fun math stuff!

for now, these are just links—if you have any games/ideas/jokes/etc, e-mail me at kpbene @ wm . edu and i’ll post them!

Problem of the Month:

So a group of mathematicians are on a plane (the transportation kind) bound for MathFest, and they run into the misfortune of crashing and landing on a deserted island filled with hungry cannibals. The cannibals, rather than eating these mathematicians immediately, decide to turn their dinner into a game. They line each of the mathematicians up in order of height, so that the shortest person is in front, the next shortest behind that person, etc., with the tallest person in the back of the line. Each person can see every person in front of him. Now, each person is given a hat, which is either black or white. A person may not see his own hat. Now, the cannibals begin their game. Starting with the tallest person and moving forward, they will ask the person what color hat he is wearing. If the person answers correctly, he is spared. If the answer is incorrect, the poor math guy gets eaten. The mathematicians are allowed to get together and discuss a strategy before they must line and up and play the game. How many people may possibly be spared?

Cheesy math joke of the month:

Q. Why did the chicken cross the Mobius strip?

A. To get to the other….