Archive for April 2011
How many zeros are there in 2^n?
Posted by: Gary Ernest Davis on: April 23, 2011
An old problem asks if is the highest power of whose base representation: , does not contain the digit . For instance, the next powers of do indeed contain the digit : x How many zeros? Instead of asking the existential question “Is there a zero in the base representation of for ?” we can […]
Tags: equidistribution, powers of 2
Should mathematics teachers tell the truth?
Posted by: Gary Ernest Davis on: April 22, 2011
Adults do not always tell the truth to children. It’s common to let children believe there is a tooth fairy, that Father Christmas brings presents at Christmas time, or that a Golem defended the Jews in Prague. Are there similar tales that mathematics teachers tell children? Does mathematics have fibs, lies, and myths? I will […]
