MICHEL CRITON
38 articles published in Tangente
Math for everyoneN°196Oct 13, 2020Multiplications—for a change!
The world of magic squares is still very much alive and remains an active field of research. Access to computing power has rekindled enthusiasts’ interest in these arithmetical objects. What happens if we try to define a multiplicative form of magic?
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Math for everyoneN°194May 21, 2020Tilings: Conway's criterion
You have probably heard of tilings, but do you know this simple criterion for determining whether a polygon can tile the plane?
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History and CultureN°194May 20, 2020The thousand and one wonders of the Game of Life
One of John Conway's best-known creations is the Game of Life, which he devised in 1970. It is a particular kind of cellular automaton, made up of virtual beings that develop in the cells of a regular grid, living, dying and being born according to predetermined rules.
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Math for everyoneN°185Nov 21, 2018The SCM–FFJM competition
Each year, the SCM, in partnership with the FFJM, organizes a research competition based on a mathematical problem drawn from "real life." This time, participants have until April 30 to study traffic congestion in Houston.
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History and CultureN°180Jan 30, 2018Heron in space
Heron's formula extends to quadrilaterals and tetrahedra, as well as to all polyhedra, yielding many applications that remain relevant today.
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History and CultureN°178Sep 25, 20172018 Championship
The 32nd Mathematical and Logical Games Championship, organized by the Fédération française des jeux mathématiques, is under way. Tangente brings you an exclusive look at the eighteen problems from the individual quarterfinals.
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Math for everyoneN°64Sep 12, 2017Rep-tiles
The self-similarity requirement has led to many interesting results on tilings
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Math for everyoneN°64Sep 12, 2017The art of Harry Lindgren
A math enthusiast passionate about geometric dissections introduced powerful methods that remain classics today.
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Math for everyoneN°64Sep 12, 2017Dissecting the square, from Abu al-Wafa to Dudeney
Cutting a given square into identical squares seems easy at first glance—and produces beautiful mosaics. But is it really that simple? What if, instead of identical squares, we require them all to be different, creating ingenious puzzles? A rich geometric world opens up…
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History and CultureN°62Feb 15, 2017Unemployment and energy supply: problems solved!
Discover mathematician Hermann Laurent's proposal for putting unemployed people to work.
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Math for everyoneN°61Oct 05, 2016The New Math controversy
By the late 1960s, reform of the mathematics curriculum had become essential. The reform proposed by the Lichnerowicz Commission took the conceptual approach too far, at the expense of intuition.
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Math for everyoneN°170May 10, 2016Divisibility criteria
You know the divisibility criteria for 2, 3 or 5 — but do you know those for 11 or 25?
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