What is this?
It’s a question-and-answer website. Questions received by email or in person are sometimes turned into posts.
Do you answer every question?
Damn near it. But the answer might be “I don’t know” or “you might need a chemist/biologist/medium/kung fu master for this one” or an “informed” guess.
Do all the questions/answers get posted?
Not even close.
What kind of question can I ask?
The best questions are the kind that “have been bothering you for years”. Bizarre philosophical questions are more than good. Cut-and-paste homework questions are worse than bad.
How do I cite the site?
The MLA standard for citations can be found here. I heartily apologize on behalf of the MLA, for all of the italicized, quotation marked, and semicoloned ruin and sadness they’ve brought to our beleaguered liberal arts population.
Who are you?
“A Mathematician” and “A Physicist” were the names we chose so that the folk who came to the stand at Burning Man would know who to talk to first. Those carried over into web-based pseudonyms pretty naturally. Very occasionally, when a question deserves to be answered but is better answered by someone else, a guest author will be brought in.
Why the anonymity?
Mostly it’s that being anonymous means (hopefully) being judged directly by the content of the posts. Also, it doesn’t help anyone to be either intimidated by our massive over-qualification or made incredulous by our shocking under-qualification.
How do I know the answers are right?
Don’t trust us. If you can check the math, check it. If the facts don’t line up or new data becomes available, let us know. If it’s reasonable to do so (and helps more than hurts) we’ll try to justify or prove things in the post. Sometimes mistakes happen, but if we know about them they’ll be fixed. It’s also fine to point out spelling and grammar mistake.
Can I advertise on askamathematician?
Nope.
Why not?
Do you like ads?
Can I send you money?
That’s very kind, but nope.
Do you sell t-shirts or anything?
Nope.
What’s the point?
Seems like a decent thing to do.
What’s the most common question you get asked?
“What’s the most common question you get asked?” That’s not a joke.
Do you have any advice on becoming a mathematician or physicist?
There aren’t any geniuses out there. The fact is, if you do something a lot, you’ll get good at it (and it’s a lot easier to do something a lot if you love it). Take or sit in on classes you don’t need, ask questions continuously, and harass teachers you don’t know with questions they don’t expect. Keep in mind that physics is the study of physical reality, so go outside and look at stuff. Seriously. It’s a lot easier to understand how fancy equations relate to physical things if you’ve personally seen lots of examples of physical things. If you see a little kid blinking at ceiling fans, crossing their eyes at a chain-link fence, or jumping on the bus/train/elevator, then you’re looking at a tiny physicist.
But mostly: math. It cannot be overemphasized how important math is. If you’re bad at math, then doing more math is the only way to get better. If you can’t get past something (looking at you, fractions), then admit it to your teachers (or anyone else who can help), ask lots of questions, and then: math, math, math. Math.
How do I write fancy equations in the comments?
If you know LaTex, then start what you write with “$latex” and end it with “$”. Everything in between will be in the “LaTex math environment” and will be super pretty.
How come you don’t post as often? Why is it taking so long for my question to get answered?
Daughters.
Dear Mathematician and Physicist,
Just wanted to say that this site is fan-f@ckin-tastic. I am really enjoying the posts and feedback and style and content. I personally enjoy math and science as an amateur (majored in biochemistry in college but did not pursue for work) and while there are very good resources nowadays to view, read, listen to, they always lack something. Anyway, the crispness and manner with which you both digest difficult subjects is special. I hope you continue to do so. I will turn this site over to my 4yr old on a regular basis as she grows up – thanks,
Dimitry
Hi there.
Please can you confirm the email address to which to send a question? The one listed on the right hand column of the website appears to contain spaces which I`m assuming is incorrect.
I want to ask you to please check the maths involved in a probability estimate which you may find interesting and\or usseful.
Thank you.
Thank you.
how can i ask questions??????????
How do I ask a question?
There’s the email of them in the top of site
To help you, it’s:
askamathematician@gmail.com
through the nuclear reactions! (neutron, nutrino etc) an element could be converted into another! like addition of a neutron like things.. if this is true(which m sure it is!) than we CAN possibly make gold from other elements through nuclear conversions.. speaking of what.. isn’t ‘alchemy’ possible? (ancient alchemy though!)
how old is this website?
hello
a question about relative risk(RR) as used in health science.
If a RR is given of RR 1.25 and since 1 is 80% of 1.25; does that imply that factors other than the 25% are the cause of something.
For instance:
SHS is said to cause a 25% increase in the risk for heart disease deaths….RR 1.25
Since there are multiple factors that cause heart disease, it can not be said that 25% of the deaths were 100% caused by SHS exposure.
How can I leave a reply for old topics?
I would like to clarify one reply from an uniformed user on “Q: How does instantaneous communication violate causality?”, but there does not seem to be any mechanism for reply?
I have a question that has been bothering me for years. I have a TI-89 Titanium calculator and when I ask this very simple question, (in exact mode) I get the correct answer.
∞
∫ x dx = ∞ Average rate of change from 0 to infinity is infinity, in exact mode.
0
This is where it gets really weird….when the calculator is put in approximate mode this is always the answer I get 8.295218731737 E 27 with the disclaimer of “questionable accuracy” The calculator has a precision of fourteen digits. I cannot understand where the logic behind it went wrong. The TI-nspire CAS gives the same answer also? I got a third opinion from this discontinued Math software called Derive 6, and when set a fourteen digits of precision this is the different (wrong) answer (1.9918153995090 E 26) If I set the input precision at one digit, and output precision at fourteen digits, I get this answer ( 4008.1 )…..what? These are not random answers and depending on the settings they are consistently wrong and always the same. What is going on????? Help!
i know 2^P-1=P has been proved wrong but what about 2^x-1=p where x is prime and is a fibonacci number.
Hi physicists!
I have a query about quantum computers. I read in a Michio Kaku book that quantum computers would use chips that are 1 atom thick. However, currently there are issues with something called “coherence”. For example, someone in the building next door could sneeze and the vibrations from that could disrupt the “coherence”.
My question is, could the quantum computer be wrapped in, or made of, metamaterials? They deflect waves of light and sound etc., and might be able to handle the vibrations etc. that disrupt coherence, keeping the quantum computer static in order for it to work.
Just a thought! Theres probably a lot more going on, but keen to find out if this could assist the cause in any way!
Best regards
@Josh G
At the end of the day, you need lots of clever shielding. I’ve never specifically heard of using metamaterials, but why not?
i really like this site. they answer all my questions the best they can. I use this site to check and get some opinions to check my own thinking and theories. Kinda wish i knew who was responding but thats ok i guess the answers are more important than whose giving them i reckon. Good stuff thanks to whoever responded
Citation #1
MATHEMATICIANS FIND A PECULIAR PATTERN IN PRIMES
Final digit in consecutive numbers is not as random as expected
By
Rachel Ehrenberg
3:58pm, March 18, 2016
From …
ScienceNews.com
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/mathematicians-find-peculiar-pattern-primes
Citation #2
MATHEMATICIANS DISCOVERED SOMETHING SUPER FREAKY ABOUT PRIME NUMBERS
10/17/2018 From …
Physics-Astronomy.com
http://www.physics-astronomy.com/2016/03/mathematicians-discovered-something.html#.XGaxTDrsbP1
Dear Mathematics Community,
Ever since 2016 I have been looking for further research papers which discuss the WHY of the “Final digit in consecutive numbers is not as random as expected”. The first citation above is what got me started on this quest. I’ve only recently stumbled upon the 2018 paper from Physics-Astronomy.com.
Surely this topic must be a topic on ongoing computerized statistical final digit prime number research. Unfortunately, I’m having a tough time finding further work.
Can you help me in my search? Either a reference to a list of more citations, or to a “special interest group” in the prime number research community would be of great use to me.
Fascinating problem (as Mr. Spock might say).
Kind regards,
noffkehw@hotmail.com
P.S. I am a retired research engineer, with somewhere between a masters degree or a Ph.D. in mathematical signal processing.
great site! finally found one that’s not run by a bunch of old men retired science teachers to whom anything beyond Newton is called woo and is thrown in the junk pile.
I agree with Deric. Science forums around the internet are brutal. I have, as a layman, been utterly tortured over and over…almost any question I ask. You get thumped on the head if you use the word, “would” instead of “could” or “should”. It gets tiring & frustrating quickly.
Thank you for your “non-drama” approach to science interaction with all levels (education) of visitors! An absolute, “breath of fresh air” for me and also others I presume!
@pinballguy
I’m glad you’re enjoying the site! Thank you very much.
Hi there. I have tried to perform the double slit experiment using alpha particles, but i had not succesfull. My double slit is about to 0,16 mm each slit and the separation between them is 0,55mm. Considering the low range of the alpha particles, i dont know how to set up the alpha source, the double slit and the sensor, wich is a CMOS one. Could you help me with? Should i make a different dimension double slit? The goals is to observe the figure of diffraction.
Regards from Brazil
Is it possible to edit or delete our own posts?
Mathematician/Physicist! You’re the stuff! I just wanted to point out a spelling/grammar mistake under the question “How do I know the answers are right?” At the end of this sentence “It’s also fine to point out spelling and grammar mistake.” “mistake” should be “mistakes” with an S. It may have been intentional, but I thought it may be important to point it out just in case.
Thanks for all the great posts!
@A Helper Of Grammar And Spelling
Thank you very much! That particular mistake was intentional, but there are certain to be to be many other.
Do space objects encounter a frictional force as their mass rotates against the space time fabric?
Great site, guys. I hope U won’t mind all my questions. I am full of ’em.
.A He means IT!
.B SA/S.
If I only observe light, does time cease to exist?
This is my first visit on your website and it’s nice to be here. Thank you very much! That particular mistake was intentional, but there are certain to be to be many other.
I really like this site. they answer all questions the best they can. Thank you!