.

Beacon 2013 Just another way of looking into Q


~ Prof. Anindya Dey (HOD, Dept. of Mathematics)

When requested by the students to write an article for the inaugural edition of our departmental magazine, I was at a loss in chalking out the topic. Finally, I thought that chatting something on the construction of Q would not be irrational an idea as it will bear some mathematical flavor and throw some light on the natural introduction of Q to the beginners. A rational number is formally defined as
p with p, q being integers such that q 0 . But from q

this definition it transpires that Q , the set of all rational numbers, is being looked into as a subfield of R as for q ( 0) Z R,
1 , the multiplicative inverse of q exists. However, the q

construction of Q can be done more meaningfully from Z itself by using the idea of equivalence classes formed in the cartesian product set Z ( Z {0}) ,the set of all ordered pairs ( p, q) where
pZ

and

q Z {0} .

Define a

relation

on

Z ( Z {0}) as:

( p, q ) ( p, q) iff

p.q = p.q where ( p, q ) , ( p, q) Z ( Z {0}) .

It is at once seen that is reflexive and symmetric. To verify that is transitive also, we are to make use of the fact that {Z , +,.} is an integral domain (i,e a commutative ring with unity having no zero divisors).Consider three ordered pairs ( p, q) , ( p, q) , ( p, q) in Z ( Z {0}) such that hold good. Hence p.q = p.q and p.q = p.q .Now two ( p, q ) ( p, q) and cases arise, viz, p = 0 and p 0 .If p = 0 , then since {Z , +,.} is an integral domain, it follows 0 and so the three ordered pairs ( p, q ) , ( p, q) , ( p, q) are all from the above that = p p = equivalent. If p 0 , then multiplying the relations p.q = p.q and p.q = p.q we get
( p.q).( p.q) = ( p.q ).( p.q) ( p.q p.q ).(q. p) = 0 ( p.q p.q ) = 0

as p, q 0 and {Z , +,.} is an integral domain. So,

ensuring that is

transitive. Since is an equivalence relation on Z ( Z {0}) , partitions it into a number of p equivalence classes. The equivalence class containing ( p, q) is denoted as [( p, q )] . Q, in q fact, is the family of all such equivalence classes. In this sense, and so on.

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Usually, the equivalence class is identified by that pair ( p, q) where gcd( p, q ) = 1 but defining

p = Q : p Z , q Z {0}, gcd( p,= q ) 1 is not correct at all. Observe that the equivalence class q [(0,1)] Q is the rational number 0 & [(1,1)] Q is the rational number 1.
One may define two binary operations and in Q as follows: If
p p , Q then q q p p p.q + p.q p p [( p, q )] [( p, q)] = [( p.q + p.q, q.q)] = q q q.q q q
p p p. p p p [( p, q )] [( p, q)] = [( p. p, q.q)] = . q q q.q q q

(note that the operations + and . are the binary operations in Z ). These definitions of and are unambiguous in Q and one can trivially see that the rational number 0 and the rational number 1 play the roles of additive identity and multiplicative identity respectively in Q .It is now a routine matter to check that the algebraic system {Q, , } is a field. Thus we can experience how naturally the field {Q, , } evolves from the integral domain {Z,+,.} . Another advantage of this construction of Q is that it easily proves that Q is countable. See that Z is countable and so also is the set Z ( Z {0}) .Again Q, being the set of all equivalence classes introduced by in Z ( Z {0}) , is a subset of Z ( Z {0}) and so is countable. What I have written so far is nothing new but shows that it is just another fruitful and impressive way of looking into rational numbers rather than inculcating them as ratio of two integers.

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AN EVER-RAGING DISPARITY DOES IT EXIST?


~ Prerona Dutta (MTMA, 2nd year)

The prospect of specializing in any subject is quite an uphill task and when it comes to pursuing Mathematics as the major subject, it certainly is no mean feat. The study of Mathematics proves to be a daunting task as it perpetually challenges the mind to come up with problems and their solutions. It questions and validates pre-existing notions and in the process gives rise to new ideas. This is why exploring this vast domain requires a certain Exploring this vast domain requires a level of maturity that could either be certain level of maturity that could inherent or imbibed through hard work, an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and either be inherent or imbibed through analytical thinking to stand up to the hard work, an unquenchable thirst for continuous volley of challenges thrown up at knowledge and analytical thinking to every instant. Beginners in the specialization of challenges. Mathematics beyond school level are often left perplexed at what they perceive to be a sudden turn of events. A subject that previously required only a bit of aptitude and the ability to perform calculations at lightning speed using a handful of formulae and short-cut tricks, now begins to offer serious food for thought. No longer is it adequate to solve problems mechanically, now it requires deep thought and analysis. What seemed obvious earlier now requires proper justification and in most cases that is where we get stuck. This happens primarily due to our inability to grasp the concepts and see them in their true light, not only from our own narrow perspective. The ability to acquire the bounty offered by the subject requires practice --- the practice of clear, rational thinking and reasoning. We need to ponder upon all those apparently obvious conclusions and try to get down to the crux of the matter. Rome was not built in a day. It is equally futile to expect to acquire these abilities within a few months after years of malpractice. This is why somewhere in between instead of drawing the line, there arises the need to blur the line separating Mathematics taught at the school level and higher studies, which are constantly at loggerheads in the minds of beginners. In order to bridge this apparent gap, it may be useful if the practice of analysing ones own thought process and justifying the methods adopted is introduced at the school level itself. Often modification of the curriculum for higher studies is suggested,

stand up to the continuous volley of

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to make life easier but that may not be a wise solution in the long run as it will virtually lead to lowering of our academic standards. A more feasible solution would be to revise the school curriculum and introduce certain concepts from abstract algebra or real analysis in their rudimentary forms in schools. This too will not be an easy task as in case the goose remains half-cooked it will be all the more difficult to digest. The failure to teach such topics in a student-friendly manner will do nothing to reduce the animosity that already exists among students towards this subject. The practice of logically deducing results must be ingrained in students in a suitable way as early as possible in their academic lives as it will ultimately help to raise the bar. Logic as a subject could also be taught in schools to assist students in exercising their brains to attain the maturity required to pursue Mathematics. The introduction of analysis in the school curriculum is bound to face a lot of resistance (like all other good things which prove beneficial in the long run) but it may This perception is bound to undergo a ultimately work out if carried out sea change once pupils get judiciously, that is by exposing students to accustomed to exercising their logic the right amount of it and not in excess. It will prepare them for what would be and reasoning from a young age, expected of them in future. It might be instead of putting it all away in cold difficult for all students to understand storage to be thawed out later when it such concepts in school, so these topics could be included in the syllabus in the is all rotten form of an optional paper for all those interested in specializing in Mathematics. Certain advanced topics could also be clubbed with already existing chapters in the school curriculum they are related to. For example, the idea of sequences could be introduced while teaching progressions, relations and mapping could be covered in greater details to accommodate introductory concepts of abstract algebra. In middle school when pupils are taught Number System and Set Theory, the preliminary notions regarding real number system, upper bounds, lower bounds, countability of sets etc. could be introduced through interactive sessions, so that when students come across these in higher studies terms like sup (supremum) or even the mention of Sandwich theorem do not instigate them to conjure up images of an elaborate breakfast table thus destroying the purpose of it all. In hindsight it may be noted that this disparity between Mathematics taught at school and in higher studies, which causes all this hue and cry among students, is entirely a trick played on us by our minds. This perception is bound to undergo a sea change once pupils get accustomed to exercising their logic and reasoning from a young age, instead of
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putting it all away in cold storage to be thawed out later when it is all rotten. The prevalent habit of studying Mathematics in a perfunctory manner early in our lives kills our analytical thinking and apparently renders all that is done in school useless. The situation would have been otherwise with proper training having been initiated at the right time. Then there would have been no reason to falter in higher studies and all this talk of there being a disparity that plagues students would disappear in one go. It is only when we look into this problem carefully do we realize that there exists no such problem at all, at least it is not a fault of the subject but rather of our views on it. The curriculum for Mathematics taught in school gradually transcends into the syllabus for higher studies. It is all uniformly continuous. We are the ones creating imaginary jump discontinuities with our own contradictory nature that initially chooses to answer questions mechanically not concerning ourselves with the reasons behind them and then reverts back to try and justify our actions instead of logically deriving it all right from the beginning so that the job is done all at once without anything remaining unspoken for. Instead of complicating things further all we need to do is: Get the habit of analysis --- analysis will in time enable synthesis to become your habit of mind. Frank Lloyd Wright.

ANTS ON THE EDGE


One hundred ants are dropped on a meter stick. Each ant is travelling either to the left or the right with constant speed 1 meter per minute. When two ants meet, they bounce off each other and reverse direction. When an ant reaches an end of the stick, it falls off. At some point all the ants will have fallen off. The time at which this happens will depend on the initial configuration of the ants. Question: Over ALL possible initial configurations, what is the longest amount of time that

you would need to wait to guarantee that the stick has no more ants?

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TIME
~ Indranil Roy, Sudip Chakraborty, Subhadip Roy (PHSA, 2nd year)

We all know that macroscopically a system is not time reversible, but on the other hand, Newtons laws of motion are time reversible as for any variable x representing any parameter for a macroscopic particle, and x(-t) and x(t) [t=time] can both represent the same position of a particle and they both satisfy Newtons laws. This tussle between kinematic reversibility and statistical irreversibility led the likes of Boltzmann & others to formulate a thermodynamic arrow of time. Boltzmanns H-theorem was a first step towards it. Let us arrive at it in a more interesting fashion. We first define Baker transformation (Baker => a person running a bakery), a 2-D map in phase space (space between generalized displacement q and generalized momentum p), an automorphic or area preserving map, In which x>0 and y<1 If the map transforms (x, y) to (x, y); (x , y) = B (x, y) = (2x, y/2) if x<1/2 (a stretch and fold) (2x-1, (y+1)/2) if x1/2 To understand this physically lets take the example of Vladimir I. Arnold. Now Arnold didnt like cats. So, he would place his cat in a Baker transformation. What happens is pictured below?

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Now, sadly for Arnold, the inverse map of Baker transformation exists. So, by this, his cat would regain its shape again. = (x/2,2y), y<1/2 B-1 (x, y) = ((x+1)/2, 2y-1), y1/2 Now we can make a distribution function in phase plane using this P n = P n-1 (B-1 (x), B-1 (y)) = P n-1 (x/2, 2y), y<1/2 = P n-1 ((x+1)/2, 2y-1), y>1/2 [At y = 1/2 the function is not differentiable] Now we can find a reduced distribution function for P. (integrating out one variable) So, Wn = = =
0 1/2

P n (x,y) dy P n (x,y) dy + P n (x,y) dy


1/2 1

0 1/2

P n-1 (x/2,2y) dy + P n-1 ((x+1)/2,2y-1) dy


1/2

Now let 2y=y and 2y-1=y


1/2

= 1/2[

P n-1 (x/2,y) dy + P n-1 ((x+1)/2,y) dy]


0

= 1/2[W n-1 (x/2) + W n-1 (x+1)/2)] This is called Boltzmanns equation for Baker map. [In statistical mechanics for N particles, we have 6N variables; the reduced distribution function for them is called Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution] Now, Boltzmann defined a function, H n = Therefore, H n+1 = =

W n (x) ln (W n (x)) dx

dx W n+1 (x) ln (W n+1 (x))

dx .1/2[ W n ((x+1)/2) + W n (x/2)]ln [1/2[(W n ((x+1)/2)+ W n (x/2)]

Let 1/2[ W n((x+1)/2) + Wn (x/2)]=((a+b)/2) Now, F(y)=y ln y is a convex function in interval [0,1] So, from Jensens inequalit y, (F(a)+F(b)/2) F(a+b/2)

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y = x ln(x)

So, H n+1 [
1/2

dx{ W n (x/2) ln (W n (x/2))+ W n (x+1/2) ln (W n (x+1/2))]


1

Let x=x/2=(x+1)/2 H n+1 H n+1


0 1

dx W n (x) ln (W n (x))+ dx W n (x) ln (W n (x))

1/2

dx W n (x) ln (W n (x))

So, H n+1 H n Now, as we have integrated both x and y, so H is a number associated with every microstate of a particle in thermal motion. So, through a reversible map, H goes on monotonically decreasing. [even if we 1st integrate x and then y] H 0 Therefore, t This H, (equivalent to Boltzmanns famous H-function), is related to classical entropy (thermodynamic), S as H= -(S/k) + constant [k is Boltzmanns constant] H S => k [as both are functions of time] = t t H S 0 => 0 So, for a reversible process, as t t The equality corresponds to an equilibrium. So, the necessary and sufficient condition for a H S or = 0 . In statistical mechanics, thermodynamic system to be in equilibrium is t t probability of a macro state, W is related to S as

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S=-k ln W So, H=-ln W + constant. So, it turns out that S or H is a measure for randomness of a system [Baker transform, indeed, hints towards this randomness.][Interestingly, though there is quantum analogue of S there none for H] So, with the forward passage of time, randomness of a reversible process can only increase as S is a monotonic increasing function. So this is the thermodynamic arrow of time. N.B. No cats were harmed while writing this article.

Birthday Problem
When asked about her birthday, Firdaus said: The day before yesterday I was only 25 and next year I will turn 28. This is true only for one day in a year. When was Firdaus born?

Bridge Problem
A bridge will collapse in 17 minutes. 4 people want to cross it before it collapses. It is a dark night and there is only one torch with them. Only two people can cross at a time. A takes a minute to cross.B takes 2 minutes. C takes 5 minutes and D takes 10 minutes to cross. How do they all cross before the bridge collapses?

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GOD MAY NOT PLAY DICE WITH THE UNIVERSE, BUT SOMETHING STRANGE IS GOING ON WITH THE PRIME NUMBERS - PAUL ERDOS

~ Sayantan Guha (MTMA, 2nd year)

We all know what prime numbers are. In this article of mine, I have put forward some facts that most of us are unaware of. A prime number is a natural number larger than 1 which cannot be expressed as the product of two smaller natural numbers. Examples: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13 etc.

FUNDAMENTAL THEOREM OF ARITHMETIC


Every natural number greater than 1 can be expressed as a product of one or more primes. This product is unique up to rearrangement. Example: 50 = 2 X 5 X 5 or 5 X 5 X 2. The largest explicitly known prime number is 232582657 1.
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TWIN PRIMES Define a pair of twin primes to be a pair p, p+2 of numbers which are both prime. Example: (3, 5), (5, 7), (11,13), (17,19), etc. TWIN PRIME CONJECTURE There are infinitely many pairs of twin primes. The largest known pair of twin primes is 2003663613 X 2195000 1. In 2004, Arenstorf published a purported proof of the conjecture. Unfortunately, a serious error was found in the proof. As a result, the paper was retracted and the twin prime conjecture remains fully open and despite over two millennia of research into the prime numbers, this conjecture is still unsolved.

SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT PRIME NUMBERS: All large primes have a last digit of 1,3,7 or 9. All large odd numbers (>7) can be expressed as a sum of three primes Odd Goldbach Conjecture. The conjecture has not yet been proven, but there have been some useful near misses. All even numbers (>2) can be expressed as sum of two primes Even Goldbach Conjecture. The conjecture has been shown to hold up through and is generally assumed to be true, but remains unproven despite considerable effort.

Sieve Theory: The primes are not completely random in their behaviour - they do obey
some obvious patterns. For instance, they are all odd (except 2), they are all adjacent to a multiple of 6, etc. We are still unable to detect several types of patterns of primes but we have made recent progress on one type of pattern viz. an arithmetic progression.

Green Tao Theorem (2004) This theorem states that the sequence of prime
numbers contains arbitrarily long arithmetic progressions. In other words, there exist arithmetic progressions of primes, with k terms, where k can be any natural number. These results were, however, existence theorems and did not show how to find the progressions.

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Ancient Number Systems

~ Diya Bhattacharyya (MTMA, 1st year)


The study of mathematics has been prevalent since ancient times. Ancient number systems were much different from those used today. The Sumerian and Babylonian number systems are based on sexagesimal system. The Babylonians were the first people to develop a written number system. It appeared around 19001800 BC. It had only two basic elements: and . 59 numbers are built from these two symbols. They did not have a digit for zero; instead they used a space to mark the non-existence of a digit in a certain place value. The Sumerian number system consists of only two numerals, one and ten. Their place value system is read from the right, increased by a factor of 60. However, the way to represent zero is not mentioned. The Armenian number system used the capital letters of the ancient Armenians. It is based on additive number system. There is no special notation for zero too. The Chinese character numeric system is a base-10 system that contains two types of numerals, Simple and Complex. The Egyptians had a writing system based on hieroglyphs from around 3000 BC. Hieroglyphs are represented in pictures. The Egyptians had a base-10 system of hieroglyphs for numerals. They had different symbols for one unit, ten, one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand, one hundred thousand and one million. Single strokes represented numbers from 1 to 9; plus and minus sign were respectively indicated by feet pointing towards or away from the direction of writing.
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The Greek and Hebrew numeric system operate on the additive principle in which the numeric values of the letters are added together to form the total. The Greeks had two number systems. First is the Aerophonic or Herodian or Attic numbers, which was used by the ancient Greeks. Second one is the Milesian, Alexandrian, Ionic or Alphabetic numerals. Hebrew numeric system is a quasi-decimal alphabetic numeric system. Each units, tens, hundreds are assigned a separate letter. Roman numerals originated in ancient Rome. It is based on certain letters which are given values as numerals. Roman numerals find applications even today. They are widely used now-a-days in clocks, books, list and other places.

By Suboraj Ghosh

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PIZZA THEOREM
~ Nimisha Jain (MTMA, 2nd year)
Sharing a pizza equally between two people might be difficult. But Mathematics even has a solution for that. One can use Mathematics to optimally slice a pizza. If we consider an interior point p of the pizza, and let n be any number that is divisible by 4 and greater than equal to 8. If one forms n sectors of the pizza with equal angles by choosing an arbitrary line through p and rotating the line n/2 -1 times by an angle of 2/n radians. On slicing the pizza on each of the n/2 lines and numbering the sectors consecutively in a clockwise or anticlockwise fashion, one gets the sum of the areas of the odd numbered sectors equal to the sum of the areas of the even numbered sectors. Now the pizza is ready to be shared equally between two people!

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Beacon 2013

HIDATO
HOW TO PLAY
Each Hidato puzzle starts with a grid partially filled with numbers. The goal is to fill the grid with consecutive numbers that connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally Each puzzle has a unique possible solution No guesswork is needed in solving a Hidato puzzle The first and last numbers of a puzzle will be in circle markers It is not necessary to start from the first number. Sometimes working backward (counting down in numbers) can also reveal key clues to solving the puzzle

EXAMPLE
The solution to this problem,

is:

HIDATO PUZZLE 1 (easy)

DID YOU KNOW?


The Hidato Puzzle is invented by Gyora Benedek, who is a prominent computer scientist from Israel. In his spare time, he invents and develops games and logic puzzles.

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Puzzles,
HIDATO PUZZLE 2 (difficult)

mathematical, logical,

verbal, or nonverbal, have always intrigued minds. They appear in the daily newspapers, asserting clearly that to solve these one does not need to have arcane mathematical logic or skills. They appeal to the masses and thus are immensely popular. From the famous ones like Sudoku and Crossword, to the lesser known Hidato, Yajilin and Tatamibari are immensely enjoyed all around the globe. In Japan, the quarterly magazine, Nikoli publishes logic games, puzzles and many more. Nikoli became prominent worldwide with the popularity of Sudoku, a regular favourite of the Nikoli readers.

HIDATO PUZZLE 3 (diabolical)


DID YOU KNOW? The number of classic 9x9 Sudoku solution grids is 6,670,903,752,021,072,936, 960

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Beacon 2013 Maths and Us


~ Aditya Ghosh (MTMA, 3rd year)

Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas - Albert Einstein
Most of us believe that Mathematics involves numbers, shapes and queasy formulae which is essentially the domain of the so-called nerds. It is a laborious discipline where we have to derive irrelevant and peculiar results in incomprehensible symbols like theta, epsilon and delta. So, how can such an obstinate discipline inspire great minds throughout the world from ages unknown? Well, the influence of Mathematics is so vast, that its contribution to the evolution of the human mind and the society as a whole is unmatched. It is the only discipline which has varied applications in almost all fields accounts, physics, computer science, business, economics, medicine, music, arts and engineering. But Mathematics is much more than that. It is the conscience of man understanding his world, which provides the cue, where science always comes up short. From the ancient ages to the modern era of computers, Mathematics has always played a vital part in the development of the human intellect. It provides a subtle link between chaos and order, inferring that obstinacy too, can generate beautiful patterns. Its quite baffling to think that stringent sequences like the Fibonacci series has connections with Nature and can be used to create patterns like the Golden spiral. It is also observed that the patterns of florets in the head of a sunflower vaguely follow the Fibonacci sequence. Every day, new theorems are added to this arabesque of knowledge, expanding its horizons hitherto attained; and every moment, people like us are awe-struck and taken aback by the magnanimity of this discipline which has contributed so much to our way of thinking!

continued on page 58

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CAN MATHEMATICS DEFINE OUR FUZZY NEIGHBOURHOOD?


~ Srijan Datta (MTMA, 3rd year)

Even a little change occurring in any part of the universe can be defined in terms of Mathematics and astonishingly it can be done only by the basic building blocks of mathematics, Sets. What is a set? When we ask this to anyone, mostly we get the same old textual definition, set is a well-defined collection of distinct objects. But, this definition brings more problems than solutions. What does well-defined mean? Are sets truly the building blocks of mathematics? From here I take on the topic of fuzziness which structures our daily life. Considering the classic example of one of the most common questions asked, i.e. Is the girl in the bus-stop pretty?, we get a variety of answers like Goddamn Yes.!!, Okay or may be No way When we want to see this in set theoretic view we are not able to get rid of one big problem - Fuzziness (Vagueness) of the collection. Considering P to be the set of all pretty girls in the bus-stop, suppose everyone present is asked the question that if one particular girl in the bus-stop should belong to the set or not? We cannot reach a final conclusion due to the variability of comments. Fuzziness in definition of collection causes more problems to pile up. We are left with two conclusions from here: either mathematics cannot portray our daily life or sets are not the basic idea in mathematics. But, mathematicians who dealt with fuzziness were confident that mathematics had the solution to both these problems. So, they came up with a Modern Set Theory, a generalized view of Classical Set Theory, and they called it Fuzzy Set Theory. This theory defines sets without the well-defined criterion. Instead of the well-defined criterion, a real-valued function is introduced, which is called membership function or characteristic function whose domain is the universal space.This membership function associates every element of X (see below) to a real number in the interval [0, 1].

Let X be the universal space, and A be the set to be defined. Then, fA : X [0, 1] is the characteristic function which determines the degree of belongingness of any element x( X) in A.

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Hence, nearer the value of f A (x) to 0 lesser the possibility of existence of x in A and nearer the value of f A (x) to unity higher is its possibility of belongingness of x in A. But, any unique membership function for a particular collection.

DEFINITION OF FUZZY SETS:


If X be the universal space and x be the denotation of elements of X. Then a fuzzy set A in X is defined as a set of ordered pairs: A= {(x, f A(x)) |x X} where, f A : X [0, 1] and also sometimes written as the pair (A, f A ).

We can decide the belongingness in the above example using this definition easily. A question naturally arises at this juncture: Is Modern Set Theory anyhow related to Classical Theory? The answer to this is that Modern Set Theory is a generalized view of Classical Set Theory. In classical sets we had either x f A (x) = A or x A, x X, where X is the universal space.

Thus, this is the well-defined criterion in classical set-theory. In other

words, we can say a collection A to be well-defined if and only if f A (X) = {0, 1} where X is the universal space and f A (X) = {f A (x) | x X}. These sets are termed as crisp sets and otherwise called non-crisp sets. A GRAPHICAL DEMONSTRATION OF CRISP AND NON-CRISP SETS: f A (x) 1 Let us consider here X = R+ and A = {x X |2 x 10} Here, f A (x) =0 x [0, 2) U (10, ) And f A (x) =1 0 2 10 Thus this collection is a well-defined collection of numbers and hence a crisp set. Let us now consider X=R+ and A={x X |x>>2} x [0, 2] x Therefore, f A (x) x [2, 10]

{0, 1}.

Here, f A (x) = 0

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f A (x) (0, 1] x (2,)

Thus, A is a non-crisp set with elements having belongingness in [0, 1].

As we try to study any new structure further, we want the properties of the old structure to be preserved and operations to be valid. Hence, the Set Theoretic Operations must be preserved in Fuzzy Set Theory as well. The most basic operations in Classical Set Theory are Union, Intersection and Complementation. The tool we have in our hand for handling these operations is the one and only the membership function. Diagrammatic view turns our intuition into belief, that membership function plays the main role in Set operations. We consider two fuzzy sets in X (universal space). The graph depicts the belongingness of elements of X in both A and B. From Classical Set Theory, AUB must contain all the elements in A along with B. So the belongingness of x ( X) is more in AUB if and only if its belongingness in any of the sets in A or B is high. This is a general idea we can conclude from the diagram. Moreover, from the diagram we can say that the Envelope of the two sets is the region of union and hence the membership function can be defined as follows for the union of two fuzzy sets A and B.

Union: f AUB (x) = max {f A (x), f B (x)}.


Similarly, the idea of intersection can also be generated. Intersection part is the common region between the two fuzzy sets A and B. So, the belongingness of an element is the minimum of its belongingness of it in A and B.

Intersection: f A

B (x)

= min {f A (x), f B (x)}.

Equality: At the same time equality of two fuzzy set comes up. From any diagram we can easily state that two fuzzy sets A and B are said to be Equal if and only if f A (x) = f B (x), x
X.

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Complementation: From the previous diagrams we can say f A (x) = 1 f A (x) where A is A
complement.

Containment:
Drawing a set such that one is the subset of other to see what containment of one set can tell us. From the diagram, it is clear that A if and only if f A (x) f B (x), x X

Though it may seem that it is quite easy to define the set operations on the fuzzy sets, it has taken a long time to establish these concrete ideas. To experience the tour into real fuzzy properties and to know about a concept which brought forward a Big-Bang in set theory, we should also get the idea of complements in fuzzy set theory. Let us consider the situation of the last bench of a classroom in school when the worst subject is being taught. The bench with a capacity of at most 4 invariably has 6 students. So, the students at the extremes somehow managed to sit with most of their body out of the bench. Consider the bench to be the fuzzy set on the classroom (the universal space). Excluding those 6 sitting in the last bench all other students has belongingness 0 and 6 of them has non zero belongingness. The extremes has belongingness close to zero but when it comes to the complement of the bench those extremes also belong to the complement sets with belongingness closer to 1. Thus what we assume in Classical Set Theory proves to be wrong in general, i.e. A

and similarly we can also state reasons for A

U A

Thus, the two most important results in Classical Set Theory are rendered false in Fuzzy Set Theory. This causes Modern Set Theory to leave the domains of Classical Set Theory and climb high into deeper generalization of the Set Theory. Moreover, we can establish Cartesian product of fuzzy sets and also a relation between any two fuzzy sets which will be just be the beginning of the tour in our world of fuzzy sets.

Shift the Digit


The following equation is wrong: 101-102=1. Move one numeral to make it correct. 31

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PRIME SEQUENCE
~ Arnab Dey Sarkar (MTMA, 2nd year)
"Mathematicians have tried in vain to this day to discover some order in the sequence of prime numbers, and we have reason to believe that it is a mystery into which the mind will never penetrate." - Leonhard Paul Euler

A positive integer is said to be a prime number if its only positive divisors are 1 and the number itself. Almost more than two millenniums ago, Euclid proved that there exist infinitely many primes. But till date no one has been able to find an exact pattern of the appearance of these irregularly spaced numbers among the natural numbers. Even no one has been able to explain some formula that produces all the primes. However, some prime-producing polynomials are known. Interestingly, there exists a sequence , defined by , n , which contains all primes except 2 and 3. If we put different values of n viz. 1, 2, 5, 7, 12 etc., we get the values of as 5, 7, 11, 13, 17 etc. respectively, and they are prime numbers. But to establish the fact that the sequence contains all primes except 2 and 3, we need a general proof. As prime numbers are positive integers, so first we have to find out for what values of n, the terms are positive integers. It is possible iff there exists a natural number such that, i.e. Since is a natural number, the denominator must cancel. Hence must be odd, so that and are consecutive even positive integers. As between two consecutive even positive integers, one must be a multiple of , so either or is a multiple of . is divisible by . Therefore the product Now in addition, either or must be a multiple of 3 (since Hence, there is a natural number such that, , or, . . As every prime number from has one of the Therefore, form or so the fact that the sequence , contains all primes except 2 and 3 is established.

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Construction and Observation of Special Table from Multiplication


~ Mriganka Shekhar Chaki (MTMA, 3 year)
rd

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1 2 4 6 8 0 2 4 6 8

2 3 6 9 2 5 8 1 4 7

3 4 8 2 6 0 4 8 2 6

4 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5

5 6 2 8 4 0 6 2 8 4

6 7 4 1 8 5 2 9 6 3

7 8 6 4 2 0 8 6 4 2

8 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

10 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

11

We consider the special multiplication table of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc., where we are taking n = r(mod 10) ; r = 0,1,..,8,9 and ns are the multiples of 1,2,3,4,5,.. Note that, Coloured columns are inverses to each other Coloured columns are inverses to each other Coloured columns are inverses to each other Coloured columns are inverses to each other Coloured column is repeating itself after 10 columns And we also observe that 1st row is the mirror image of the 9th row, 2nd row is the mirror image of the 8th row, 3rd row is the mirror image of the 7th row, 4th row is the mirror image of the 6th

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row, 5th row is the mirror image of the 5th column (i.e. reflection taken about the centre of the table) And we also observe that 1st column is the mirror image of the 9th column,2nd column is the mirror image of the 8th column, 3rd column is the mirror image of the 7th column, 4th column is the mirror image of the 6th column, 5th column is the mirror image of the 5th row. If we consider the middle row and middle column as axis then the 1st quadrant is the mirror image of the 3rd quadrant and 2nd quadrant is the mirror image of the 4th quadrant. Now we construct another table by subtracting each column by its neighbour column (subtracting lesser from greater C1~C2); 4~5 5~6 6~7 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 8 2 2 3 3 3 7 3 3 7 4 4 6 4 6 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 4 6 4 4 6 4 7 3 3 7 3 3 7 8 2 2 2 2 8 2 9 1 1 1 1 1 1 We can observe the similar feature just like the previous table. 0~1 1~2 2~3 3~4 7~8 1 2 3 6 5 6 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 8~9 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 9~10

We consider the middle row and the middle portion of the two column as our axis and we observe the similar symmetry in the opposite quadrants and observe the mirror images of 1st row and 10th row;2nd row and 9th row;3rd row and 8th row;4th row and 7th row;5th row and 6th row and also observe the mirror images of 1st and 10th ;2nd and 9th ;3rd and 8th ;4th and 7th ;5th and 6th columns. This pattern continues infinitely!

Three Brothers
We are given three brothers named Srijan, Sankar and Tapojyoti. Srijan and Sankar (the two Ss) always lie, but Tapojyoti tells the truth. The three are indistinguishable in appearance. You meet one of the three on the street one day and wish to find whether he is Srijan (because Srijan owes you money). You are allowed to ask him one question answerable by a yes or a no, but the question may not contain more than three words! What question would you ask? 34

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Math on the Web


~ Sayantan Maitra (MTMA, 3rd year)

The Internet has changed the world, they say. And among all the things it has managed to change over the past decades, the most important one is the way people used to interact with each other. Mathematicians are no exceptions. We may not see it, but right at this very moment mathematics is flooding the web. Math software, questions, answers, discussions, papers, online courses, games, puzzles, figures, videos and zillions of other ideas are chocking thousands of servers across the globe. Here are some of them which you can use to your own advantage. And rest assured, you dont have to be a nerd to start messing with them. Wikipedia
How can we talk about math stuff on the Internet without mentioning our good ol friend Wikipedia? If you need a quick overview on a math topic, worlds largest encyclopedia may have a good answer for you. Its not a textbook, so dont expect to cope up with everything in a single article; but with over 28,000 mathematics articles English Wikipedia is one of the richest math resources the Internet has to offer. And here is a free tip: If youre not used to look up math on Wikipedia you may want to take a look at its mathematics portal and start it from there. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Mathematics (Mathematics portal on English Wikipedia)

Mathematics Stack Exchange


Have you ever been stuck with a math problem on the night before an exam and panicked because you cant find the answer? Or did you ever come across an intriguing question but couldnt pursue your friends or teachers to discuss about it? Then math.SE (as it is commonly called) is the place to go. It is one of the many Q&A websites operated by the Stack Exchange Network. Almost any question related to mathematics (which makes at least, er, some sense) is allowed here and someone may get interested enough to give you a helpful answer. Yes you need a bit of working knowledge of the popular typesetting program LaTeX for typing formulae but hey, that has never been a problem to anybody. You can also give answer to others questions, if you feel like. Oh, did I mention, this site has a chat facility that lets multiple users to chat among them in real time. math.stackexchange.com 35

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Online Encyclopedia for Integer Sequences (OEIS)


An entire encyclopedia just for sequences? Yup, thats exactly what it is. This one-of-a-kind website was created by Neil Sloane, who started collecting integer sequences as a graduate student and had to build up a database because his collection was getting too damn big to fit inside a book. What will you do with it? Suppose you have a bunch of integers and you want to know if there is a formula or an algorithm which generates them. Put them in the search box, click search button and the database will dig its collection of more than 200,000 entries to give you all the relevant information regarding any sequence which has the entered numbers as a part. So, for example, type in the numbers 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14; OEIS will tell you that they are the first few terms of the sequence of all natural numbers with odd number of 1s in their binary expressions! oeis.org

Detexify
If you want to go forward with math (or with any other discipline which uses math), sooner or later you need LaTeX. And while using LaTeX, there are good many chances that you will often run into alien looking math symbols whose LaTeX commands you need urgently. Detexify is here to help you out. Draw the symbol with your mouse and a powerful software will try to recognize the symbol. Then it will display a list of possible matches along with their LaTeX commands. This may not sound much but, at times, it is nothing less than a life-saver. Even if you dont know LaTeX, this is worth giving a shot. Trust me, its that cool. detexify.kirelabs.org/classify.html

The Polymath Project


Gone are the days when the only way to solve a difficult math problem was to sit down alone in a chair and wrap your brain around it. Welcome to the Polymath project. Brainchild of Fields Medalist British mathematician Timothy Gowers, Polymath project aims to solve important and difficult problems in a manner where any interested person can be part of the process (the massively collaborative way, as Gowers originally phrased it). And guess what, it has also been very successful. The first project gave a new combinatorial proof of the Density HalesJewett theorem and several papers have been published under the pseudonym D.H.J. Polymath. Believe it or not, the Polymath project, if not discontinued in the long run, has the potential to change the whole landscape of mathematics research all over the world (and, consequently, the way we see mathematics itself)! polymathprojects.org (Want to know more? Go to bit.ly/QhPujI or just Wikipedia it!) 36

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Math Blogs
Lets put it this way, math blogs are the most important websites on mathematics youll find. Why? Just because if you are interested in knowing what is going on in the world of mathematics, these are the places you should hang around most. Not only well-established mathematicians but also amateurs (including students) run blogs on mathematics. Therefore you can find posts of very expository nature to posts discussing cutting-edge research topics. If there is something exciting happening somewhere which is related to math, almost surely some blog will report it. Start looking around for yourself; you might be able to find a few blogs to your own taste. Here are some of my favorites. lamington.wordpress.com, amathew.wordpress.com, gowers.wordpress.com, qchu.wordpress.com, terrytao.wordpress.com, sunejakobsen.wordpress.com, 11011110.livejournal.com, cedricvillani.org (in French) (www.mathblogging.org is also useful to keep track of new blog posts.)

FLOWER GARDEN

In a certain garden, each flower was either red, yellow or blue, and all three colours were represented. A statistician once visited the garden and made the observation that whatever three flowers you picked, at least one of them was bound to be red. A second statistician visited the garden and made the observation that whatever three flowers you picked, at least one of them was bound to be yellow. Two logic students, Hiranya and Krishanu heard about this and got into an argument. Hiranya said, It therefore follows that whatever three flowers you pick, at least one of them is bound to be blue. And, Krishanu said, Of course not! Who is correct and why?

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Avisheks PHOTO COLUMN

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Fermats Last Theorem


~ Arnab Dey Sarkar (MTMA, 2nd year)

And perhaps posterity will thank me for having shown it that the ancients did not know everything.
- Pierre de Fermat

called a Pythagorean triple. It can be proved that, all solutions of the Pythagorean equation by the formula satisfying the three conditions , - t2, for integers divides such that and

infinitely many integral solutions of the Pythagorean equation,

From the days of Pythagoras, it was known to the Greeks and everyone since then, that there exists , where

usually

are given and

is not divisible by 2.

This naturally encourages an inquisitive mind to think about the positive integral exponent greater than 2. In 1637, Pierre de Fermat, possibility of finding such numbers triplets for a similar equation with

whom many regard as a father of modern number theory, stated in his

forth power as a sum of two similar powers, and, in general, any power beyond the second as a sum of two similar powers. For this, I have it.

note book, It is impossible to write a cube as a sum of two cubes, a

discovered a truly wonderful proof, but the margin is too small to contain

Fermat

So, Fermat was simply asserting that, if equation,

trivial solutions in which at least one of the variables is zero. More than the second into two like powers. This above statements is one of

has no solutions in integers, other than the

, then the Diophantine

precisely it means that it is impossible to separate any power higher

the most celebrated statements in Mathematics, popularly known as the 'Fermat's Last theorem' (FLT) or, more accurately, 'Fermat's Conjecture.'

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The fact that the statement of the conjecture is understandable even by school children makes it all the more frustrating, and it has probably generated more incorrect proofs than any other problem in the history of mathematics. The first case of Fermats Last Theorem to be proved, by Fermat himself, was the case n=4 using the method of infinite descent. But he did not

The fact that the statement of the conjecture is understandable even by school children makes it all the more frustrating, and it has probably generated more incorrect proofs than any other problem in the history of mathematics.

has

prove it in general. The problem challenged the foremost

mathematicians of the last 360 years. But their efforts have only of individual cases. produced partial results and proofs

Fermat's Conjecture for the prime

one stage. Finally, Gauss gave the correct proof of this case. In view of these results, it was soon realized that, to prove Fermat's Theorem, it would be sufficient to prove it for odd prime exponent only. Dirichlet and Legendre independently settled the case around 1825.

in the year 1770. In Euler's proof, reasoning was incomplete at

Euler gave the first proof of the

In 1983, a 29 years old West German mathematician, Gerd Faltings, proved that for each solutions. At a glance, this may not seem like much of an advance, but if it can be shown that the finite number of solutions is exponent , the Fermats equation,

can have atmost a finite number of integral

To round out historical digression, we might

zero in each case, then the problem is done.

DID YOU KNOW?


On August 17, 2011, a Google doodle was shown on the Google homepage, showing a blackboard with the theorem on it. When hovered over, it displays the text "I have discovered a truly marvelous proof of this theorem, which this doodle is too small to contain." This is a reference to the note made by Fermat in the margins of Arithmetica.

mention that in 1823 and then in 1850, the French Academy of Science offered a prize for a correct proof. This initiative caused only a wave of thousands of mathematical misadventures. A third prize offered in 1883 German industrialist Paul and

by the Academy of Brussels. In1908, the mathematician Friedrich Wolfskehl amateur

Academy of Sciences to be offered as a prize for a complete proof of FLT. But, in between 1908 to

bequeathed 100,000 marks to the Gottingen

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1912 over 1000 alleged proofs appeared..........all wrong!! According to the mathematical historian for which the greatest numbers of incorrect proofs have been published.

Howard Eves, Fermats Last Theorem, has the peculiar distinction of being the mathematical problem

an idea of associating to any solution satisfy the relation

The history of correct proofs of FLT begins in the late 1960s, when Yves Hellegouarch came up with of Fermats Equations with a completely different

mathematical object: an elliptic curve. The curve consists of all points in the plane whose coordinates

theorem, Andrew J. Wiles of Princeton University finally came forward with an abstract proof. But again a fatal logical gap in the argument was pointed out by N. Katz within a short period. However, in October corrected version of the previous proof, dividing it into two articles. The proof

In June 1993, after almost 360 years from the inception of this

I carried this problem around in my head basically the whole time. I would wake up with it first thing in the morning, I would be thinking about it all day, and I would be thinking about it when I went to sleep. Without distraction I would have the same thing going round and round in my mind. Andrew Wiles

1994, Richard Taylor and Wiles released a

appeared in the Annals of Mathematics in 1995. It was more than 130 page long, really a little too long to be contained in the margin of any book! The proof is highly technical and it requires extensive

Andrew Wiles

knowledge of elliptic curves and modular forms and to appreciate the proof. In 1985, G.

Frey tried an indirect method to prove FLT and introduced special

types of elliptic curves, called Frey elliptic curves, which exists if and Wiles, who explored Frey's approach further.

only if FLT is false. But the master stroke came from the 40 years old

age constraints, he was presented an IMU Silver Plaque during the age old problem. International Congress of Mathematicians, Berlin (1998) for his proof

Though Andrew Wiles was not awarded by the Fields Medal, due to

So, finally, the hunt to solve FLT has come to an end..............

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Every positive integer is one of Ramanujan's personal friends. -John Littlewood

On a scale from 0 to 100, Hardy gave himself a score of 25, Littlewood 30, Hilbert 80 and Ramanujan 100.

- Bruce Berndt

Srinivasa Ramanujan
-

()

(1887-1920)

Picture Courtesy:

Radhika Sengupta

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SUDOKU

Sudoku is a logic-based, combinatorial, number-placement puzzle. Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 3-by-3 block contain all of the digits 1 thru 9. If you use logic you can solve the puzzle without guesswork.

SUDOKU PUZZLE 1 (easy)

SUDOKU PUZZLE 2 (tough)

SUDOKU PUZZLE 3 (challenging)

DID YOU KNOW?


Sudoku was popularised in 1986 by
the Japanese Puzzle company Nikoli, under the name Sudoku meaning single number. It became a worldwide hit in the year 2005.

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Mathematics and Art


~ Radhika Sengupta (MTMA, 1st year) The theme of mathematics and art may sound a little strange. But these two have a long historical relationship. Mathematics produces art, generates it and inspires it. Aristotle has rightly said, The chief forms of beauty are order, symmetry and definiteness, which the mathematical sciences demonstrate in a special degree. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks used the Golden Ratio, regarded as the aesthetically pleasing ratio and incorporated it into the design of monuments. The Great Pyramid, The Parthenon, The Colosseum all bear testimony to the imaginative use of ancient geometric knowledge. Two numbers are said to be in Golden Ratio if the ratio of the sum of the quantities to the larger quantity is equal to the ratio of the larger quantity to the smaller one. The proportion is incorporated into architecture, painting, finance, industrial design, music and nature. Pure mathematical form, often with high symmetry, is the inspiration for several sculptors who create lyrical, breath-taking works. Polykleitos, a Greek sculptor designed the perfect anatomical proportions of the male figure, thus giving us a mathematical approach towards the sculpturing of the human body. Renaissance artists were driven towards the pursuit of mathematics as they needed to figure out how to depict three dimensional scenes on a two dimensional canvas. This pursuit made them one of the best applied mathematicians of their time. When we think of the symbiosis of mathematics and art the first name that pops into our heads is Leonardo Da Vinci. We can see the incorporation of the linear perspective in The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. In creating the vanishing point Leonardo makes a flat painting appear to have depth and creates the illusion that a painting is the extension of the room itself. Thus we see that Mathematics plays an important role in art and architecture too!
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Best Compliments
From

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Contact: 9051819593 9775232464

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The Golden Rectangle


~ Poulastya Ray (PHSA, 3rd Year) To talk about one of the most aesthetically pleasing beauties of mathematics, we tend to think about the Golden Rectangle. This rectangle has been made using the golden ratio, which is observed in ancient Greek art and architecture such as the Parthenon in Greece, but it is not really known if it was designed that way or it is coincidental. 1+ 5 A golden rectangle is one whose side lengths are in the golden ratio, or 2 approximately 1: 1.618 A distinctive feature of this shape is that when a square section is removed, what remains is another golden rectangle; that is, with the same aspect ratio as the first. Removal of square can be repeated infinitely, in which case corresponding corners of the squares form an infinite sequence of points on the golden spiral, the unique logarithmic spiral with this property. Using the golden ratio: 1 x taking a = x and a + b = = 1 x 1 x This gives us, x 2 + x 1 = 0 5 1 And x = for positive x . 2 5 1 1 We let x = = 2 Not only =1 (quite obvious!) But also Since
x= 5 1 1 = 2

1 =

(1.1)

A golden rectangle with longer side a and shorter side b, when placed adjacent to a square with sides of length a, will produce a similar golden rectangle with longer side a + b and shorter side a. This illustrates a+b a the golden ratio = a b

And

1+ 5 +1 5 1 2 =+ 1 = 1 , this relation also implies that = 2 2 1 On determining the values of and we get,

= 1.618033988749.... and

= 0.618033988749....
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From equation(1.1), we get the golden ratio = 1 +

= 1+
1+ 1+

1 1 1 1+ 1+ 1 1 1 + ...

Another curious relationship is:

= 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + ... , to verify this let x = 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + ...


x 2 =+ 1 1 + 1 + 1 + ...

1 x x = x 2 =+ From the definition of .

It is fascinating to observe what happens when we find the powers of . 5 +1 5 +3 5 +1 = +1 = +1 = 2 = 2 2 3 = 2 = ( + 1) = 2 + = ( + 1) + = 2 + 1


2 2

4 = 2 2 = ( + 1)( + 1) = 2 + 2 + 1 = ( + 1) + 2 + 1 = 3 + 2 5 = 4 = (3 + 2) = 3 2 + 2 = 3( + 1) + 2 = 5 + 3 and so on
A summary chart reveals a pattern among the coefficients of .

2= 3 = 4 = 5 =

+1 2 + 1 3 + 2 5 + 3 and so on These are Fibonacci numbers (the next number is found by

adding up the two numbers before it). There is a special relationship between the Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci Sequence: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377... If you take any two successive (one after the other) Fibonacci Numbers, their ratio is very close to the Golden Ratio (correct value = 1.6180339... ). In fact, the bigger the pair of Fibonacci Numbers, the closer the approximation. Let us try a few: A 2 3 5 8 ... 144 233 ... B 3 5 8 13 ... 233 377 ... B/A 1.5 1.666666666... 1.6 1.625 ... 1.618055556... 1.618025751... ...

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We can draw our own golden spiral using Fibonacci numbers. Draw a golden rectangle with sides as a pair of Fibonacci numbers. Divide it into two parts, one being a square. The remaining golden rectangle also has sides of Fibonacci numbers. Divide that into two, one part being a square, and so on. The squares should be arranged so they spiral inwards. As you draw each square, also draw a quarter circle (going the right way!)

Maths News
In January, British

mathematician Timothy Gowers called for a journal publisher boycott of the academic Elsevier to protest their

business practices. This

boycott subsequently led to formation of the Cost of Knowledge website A Golden Spiral, the unique logarithmic spiral drawn inside golden rectangles. where over 12,000 researchers (including physicists, biologists, economists, social

scientists and others) In allusion to the

have joined to protest. revolutions of the Arab Spring, this boycott is now being called as Academic Spring.

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The Curing Mathematics


~ Moumita Seth (MTMA, 1st year)

In todays world, the applications of mathematics in medical sciences have been sporadic. Math has found its application in many areas of medical science. The people working in genetics have understood meiosis, the process of inheritance, through probability. Mathematics has also helped them to understand how genotypes and phenotypes are related to each other. Abstract mathematics and mathematical modeling have been used to treat cancer, by studying the biological systems and medical phenomena through applications of principles and Medical practitioners have been successful in theorems of mathematics in the understanding the direction of growth of cancer study of cancerous and tumor cells in the living bodies with the help of models, cells. Medical practitioners have been successful in which are strictly based on mathematics. understanding the direction of growth of cancer cells in the living bodies with the help of models, which are strictly based on mathematics. There is an evolutionary matrix that governs the structure of DNA. DNA is controlled by an exact mathematical formula that is hidden within the genetic code table. In chemical research, the understanding of thumb imprints and other such stuffs are also based on the study of mathematics. From the measuring of medicine to treatment of cancer, mathematics has found its way in the science of medicine. If used in the proper way, mathematics may also prove a boon in solving many unsolved problems of medical science.

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Who invented Calculus?


~ Riddhi Bandyopadhay (PHSA, 2nd year) Calculus is one of the most important branches of mathematics, which has its applications in many other fields like mechanics, statistics, geometry, et cetera. But who invented calculus? Anyone would promptly reply Newton. But hold on! First of all, calculus, like many other topics of science, was not invented by one person alone. Calculus was developed over centuries in order to provide answer to some of the oldest questions in science. For instance, we know how to calculate the area of a rectangle, square, triangle. But what about the area under curves like parabola, hyperbola? Or, let us take the example of a moving body. For a body moving with uniform velocity, we know that velocity is defined as the distance divided by the time required to cover that distance. But how to define instantaneous velocity of a particle moving with a non-uniform velocity (i.e. its velocity is changing every moment)? These problems form the basis of differential and integral calculus. Regarding the invention of calculus, two great mathematicians and philosophers were engaged in bitter rivalry. One of them is Sir Isaac Newton and the other is Gottfried Leibniz. During Newtons studies in Cambridge, in 1665, plague broke out in England, and took the form of an epidemic. . During these two years of seclusion, Following this, the University was closed. During these Newton developed some of his most two years of seclusion, Newton developed some of his most precious works. Calculus, described as Fluxions precious works. (differential calculus) and Fluents(integral calculus) was also invented during this period. However, Newton did not publish his papers. Only a very little calculus was discussed in a Latin magazine De analysi per aequationes numero terminorum infinitas. That was all. On the other side of the English Channel, Leibniz was also working on similar problems, totally unaware of Newtons work. When he came to know about Newtons work, he at once requested Newton by letter to let him know about Newtons progress and methods. After much delay, Newton wrote him a letter explaining his work, furnishing little details. In the meantime, in 1675, Leibniz had invented calculus all by himself. In 1684, published about his research in a magazine called Acta Eruditorum. Newton was highly alarmed at this. So, in 1687, he published Principia and discussed all about his letter to Leibniz and what he knew about Leibnizs work.

Leibniz

After seventeen years of silence, the rivalry took a new turn with the publication of Opticks by Newton. In this book, Newton explained calculus in great details. He also spoke about his success in inventing the method before Leibniz. Leibniz was shocked at this and criticized Newtons comment in the journal Acta Eruditorum. He added that he himself was the first one to tell the Newton 50

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world about calculus in the very same journal. At this, the whole Europe engaged itself in a debate over the deserving inventor of calculus. Newton had in his support the whole of England, while Leibniz had the rest of Europe including the great mathematician Bernoulli. The controversy went on even after the death of Leibniz. Newton, as the president of Royal Society used his status and position in multiple ways to win the battle, and dishonour his dead rival. In the third edition of Principia he removed all traces of Leibniz and took all the credit for himself. The fact is that Newton invented calculus roughly ten years before Leibniz, but Leibnitz not only invented calculus independently but also let the world know about it first. His contribution in further development and popularisation of Calculus is much greater than Newtons. His notations and symbols like dx, dy, became popular and are still used today.

Jokes Corner
Q: Why did the topologist's marriage fail? A: Because he thought that arbitrary unions were open Q: How does one insult a mathematician? A: You say: "Your brain is smaller than any >0!"

You may be Interested The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower
Mathematics is a fantastic animated short film about a one dimensional universe where women are dots and men are lines. This 10-minute film, directed by Chuck Jones (remember Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry?) won the Academy Award for Animated Short Film in 1965! Worth a watch! You can check it out at bit.ly/P4S36A. Screenshots from the movie

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KAKURO

Kakuro is nothing but a cross between a crossword and a Sudoku puzzle. The popularity of Kakuro in Japan is immense, second only to Sudoku.

How to Play
Instead of letters, each block contains the digits 1 through 9. The same digit will never repeat within a word. If you add the digits in a word, the sum will be the number shown in the clue. Clues are shown on the left and right sides of across words, and on the top and bottom sides of down words.

Example
The solution of this Kakuro puzzle

is

Calculus Limerick
Integral z-squared dz From 1 to the cube root of 3 Times the cosine Of three pi over 9 Equals log of the cube root of 'e'

If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them ~ Phil Pastoret

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Kakuro Puzzle 1 (medium)

Kakuro Puzzle 2 (medium)

Kakuro Puzzle 3 (difficult)

Napoleons Theorem

Take any triangle and construct equilateral triangles on each side. Surpirse: The centroids of the equilateral triangle also form an equilateral triangle This theorem is credited to Napoleon, who was fond of mathematics, though many doubt that he knew enough math to discover it!

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Ramanujan the Greatest Mathematician


~ Spandan Patra (MTMA, 1st year)
Srinavasa Iyenger Ramanujan, popularly known as S. Ramanujan, was among one of the most renowned and respected mathematicians in India.

Early life of S. Ramanujan:


Ramanujan was born on 22nd December, 1887 in a small village southwest of Madras. Ramanujan failed to complete his formal studies after matriculation, due to the amount of attention paid to subjects other than mathematics. He failed twice in the fine arts degree exam. Once his formal education was over, he had to face a lot of difficulties in earning his livelihood. While looking for job, Ramanujan travelled extensively over Chennai and the neighbouring towns and in the course of this journey, he met several mathematicians who became his friends. One of the most important incidents of Ramanujans life also occurred during that time, when he got a chance to go to England and pursue systematic studies in higher mathematics. His well-wishers in Chennai put in a lot of effort to send him to England and they sent some of Ramanujans best works to the eminent British Mathematician, the Cayley lecturer in Mathematics and a fellow of the Trinity College, Cambridge, Mr. G. H. Hardy. Hardy, impressed his works, expressed the desire to work with him.

Achievements of S. Ramanujan:
S. Ramanujan spent nearly 5 years in Cambridge and collaborated with many of the famous mathematicians from all over the world. Ramanujan was awarded a B.A. degree for research (this degree was later renamed to PhD) in March 1916 for his work on highly composite numbers, which was published as a paper in the journal of the London Mathematical Society. He was also elected to become a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1918 for his investigation in Elliptic Functions and the theory of numbers. He was one of the youngest fellows in the entire history of Royal Society. After suffering from various diseases for months, S. Ramanujan eventually came back to India on 27th of March, 1919. Unfortunately, he died on 26th April, 1920, at the age of 32 years. The Government of India has issued a commemorative stamp to pay tribute and honour the 75th anniversary birth of Ramanujan in 1962. Tamil Nadu celebrates his birthday as the state IT day. Since 2011 Ramanujans birthday has been declared as the National Mathematics Day and ongoing celebrations to commemorate his 125th birth anniversary have been accompanied with the declaration of this year being the National Year of Mathematics. 54

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Know the Masters


Solve this cryptic crossword on famous mathematicians. The Hints are given below. Here, name refers to last name only. (e.g. He proved the general case of Newton's Binomial Theorem and has an international prize named after him(4) : The answer to this is Abel and not Niels Henrik Abel)

Across: 1. This Swiss mathematician was one of the first to prove that pi is irrational (7) 4. He discovered the concept of uniform convergence and revised a proof by Bolzano, which is now named after Bolzano and him (11) 6. India and Nigeria are celebrating their National Mathematics Year in 2012 in the honour of this mathematician (9) 9. He authored The Elements, introduced Mersenne Primes and has an algorithm named after him (5) 11. The only mathematician of Indian origin to be awarded an Abel Prize (8) 13. He is glorified as the 'Prince of Mathematics' (5) 14. His famous Polyhedral Theorem states: F+V = E+2 (5) 15. His life and his struggle with schizophrenia has been adapted into an Academy Award winning film (4)

Downward: 2. This British philosopher, logician, mathematician and historian has co-authored Principia Mathematica (7) 3. He devised a theorem which remained a conjecture for centuries until a proof was furnished in 1995 (6) 5. TIME magazine named this physicist and mathematician 'Person of the Century'(8) 7. Often considered as the 'French Newton', he first conceived of black holes and has a historic integral transform named after him (7) 8. This German mathematician first analysed Integration with summation and limiting process of finding areas (7) 10. He invented integration by parts, and his 'series' are ubiquitous in all Calculus books (6) 12. This English Mathematician authored 'A Mathematician's Apology' and taught a famous Indian mathematician (5)

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Palindrome
~ Spandan Patra (MTMA, 1st year)
A palindrome is a word, phrase, number, or other sequence of units that may be read the same way in either direction, with general allowances for adjustments to punctuations and word dividers. The word palindrome was coined from Greek roots PALIN (again) and DROMOS (way direction) by the English writer Ben Jonson in the 17th century.

History:
Palindromes date back at least to 79 CE, as a Palindrome was found as a graffito at Herculaneum, a city buried by ash in that year. This palindrome called the sator square, consists of an entire sentence written in Latin Sator Arepo Tenet Opera Rotas (The sower Arepo hold works wheels). It is remarkable for the fact that the first letters of each word from the first word, the second letters from the second word, and so forth. Hence it can be arranged into a word square that reads in four different ways: horizontally or vertically from either top left to bottom right or bottom right to top left.

Palindrome in every field:


Palindrome is used in so many places likei. in ii. in iii. in iv. in ancient Sanskrit. Tamil poetry. famous English poems. micro-biology, acoustic music (classical music), comics, biological structures also.

Palindrome in Mathematics:
A palindrome is a word or phrase that reads the same forward and backward. Palindrome phrases can also occur in number form. A palindrome number or numerical palindrome is a number that remains the same when its digits are reversed. 56

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Palindromic number:
i. ii.

All single digits are considered palindromes in a base 10 system: 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. Two digit, Three digit in this way we can find the number of k-digit palindromes, where k is any whole number greater than 1.

Looking at the chart below, one is better able to visualize the pattern:
Digits in palindrome 2 Choices of digit in each position: u=units, t=tens, h=hundreds, th=thousands, tth=ten thousands, hth=hundredth thousands, m=millions (t=u)1 through 9: 19=9 (h=u)1 through 9; (t) 0 through 9 910=90 4 (th=u) 1 through 9; (h=t) 0 through 9 910=90 5 (tth=u)1 through 9; (th=t) 0 through 9; (h) 0 through 9; 91010=900 (hth=u) 1 through 9; (tth=t)0 through 9; (th=h)0 through 9; 91010=900 t u Example

1 1 h t u 1 0 1 th h t u 1 0 0 1

tth th h t u 1 0 2 0 1

hth tth th h t u 1 0 2 2 0 1

The following formula can be used to find the total number of palindromes that can be made with k-digits:
i. When k is even: 10(k2-1)9 ii. When k is odd: 10(k+12-1)9

Creation of Palindromic numbers:


Numbers can be converted into palindromes using a reverse and add rule. For example: take a two digit number that is not a palindrome, say 45. Now, reverse the digits and add these two digits together: 45+54=99. This is a one-step palindrome. Some can be converted into palindromes after a finite number of steps. 57

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There are so many methods one can adopt to determine how many steps will be necessary to convert a two digit number into a palindrome. for example i. If a number N is a k-step palindrome and if the unit digit of N is not equal to 0, then the

number N obtained by reversing the digit in N is also a k-step palindrome. ii. If tu and t+u is not bigger than 9, then N is a 1-step palindrome. So, we have been exposed to a subset of numbers that we havent worked with before, namely, the world of palindromes and it is something very interesting and new with a lot of scope for further exploration.

continued from Pg. 27

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Quiz Corner 1
Guess who?

1) I am a Greek mathematician and am considered the greatest mathematician

of antiquity. I calculated the area under the arc of a parabola and gave remarkably accurate approximations of pi.
2) I am famous for my incompleteness theorem. 3) Born in 1707, I was a pioneering Swiss mathematician and physicist. In 1736

I solved the Seven Bridges of Konigsberg problem.


4) I published more papers than any other mathematician in history. I died in

1996.
5) I was born in 1643 and went on to build the first practical reflecting

telescope and develop an entirely new field of mathematics.


6) I discovered a very useful fact about the sides of right angle triangles. This

theorum bears my name.


7) I am famous for my last theorem. 8) I invented the first calculating machine in 1645. My gambling led me to study

probability. I am French.
9) I am the Father of trigonometry.

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Analytica
If you cant see, IMAGINE Believe you can and you are half way there. -Theodore Roosevelt I stepped inside Xaviers with a heart full of enthusiasm and hopefully for a successful career. The 150 year old college, the citys heritage and pride, welcomed us in its unique way. The department of mathematics soon came up with ANALYTICA 2010, the national level seminar. The department stood upright with its head held high amongst others. Days passed by. Strides were taken towards fulfilling my aim. ANALYTICA 2011 retained its position and our pride. It is said Where theres a will, theres a way. The idea of Analytica in 2008 was more than just an event for US. It became our addiction to make it bigger and better every year. ANALYTICA. Some call it to be an IDEA, some say it to be a PHILOSOPHY, I call it OURWILLPOWER. After my three years in this college, I realized the true sense of NIHIL ULTRA; I would say it is Nothing Beyond ones will.

SrijanDatta (Class Representative, 3rd year, Department of Mathematics)

Mathematics, Music and Us


~ Anisha Khaitan (ex-student, MTMA) A beautiful mind, a beautiful day A head full of thoughts that dance and play; The whispering winds, unfold my light wings My soul jumps with joy, my heart yearns to sing

This song was the


When I look through my eyes I see a paradise This world is full of love and bliss. Heaven's here, God is near, My soul speaks to me today; I feel magic; I know that it exists In you and me And all that I see...

theme song of

Analytica 2011.
Anisha Khaitan, the composer, is now a student of the Department of Operational Research, Delhi University

A beautiful mind, a beautiful day A head full of thoughts that dance and play,

Analytica, The rhythm's in the beat, The moment is now, So come tap your feet.
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Unexplored Memories: Analytica


~ Debayan Chakraborty (ex-student, MTMA)

There is a sacred thrill which tiptoes along your spinal cord every time you step into the departmental room of the mathematics department of St. Xaviers College. Late Fr. Goreux and Late Ram Krishna Ghosh stares at you with their brightest eyes and high hopes that someday you will make the department proud. Ever since I was a 1st year student, I felt the apparent coldness in the atmosphere. There was a separation of mind and soul, while the minds were trained in the classroom, the souls stayed outside, oblivious of the warmth of the classrooms. And nothing seems complete when your soul refuses to fuse with your heart.

Analytica is an honest effort for this sacred unification. It is in Analytica when we try
to be what the department expects from us. It is more than just an event, it is an idea, an epitome of strong will and love, it is the realization of the idiom, Yes, we can!

Analytica, the 3 days of fun and frolic, increases the department cohesion and love,
and unites everyone underthe same roof, a one big happy family. Although Analytica has been my brain child and even after the fact that I have been with it since its birth in 2008, I still dont own it.You simply cant own an idea, canyou? You just admire the richness of it, the purity with which it is grown, over the years. In this regard I would like to thank all my seniors, juniors and batch mates who have helped me realize my dreams and come up with something so extraordinary. It is you, every one of you. Thank You!
Debayan Chakraborty, an ex-student of the Mathematics department, is pursuing Master of Computer Applications, Techno India College of Technology. He is the one who conceived of the idea of having a departmental celebration of mathematics, now called Analytica. The Department of Mathematics is truly grateful to him for his effort, ideas and dedication!

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ThE WaY wE aRe

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Higgs Boson
~ Rajkumar Biswas (PHSA, 2nd year)

Standard model or theory of almost everything is a theory of elemental particles of matter and the electromagnetic, weak and strong forces, by which they interact. It can successfully explain the wide variety of experimental results. If this model is true, the elemental particles must exist in the practical world. There are 61 elemental particles and Higgs Boson is one of them. It is named after Peter Higgs who along with other two teams referred to a s the God particle though it has nothing to do with God. Sub-atomic particles are either fermions or bosons. Higgs particle is a boson type. It has no spin, electric charge or colour charge. The Higgs boson has a very large mass for a sub atomic particle. It is also very unstable, decaying into other particles almost immediately. Bosons have the capacity to share space. About 13.7 billion years ago, the Big Bang gave birth to this universe and caused an outburst of mass less particles and energy. After that the field due to this particles gave the tiny particles mass and transformed them into matter. Higgs boson is important to understand this phenomenon. The existence of this particle is predicted due to theoretical reasons and may have been detected by experiments at large. If the theory is true then the matching particle must have a detectable field known as the Higgs Field. proposed the mechanism of this model and suggested such a particle in 1964. It is also

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How do particles acquire mass when interacting with the Higgs field? Consider a simple example; let a bullet be fired with two different velocities into a block of jelly. The bullet with the higher velocity will travel through a lager distance than the bullet with the lower velocity before stopping. But the amount of jelly stuck to the bullet having the lower velocity will be more than the higher one. So we see that the bullet with the lower velocity becomes more massive. Now if the bullet is fired at the speed of light then there will be no change. So we can say that the mass acquired by the particle depends on the interaction. This model has some limitations, it cannot explain gravity (gravitational force is hypothesized to be carried by the gravity boson, but that has not yet been proven), dark matter particle which is deduced from observational cosmology. It also does not account for neutrino oscillations. The Higgs boson has not been officially discovered. If such a particle exists then it will be a great achievement.

Plant a Tree
If you wished to plant some trees so that each was equidistant from every other tree, what is the largest number you could plant?

Family Puzzle
In the Mukherjee family, each daughter has the same number of brothers as she has sisters and each son has twice as many sisters as he has brothers. How many sons and how many daughters does the Mukherjee family have? 67

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Cryptography
~ Sayantan Guha (MTMA, 2nd year)

Cryptography (from the Greek word kryptos meaning hidden and graphein meaning to write) is the science of making communications unintelligible to all except authorized parties. One of the earliest cryptographic systems was used by the great roman emperor Julius Caesar in around 50 B.C.
plain text Cipher text A B D E C F D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C

Example: Cipher text: K D S S B Plain text: H A P P Y

ELUWKGDB BI RT HDAY

The Caesar cipher can be described easily using congruence theory. Any plain text is first expressed numerically by translating the characters of the text into digits by means of some correspondence such as following:
A 00 N 13 B 01 O 14 C 02 P 15 D 03 Q 16 E 04 R 17 F 05 S 18 G 06 T 19 H 07 U 20 I 08 V 21 J 09 W 22 K 10 X 23 L 11 Y 24 M 12 Z 25

If p be the digital equivalent of plain text and c be the digital equivalent of the corresponding cipher text, then c p + 3(mod26)
Plain text

H 07

A 00

P 15

P 15

Y 24

B 01

I 08

R 17

T 19

H 07

D 03

A 00

Y 24

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Cipher text using c p + 3(mod26)
Cipher text

10
K

03
D

18
S

18
S

01
B

04
E

11
L

20
U

22
W

10
K

06
G

03
D

01
B

To recover the plain text, the procedure is simply reversed by means of congruence: p c- 3 c + 23(mod 26).

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KILLER SUDOKU
Killer Sudoku is a hybrid of Regular Sudoku and Kakuro. Sometimes a Killer Sudoku is easier to solve than a regular Sudoku, depending on the level of difficulty. However, the difficult ones may take hours to solve!

How to Play
Each row, column, and box(3X3) contains each number exactly once The dotted lines indicate areas (cages) which also contain a non-repeating set of digits The sum of all numbers in a cage must match the small number printed in its corner

Example
The solution of this Kakuro puzzle

is:

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Killer Sudoku 1 (medium)

Killer Sudoku 2 (medium)

Killer Sudoku 3 (tough)

SIMPLE MATHS
Were Bill to Gates invest he of his could

Microsoft
(after

entire $56 billion at 5% taxes), spend $8,872,716 per day, and it would take him 40 years fortune! to exhaust his

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Ode to Mathematics
~ Anisha Khaitan (ex-student, MTMA)

There are four great sciences ... Of these sciences the gate and key is mathematics, which the saints discovered at the beginning of the world - Roger Bacon (1214-1294) As are the crests on the heads of peacocks, As are the gems on the hoods of cobras, So is mathematics, at the top of all sciences

- The Yajurveda, circa 600 B.C.

Mathematics, the mother of all sciences, is not just a subject or a science. It is in fact a language that helps people, minds, thoughts and cultures all over the world to connect and work in unison for a common target, target that when achieved has the potential to change the very identity of the Universe we are in and the lives we lead. Even before one gets to know what exactly numbers are, even before one learns to count, one would have already applied Mathematics in making paper boats and paper aero planes and enjoyed the splendour of Mathematics in floating the boats on water puddles during rainy seasons and irritated ones family members or teachers by whooshing the planes over their heads! Yes, the art of paper folding, i.e. ORIGAMI is Mathematics! Even though one might be illiterate, one has to have the basic knowledge of addition and subtraction in order to be able to correctly pay the bus fare or buy fruits at the grocery shop. If you say you are an Arts student and you dont require the knowledge of mathematics, ask Shakespeare how he managed to conduct his plays in the specified time interval. Ask the sociologists how do they predict the general behaviour of individuals after an epidemic, question The very harsh reality at present is that, while on the historian why is it so important to study dates, ask Leonardo Da Vinci one hand, people all across the world prioritize why are most of his important paintings Mathematics when it comes to subjects and camouflaging mathematical diagrams, research, Indians have,in recent years, been a slave ask Beethoven what is the theory to the practice of prioritizing career options like behind his time signatures. From determining whether your face is Engineering when it comes to the best of brains beautiful or not (as shown by the Golden Ratio) or the very shape of the Universe, mathematics is required by one and all.

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The very harsh reality at present is that, while on one hand, people all across the world prioritize Mathematics when it comes to subjects and research, Indians have in recent years been a slave to the practice of prioritizing career options like Engineering when it comes to the best of brains. India has become career-driven rather than contributing significantly to research, especially mathematical research which is as important to Engineering as is oxygen to humans. This is one of the major reasons why India is lagging behind while the rest of the world is developing marvelously. It is not that people of our country arent as capable as that of the rest of the world. In fact, it is in India itself that many fundamental topics/ basics of mathematics were formulated. We all know what the number 0 means to mathematics or to anyone else, the mere addition of a single 0 to the right of a figure can change it from lakhs to a crore, such is the power of Aryabhattas concept. The citizens of our country have been blindfolded for a few years now and the time has come for us to get rid of that misleading screen. It wont happen in a jiffy; in fact when it would happen, it would be a revolution in knowledge but like drops of water make an ocean, we have to start giving our best in bringing out that revolution and leading our country along the path of enlightenment while the rest of the world follows. And to give in our best as the Department of Mathematics, every year, we organize a mathematics festival in the college premises to show people that mathematics is that which is to be enjoyed, rather than be feared.

Maths News
Famous American topologist and Fields Medalist William Thurston passed away on August 21 this year. In August 2010, Vinay Deolalikar, a researcher at HP Labs at Palo Alto, claimed a solution of the famous P=NP problem. It was later revealed that the proof had at least two fatal errors. Chinese mathematician Zhiwei Yun has been selected to receive the SASTRA Ramanujan Prize this year. In August 2012, Japanese mathematician Shinichi Mochizuki claimed to have a solution of the famous ABC conjecture. As ABC conjecture is a generalization of Fermats Last Theorem, if this proof turn out to be correct, it would also prove FLT in a way very different from Andrew Wiles original method.

Anisha Khaitan is now a student of the Department of Operations Research, Delhi University.

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Palindromic Numbers
~ Shreya Bose (MTMA, 2nd Year)
Mathematics is the Queen of Sciences and Numbers are backbone of Mathematics. Numbers are infinite. A careful traveler on this infinite path can always explore some funny& interesting behavior of numbers at various junctures. Here we are going to make an acquaintance with a special kind of numbers. Such numbers are called Palindromic numbers. Palindromic numbers are those numbers which are same as we read it either from left or from right. Example: 646, 13331, 25652, etc. All numbers from 0 to 9, i.e. all single digit numbers, are by default Palindromic numbers. Two digits Palindromic numbers are those whose two significant digits are same. Examples: 11 or multiple of 11, i.e., 22, 33, 44 etc. There are nine two digits Palindromic numbers. The total number of three digit Palindromic numbers is 90. Examples of some special Palindromic numbers: (i) Prime Palindromes: 11, 101, 10301, 10501, 11311, 12421, 30103, 9931399 etc. (ii) Square Palindromes:121, 484, 676, 14641, 69696 etc. (iii) Cubic Palindromes: 343, 1331, 1030301, etc.

The mysterious feature of a Palindromic number is that, if we add a Palindromic number with its numerical reverse (i.e. itself, in this case), it becomes another Palindromic number. If it does not become Palindromic at the first step, then proceeding as before, after a finite steps we shall get a Palindromic number. For examples: i) 27+72=99 ii) 73+37=110; 110+011=121 iii) 87+78=165; 165+561=726; 726+627=1353; 1353+3531=4884 In the above examples, for the first case at first steps, for the second case at second step and for This process, explained by Shreya, the third case at fourth step, we get Palindromic is called the 196-algorithm. number. If sum of the two digit of any two digits number is less than 10, then at the first step it becomes Palindromic, otherwise it follows the following chart, in general: 74

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Sum of two digits Number of stepsNumber of digits of Palindromic number

10 12 13 14 15 16

2 1 2 2 3 4 6

3 3 3 3 4 4 5

11

Now we shall discuss more on the square Palindromic numbers. If we take any Square Palindromic number and proceed as before, we get a Palindromic number. But there are some special cases. If we take a square number like 49 and proceed as before, we shall get a Palindromic number, which is square of another Palindromic number. Examples: i) 49=(7)2 ; 49+94=143; 143+341=484=(22)2 ii) 64=(8)2 ; 64+46=110; 110+011=121=(11)2 iii) 729=(27)2; 729+927=1656; 1656+6561=8217; 8217+7128=15345; 15345+54351=69696=(264)2 We can see that, 112 =121, 113 =1331, 114 =14641 are Palindromic, but 115 =161051 is not Palindromic. It is believed that, there is no number whose fifth degree or more than fifth degree is a Palindromic number. Now if we take a Palindromic number of four digit as xyyx, i.e., 1000x+100y+10y+x=1001x+110y=11(91x+10y). It is now clear from this expression that without 11 any Palindromic number containing composite number of digits cannot be prime.

A natural number which can never form a palindrome through the 196 algorithm, is called a Lychrel number. The smallest such number is 196. Hence, the name of the algorithm.

The famous mathematician Charles W. Sprig said that, there are 249 numbers up to 10,000 which does not become Palindromic after more than 100 steps.

So, in the end, we have acquainted ourselves with a new class of funny and surprising numbers, namely the Palindromic numbers, which look very simple, but has some very curious properties.

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Quiz Corner 2

1) Newton and Leibniz are both credited with inventing what stream in

mathematics?
2) What is the name for the study of triangles? 3) I am a three volume work on the foundations of math, published in 1910

by Alfred North Whitehead and Bertrand Russell. Who am I?4) Some consider me the first of the modern school of mathematics. I am

famous for the statement: I think therefore I am. Who am I?


5) Hypatia (370-415 AD) is the first female mathematician we know by

name. But how did she die?


6) Who is the founder of irrational numbers? 7) What is a never ending shape called? 8) On which day do we celebrate Pi Day? 9) Who invented the equality sign, =?

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Euler Master of All


~ Debarpan Panday (MTMA, 2nd year)

To understand the life of a great man, who has exemplified his century by enlightening the world, is to eulogize the human spirit. He who has taken it upon himself to paint this interesting canvas will be hard pressed to perform his task if he has not added to a perfect understanding of the progress of sciences. Leonhard Euler was born in Basel, Switzerland on April 15, 1707. His father was a pastor of Reihen and wanted his son to become a minister as well. Euler passed the first years of his life in Reihen, and it is within this country setting where progress and lifes temptations come slowly, and was marked by his parents lifestyle for which he became accustomed. His extraordinary character and the purity of his spirit, marked the very first moments which distinguished him for the rest of his life, which are more than likely responsible for having placed him in a position and provided him the wherewithal to have a long and brilliant career which immortalized his name. Euler was sent to the University of Basel to study theology. However, it turned out that the young man had a gift for mathematics. Swiss mathematician Johann Bernoulli paid attention to the talented student and convinced the elder Euler to allow his son to change his specialization to mathematics. Johann Bernoulli was then the greatest of all the living geometers. As Bernoulli was not able to provide all that his young student asked of him, he was told him to bring all the problems that he encountered when studying and every Saturday he would help him work through them. This instilled an excellent process. Young Euler was destined to exceed his teacher who at the time was unsurpassed in mathematics. In 1723 Euler received his Master of Arts degree with a thesis based on a comparative analysis of Newtonian and Cartesian philosophies. Since his father granted him permission to continue in his mathematical pursuits, nothing now would divert his attention. He threw himself into his studies and redoubled his efforts. He continued to consult with Johann Bernoulli and struck up a strong friendship with his two sons Nikolaus and Daniel. Euler published his first research paper in 1726 and his second in 1727. His work on the best arrangement of masts on a ship was submitted for the Grand Prize of the Paris Academy of Science and won second place. That was a big achievement for the young mathematician. In 1726, Euler was offered, and accepted, the physiology post at the Russian Academy of Science in St. Petersburg. Euler arrived in St. Petersburg in 1727. Daniel Bernoulli and J. Hermann, who were already working at the Russian Academy, helped Euler to join the mathematics physics division, which meant that

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Euler also became a full member of the Academy. The same year, Euler married Katherine Gzel, daughter of a Swiss painter who worked in St. Petersburg. The large number of memories that Euler had presented to the Russian Academy point to his extraordinary fertility and underscores his abilities to deal with very difficult question as well as his ability to apply them. There is an example of this doggedness which is most striking. In 1735 when given a deadline to produce the calculations to some problems, to which other mathematicians had dragged out endlessly over months, Euler focused himself and in three Swiss Bank note featuring Euler days the work was done much to the surprise of the Academy. But this work was costly as it provoked a very high fever which placed him on deaths doorstep. He was nursed back to health but not without having lost the sight in his right eye which was caused by an abscess during his illness. The loss of such a precious organ would have been a strong motivator to better manage ones health in order to maintain the eyesight in the remaining eye, however he was not inclined to slow down. He would give up his food before work, and then work became a perpetual habit. In 1736, Euler published the two-volume work Mechanica, sive motus scientia analytice exposita, where he applied mathematical analysis methods to the problems of motion in a vacuum and in a resisting environment. This work earned him world fame. Euler developed some of the first analytical methods for the exact sciences, he started to apply differentiation and integration to physical problems. Euler composed his essay of the new theory of music which was published in 1739. By 1740, Euler had attained a very high profile, having won the Grand Prize of the Paris Academy of Science in both 1738 and 1740. He had also written the wonderful Direction to Arithmetic, which was later translated into Russian. It was the first Russian book to represent arithmetic as a mathematical science. In 1740, after the death of the Empress Anna Ioanovna, two-month-old Ioan IV was declared Emperor of Russia. As he was too young to rule, his mother, Anna Leopoldovna, became regent. Living in Russia became dangerous, especially for foreigners, and Euler decided to accept the invitation of Frederick the Great, the King of Prussia, to work in Berlin. There, Euler was met with great respect and was given the freedom to pursue his research as he wished. However Euler didnot completely end his work for Russian Academy. He was still partially paid by Russia, and he continued to write reports for the Academy and teach young Russians who arrived in Berlin.

Eulers 25 years in Berlin were very busy and productive. He enjoyed great mathematical success and also found time to accomplish all kinds of social work. For example, he served on the Library and Scientific Publications Committee of the Berlin Academy and was a government adviser on state lotteries, insurance, pensions and artillery. Euler wrote nearly 380 articles while he was in Berlin. He also wrote many scientific and popular science books, including his famous Letters to a Princess of Germany, which was translated into many languages. He also led the

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Berlin Academy of Science after the death of Maupertuis in 1759, although he never held the formal title of President. Eulers phenomenal to work is Eulers phenomenal ability to work is demonstrated ability demonstrated by the fact he by the fact he produced about 800 pages of text per produced about 800 pages of text per year. That year. That would be a significant number even for a would be a significant number even for a novelist, novelist, for a mathematician, it is hardly for a mathematician, it is hardly believable. Euler believable. made a big contribution to analysis, geometry, trigonometry, number theory. He introduced such notation as f(x) for function, for sum, e for the base of natural logarithm, for the ratio of the length of a circle to its diameter, and i for imaginary unit. Euler proved the following formula for a convex polyhedron: V+F=2+E, where V is number of vertices of the polyhedron, F is number of faces of the polyhedron, and E is number of edges of the polyhedron. This formula has the extension, very important in topology, called Euler characteristics. In addition to his work in mathematics, Euler published works in philosophy, astronomy, and physics. Using the graph theory that he introduced, Euler solved the famous problem, so-called Konigsbergs Seven Bridges Problem. After ascending the Russian throne in 1762, Empress Catherine II offered Euler an important post in the mathematics department, conference secretary of the Academy. She instructed her representative to agree to Eulers terms if he didnt like her first offer, to ensure that he would arrive in St. Petersburg as soon as possible. In 1766, Euler returned to St. Petersburg. Soon after, he became almost blind due to a cataract in his left eye, where his right eye was already very poor. However, that did not stop him from workingEuler continued his work through dictation. In September 1771, Euler had surgery to remove his cataract. The surgery took only three minutes and was successfulthe mathematicians vision was restored. Doctors advised Euler to avoid bright light and overloading his eyes, reading and writing were forbidden. Unfortunately, Euler did not take care of his eyes, he continued to work and after a few days lost his vision again, this time without any hope of recovery. Amazingly, his productivity only increased. Despite of his blindness, Euler wrote almost half of his articles after his return to St. Petersburg. Nothing equaled Eulers ability to drop his calculations and deep thoughts, without the slightest hint of displeasure, and after having involved himself in the frivolity of ordinary conversation, take back up where he left off. The ability to disengage his scientific profile, to disguise his superiority and to place himself at the common level is rare but one that Euler, it should be noted, possessed. After his wifes death in 1773, Euler continued to work diligently, having others read to him. He worked until Sept. 18, 1783, when Euler gave a mathematics lesson and discussed recently discoveries by astronomers. He died later that evening. Indeed, there is no doubt that Euler was the master of us all. My tears will mix with yours, and the memories of his contributions which he did for all of us will never be erased from our memory.

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Tricks of mathematics
~ Arpita Datta (MTMA, 1st year)

Want to multiply, say, 86 and 999? Need a calculator? Nah! You can do it without that also within a few seconds! How? Lets see Lets begin with a smaller numberlets multiply 86 and 99. Here are a few steps to follow: 1) Subtract 1 from the number to be multiplied with 99 2) Write the subtracted number (in this case: 86-1=85) 3) Subtract each digit of the subtracted number from 9 (here, 9-8=1 and 9-5=4) 4) Merge the answers and write them (here, 85 and 14 merges to form 8514, which is the required answer) Now, lets learn how to multiply 86 and 999 1) Balance the number to be multiplied with required zeros in the beginning to make the number of digits equal. (Here, since 999 has 3-digits and 86 has 2-digits, therefore 86 should be written as 086) 2) Now its simple! Follow the steps as in the previous case. The only thing to be kept in mind is that the numbers 86 has been changed to 086 and checkthe result is obtained! Not only 99 or 999, the same method can be applied while multiplying any number with 9999, 99999, and so on.. Now, let us see how to find square of numbers ending with 5 easily, in just 4 simple steps! Let us, for example, find the square of 135. For this we need to follow the steps given below: 1) Let the digits other than 5 be n (Here, n = 13) 2) Add 1 to it. Let this new numberbe m (Here m=14) 3) Multiply n and m. Let the product be p (Here p=mn=13*14=182) 4) Merge p with 25 at the end to get the required answer. (Here, 182 is merged with 25 to get 18225, which is the square of 135). 81 The first known tool used to aid arithmetic calculations was the Abacus. In 1642, the Renaissance saw the invention of the first mechanical calculator by Blaise Pascal, a device that will eventually perform all four arithmetic operations without relying on human intelligence

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Now we shall find the square of numbers from 91 to 99. Let us find the square of 91. For this we need to follow the steps given next: 1) Subtract the given number (say, n) from the base number. (Here, 100 is the base number). Let this new number be rem 1 (Here rem 1 =100-91=9) 2) Subtract rem 1 from n. Let the new number be rem 2. (Here rem 2 =n-rem 1 =91-9=82) 3) Write the square of rem 1 . Let it be sqr (Here,sqr= rem 1 * rem 1 =9*9=81) 4) Merge rem 2 with sqr to get the required answer. (Here rem 2 =82 is merged with sqr=81 to get 8281 which is the required answer) N.B.For numbers greater than 95 we prefix the obtained sqr by a 0. If n is taken as 98, then the steps 3) and 4) are modified as: 3) Write the square of rem 1 . Let it be sqr (Here sqr= rem 1 * rem 1 =2*2=04) 4) Merge rem 2 with sqr to get the required answer (Here rem 2 =96 is merged with sqr=04 to get 9604 which is the required answer) Therefore, we see that even without using calculators we can solve certain operations quite easily. Next time one must trying solving them before reaching out for the mathematical instrument.

DID YOU KNOW?


DYK that Edward Witten is the only physicist to win the Fields Medal. DYK that the next International Congress of Mathematicians will be held at Seoul, South Korea. DYK that Paul Cohen is the only mathematician to win the Fields Medal for work in mathematical logic?

There are three kinds of people in the world; those who can count and those who can't.

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ZER0s STORY
~ Abhinaba Modak (PHSA, 2nd year)

Origin and History of ZERO


The partisans of the hypothesis of the origin of the numerals create confusion between the History of the Indian Mathematics and the History of our Modern Numerals. To argue the thesis of the Indian origin of the numbers they confound between: the intuitive zero of Brahmagupta that means nothing which is the difference of the two equal numbers , the numeral zero used in the representation of the numbers and the mathematical zero defined by the modern mathematicians . Sifr designate the numeral zero and Shunya designate the intuitive zero. The word Sifr is not an introduction of the word Shunya and does not derive from the Indian word Shunya, since the word Sifr and its derivatives existed in Arabic long before the appearance of zero itself. [In 976 AD the Persian encyclopedist Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Khwarizmi, in his "Keys of the Sciences", remarked that if, in a calculation, no number appears in the place of tens, then a little circle should be used "to keep the rows". This circle the Arabs called Sifr, "empty". That was the earliest mention of the name sifr that eventually became zero.] The oldest known text to use a decimal place-value system, including a zero, is the Jain text from India entitled the Lokavibhaga, dated 458 AD, where Shunya ("void" or "empty") was employed for this purpose. The first known use of special glyphs for the decimal digits that includes the indubitable appearance of a symbol for the digit zero, a small circle, appears on a stone inscription found at the Chaturbhuja Temple at Gwalior in India, dated 876 AD. There are many documents on copper plates, with the same small o in them, dated back as far as the sixth century AD, but their authenticity may be doubted.

Some Ancient Rules Related to zer0


The rules governing the use of zero appeared for the first time in Brahmagupta's book Brahmasputha Siddhanta (The Opening of the Universe), written in 628 AD. Here Brahmagupta considers not only zero, but negative numbers, and the algebraic rules for the elementary operations of arithmetic with such numbers. In some instances, his rules differ from the modern standard. Here are the rules of Brahmagupta: > The sum of zero and a negative number is negative. > The sum of zero and a positive number is positive. > The sum of zero and zero is zero. > The sum of a positive and a negative is their difference; or, if their absolute values are equal, zero. 83

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> A positive or negative number when divided by zero is a fraction with the zero as denominator. > Zero divided by a negative or positive number is either zero or is expressed as a fraction with zero as numerator and the finite quantity as denominator. > Zero divided by zero is zero. In saying zero divided by zero is zero, Brahmagupta differs from the modern position. Mathematicians normally do not assign a value to this, whereas computers and calculators sometimes assign NaN, which means "not a number." Moreover, non-zero positive or negative numbers when divided by zero are either assigned no value, or a value of unsigned infinity, positive infinity, or negative infinity. Once again, these assignments are not numbers, and are associated more with computer science than pure mathematics, where in most contexts no assignment is done.

The Nature of ZERO Today


The number 0 is the smallest non-negative integer. The natural number following 0 is 1 and no natural number precedes 0. The number 0 may or may not be considered a natural number, but it is a whole number and hence a rational number and a real number (as well as an algebraic number and a complex number). The number 0 is neither positive nor negative and appears in the middle of a number line. It is neither a prime number nor a composite number. It cannot be prime because it has an infinite number of factors and cannot be composite because it cannot be expressed by multiplying prime numbers (0 must always be one of the factors). Zero is, however, even. This is not the whole story of zer0, there are many more facts, revelations and histories to tell you guys. The above extract of Zer0s story tells us its brief history, origin and its important role towards the development of the Mother of Science, Mathematics.

Facts about 2519


2519 Mod n 2519 Mod 2 = 1 2519 Mod 3 = 2 2519 Mod 4 = 3 2519 Mod 5 = 4 2519 Mod 6 = 5 2519 Mod 7 = 6 2519 Mod 8 = 7 2519 Mod 9 = 8 2519 Mod 10 = 9 Sequential Numbers with 2519 1259 x 2 + 1 = 2519 839 x 3 + 2 = 2519 629 x 4 + 3 = 2519 503 x 5 + 4 = 2519 419 x 6 + 5 = 2519 359 x 7 + 6 = 2519 314 x 8 + 7 = 2519 279 x 9 + 8 = 2519 251 x 10 + 9 = 2519

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The Rise of Science in India


~ Nehal Kejriwal (STSA, 2nd year) Science It is a terrifying word, pretty terrifying Considered an antithesis to emotions. Though, little do we remember, that behind ALL the emotions (faade or otherwise), there are crazy chemical (read: scientific) reactions. And surprisingly, science (predominantly a number labyrinth), is enjoyed only when there is an unprecedented love for justifying our existence. So this trade-off between emotions and science is pretty ironical. We as a country have been rich scientifically, exceptionally so. The Harappa and Mohenjo-daro ruins are excellent examples of town planning, water supply and all then-modern infrastructures. The excavations revealed intense use of ornaments. The only source of gold was the Kolar gold mines. The mountains and the forests posed no hindrance in the communication of the north and south. They used a variety of stones quarried all over India, some imported as well. The modern number line complete with zero and the decimal points were outcomes of the Indian brain. Chronologically the Mauryas come next. They had Indias first irrigation dam sudarshana to their credit, besides the flourishing art and architecture of this era. Asoka would have been a mere shadow in our line of kings had it not been for his pillars which explained the grandeur of arguably one of our finest rulers. We of course need to Important texts on the medical sciences namely Charak Sahita thank James Prinsep for and Sushruta Sahita were composed on the Indian soil as well. decrypting it. The pillar was They are perhaps most famous for its detailed procedure of so polished, that it became Rhinoplasty (nose job) along with other plastic surgery methods. the distinguishing mark, withstanding the test of time. Important texts on the medical sciences namely Charak Sahita and Sushruta Sahita were composed on the Indian soil as well. They are perhaps most famous for its detailed procedure of Rhinoplasty (nose job) along with other plastic surgery methods. The science of inhalers in modern science may seem

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relatively recent, but it was practiced in the Buddhist community by physician extraordinaire Jivaka. Medical missions were sent to Europe. The same were entertained in India, predominantly in the Mauryan era. In the seventh and eighth century there was a great demand of Indian practitioners in the Middle East and the Orient. Indian texts on medicines were adopted and translated by the Chinese. The Mehrauli iron pillar is perhaps the finest example of solidarity, baffling experts with respect to its composition. The knowledge of metallurgy was incredible. Ancient south Indian bronzes, known equally for their metallurgy as for their aesthetic beauty, find their pride of place in many a museum across the globe. The British Raj banned the use of Indian textiles in their country as it was a serious drain on their chemically manufactured ones. The Roman beauties, decked in even seven folds of muslin, and parading themselves on the highway of Rome, became a menace to its morals such was the finery, such the extravagance of Indian muslin. The paintings in the Ajanta and Ellora caves are still high on colour; the quality of pigment used, exceptional. Any article on Indian science is incomplete without the mention of Aryabhatta. He was a mathematician of a different level altogether. You can hate the man for all the contribution he made to math, but you definitely cannot ignore him! He arrived at the accurate value of Pi and dealt with a million algebraic identities, areas and volumes, intermediate equations, progression, involution, evolution (whew!). The descent of science in India is way more intimidating and provoking. However, the Brahmins eventually took over and religious hues darkened reasoning. The society divided and subdivided, fully overcome and subdued by the fear of casteism. The flamboyance of a bygone era is somewhat perennially lost

A dragon has 100 heads. A knight can cut off 15, 17, 20, or 5 heads with one blow of his sword. In each of these respective cases, 24, 2, 14, or 17 new heads grow back. If all heads are cut off, the dragon dies. Is it possible for the knight to kill the dragon?

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Thank You for the Music!


~ Aditya Ghosh (MTMA, 3rd year)

Flamboyant stage costumes, flashy appearances, gaudy styles and infectious melodies all these made ABBA unparalleled in the groovy world of pop music. Its seems quite implausible that even today, millions of young people, like me, are addicted to their harmonious tunes. Who can forget their sensational Dancing Queen and Mamma Mia! - the songs which can even make Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan trip the light fantastic toe? This musical bands nonpareil success is attributable, above all, to its irresistible music, which not only revolutionized the pop culture of the seventies, but also made them the world's best-selling band (after The Beatles, of course!), having sold over 375 million records worldwide. What interest me in their music are the captivating song hooks, easy lyrics and harmonized vocals, which always express the subtle human emotions in a very simple way! I, as a kid, was first introduced to world of ABBA by my music teacher at school, and I still believe that many of my schoolmates still hum the tunes of songs like I Have a Dream. Such is the charm of ABBA! This Swedish band crafted a global pop style, which proved to be a decisive bridge between the pop of the sixties and the modern synthesizer pop. Even today, this band, which comprised Anni-Frid, Bjrn, Benny and Agnetha, sells two to three million records a year, even though the band dissolved three decades ago. Chart-toppers like Voulez-Vous, The Winner takes it All and Waterloo are still a standard fare on the playlists of thousands of radio-stations, making ABBA my favourite music band which still inspires millions of youths into the fantastic world of pop music!

Jokes Corner
Heisenberg might have done it here. Moebius always does it on the same side. Statisticians probably do it Algebraists do it in groups. (Logicians do it) or [not (logicians do it)] 87

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A Battle Lost And Won


~ Prerona Dutta (MTMA, 2nd year)
The fall begins with jaundiced leaves, Striving to purge the impure --When its time to cure my maladied soul I tightly shut the door. I conceal all my precious thoughts Within an impenetrable sheath; A marshalled flow of positive vibes Guards all that lies beneath. What do I seek from this self-confinement? What peace do I hope to gain? What is the cause that plagues me so, And plunges into unrelenting pain? How much more have I to endure? What profanities remain to be uttered? Amidst the eddying seas I float, Disillusioned and battered. Internal strifes wreak havoc As they toy with my myriad thoughts --The mind is deluged by unfathomable grief, And gripped by a frenzy of sorts. As a plundered soul devoid of peace, With a failing foresight to spare, The unending spate of grave ordeals Provide for more than I can bear. A sudden gust of feeble strength Rouses again the desire to live --With a flourish I vow to turn the tables, Without the slightest incentive. I make no effort to douse the flame That flickers on despite the downpour --Beholding a lighthouse that still stands tall, I get up to open the door. For hope fills my weary heart, That bleeds from a million gashes --I rise again with plumes outspread, Like a phoenix from its ashes.
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Tempest: An Un-professional Review


~ Sayantan Maitra (MTMA, 3rd year)
What is a good song? What is a good album? What is it that makes an album a masterpiece? I often ask myself these questions. Im not very eager to know the answer though; I just like to think about them. So while writing about Bob Dylans 35th studio album, I wanted to start with: Tempest is not exactly what youd call a masterpiece. I changed my mind not because my admiration for this work took a giant leap, but because it is wrong to always expect masterpieces from the man who gave us so many of them in the last fifty years. The album opens with Duquesne Whistle which, in my mind at least, was a good-time rocker until Dylan rolled out a bloody and grotesque music video (dir. Nash Edgerton). That, I now understand, is the essence of this whole record. He consciously stripped all feelings of joy and happiness from it and whatever fun there has to be left, he brings it all out also in a very grim manner. Beside the opener, there are many delightful songs here the jaunty Pay In Blood, the tender-yet-violent Soon After Midnight, the confessional lost-love composition Long and Wasted Years and the sly and playful Early Roman Kings where Bobby, now at 71, announces, I aint dead yet, my bell still rings. But there is a lot more to Tempest than just these. Bob Dylans stature as a storyteller is no less than that of the singer-songwriter in him. And while he pulls off a triumphant performance in the title track Tempest, a beautifully choreographed fourteen minute story about the ill-fated voyage of RMS Titanic, he proves that he is still at the top of the game. He sings about the panic, fear and chaos in the sinking ship: Passengers were flying/ Backward, forward, far and fast /They mumbled, fumbled, and tumbled /Each one more weary than the last and Brother rose up 'gainst brother/In every circumstance/They fought and slaughtered each other/In a deadly dance. But the master craftsman is clever enough to plug in a few stories of compassion in his painting of lost-hope, like the one about Jim Dandy, who gave his seat to a crippled child and found peace when death was on the rampage. It is sung so vividly, it almost feels like a dream than an account of a century-old tragedy. Last but definitely not the least - the John Lennon tribute Roll on John stands out as the most honest track in this collection. The sentimentality is unmistakable here. Dylan sounds truly alone and old looking for a real friend in these hard times and this is the only place in this album where he hopes for light with all the strength he has left in him: Shine your light, move it on/ You burn so bright, roll on John.

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Though confident and enjoyable, Tempest is not musically superlative. The primary problem with it is Dylans voice, which doesnt bring out the sense of urgency the way it did in Love & Theft (2001) or Modern Times (2006). As a result, Scarlet Town doesnt cut deep, Tin Angel sounds outright boring and the supposed-to-be-rocker Narrow Way doesnt rock quite well. Get it straight, this whole record is filled with violence - in a deep and often darkly humorous way; and Dylan took great care to make it like that. Themes of blood, murder, revenge, death, grief and, of course, love, lust and sex run throughout the ten songs which altogether clocks around seventy minutes. Now, given the nature of Dylans recent works, none of these individually comes as a big surprise; but when you make an album which is crammed with all these, it becomes somewhat hard to digest. And ladies and gents, thats a compliment!

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As I look back upon the history of my country, I do not find in the whole world another country which has done quite so much for the improvement of the human mind. Therefore I have no words of condemnation for my nation. I tell them, You have done well; only try to do better. Great things have been done in the past in this land, and there is both time and room for greater things to be done yet ... Our ancestors did great things in the past, but we have to grow into a fuller life and march beyond even their great achievement.- Swami Vivekananda (Complete Works Vol. III, p.195)

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Solutions
Solution to ANTS ON THE EDGE(Pg 13) The answer is 1 minute! With ants bouncing off each other, it seems difficult to keep track, but one key idea (fun fact!) makes it quite simple: two ants bouncing off each other is equivalent to two ants that pass through each other, in the sense that the positions of ants in each case are identical. So, you might as well think of all ants acting with independent motions. Viewed in this way, all ants fall off after traversing the length of the stick, i.e., the longest that you would need to wait to ensure that all ants are off is 1 minute. Seeking alternate ways to look at a problem can offer useful insights!

Solution to Know the Masters (Pg 55)

Birthday Problem (Pg 17) Firdaus was born on December 31st and spoke about it on January 1st. Bridge Problem (Pg 17) A and B cross first using up 2 minutes. A comes back making it 3. C and D cross making it 13 minutes. Then B crosses back over making it 15 minutes. And finally A and B cross together to make it 17 minutes. Shift the Digit (Pg 31) Three Brothers (Pg 34) The question is, Are you Sankar? If you are addressing Srijan, he will answer yes, since Srijan lies, whereas both Sankar and Tapojyoti would say no since Sankar lies, and Tapojyoti tells the truth. So, a yes means he is Srijan and a no means that he is not Srijan. Plant a Tree (Pg 67) Four. Most people think the answer is three, because it is easy to create an equilateral triangle with a tree planted on each corner. But if the land had just the right contours, a fourth tree might be planted in a valley or on a hill, forming a pyramid shape above or below the centre of the triangle in a spot that would maintain the equidistance.

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Solutions
Flower Garden (Pg 37)
Hiranya is right. From the first statisticians reports it follows that there cannot be more than one yellow flower, because if there are 2 yellows, you could pick 2 yellows and 1 blue, thus having a group of three flowers that contains no red. Similarly, there cannot be more than 1 blue flower. Thus, it follows that there is at most one yellow flower and one blue. Again, from the second statisticians report it follows that there is at most one red flower and one blue.

Family Puzzle (Pg 67)


4 daughters and 3 sons.

A dragon has 1 00 heads(Pg 86)

At first glance the problem may seem difficult but it is actually quite easy! Each of the differences of new heads growing back is divisible by 3. But 100 is congruent to modulo 3. So, at any stage, if there are X total heads remaining, it must be congruent to 1 modulo 3. However, none of 15, 17, 20 or 5 satisfies that. The knight, if he could kill the dragon, would have to chop off exactly one of this number of heads in his final blow. So the dragon cannot be killed.

QUIZ Corner 1 (Pg 59) 1. Archimedes 2. Kurt Godel 3. Leonhard Euler 4. Paul Erdos 5. Isaac Newton 6. Pythagoras 7. Pierre de Fermat 8. Blaise Pascal 9. Hipparchus

QUIZ Corner 2 (Pg 77) 1. Calculus 2. Trigonometry 3. Principia Mathematica 4. Descartes 5. cut to pieces with shells 6. Hippasus 7. fractal 8. 14th March 9. Robert Recorde 106

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Solutions
Solution to Hidato Puzzle 1 Solution to Hidato Puzzle Solution to HidatoPuzzle3

Solution to Sudoku Puzzle 1

Solution to SudokuPuzzle2

Solution to SudokuPuzzle3

Solution to Kakuro Puzzle 1

Solution to KakuroPuzzle2

Solution to KakuroPuzzle3

Solution to Sudoku Puzzle

Solution to Sudoku Puzzle2

Solution to SudokuPuzzle3

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