Customer Reviews

The Mathematics Calendar 2006

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

If you're like me and think that mathematics is great fun, then the idea of having a calendar with a new problem for each day probably sounds pretty intriguing. Indeed, this could be a great product if done well. But the calendar has several shortcomings.

For one, many (most?) of the problems test knowledge rather than intelligence. For example, one problem shows a subtraction problem with one number written in Mayan numerals and the other written in Chinese. Now, if you recognize Mayan and Chinese numbers, this problem requires no thought whatsoever. If you don't, no amount of puzzling will avail you. Another asks, "If 100 quadrillion is written in scientific notation, you get 10^?" This is the same sort of thing. Mathematics should be about reasoning, not trivia. Particularly when each problem has the date as its solution, meaning that questions like the last are more statements of fact than questions.

My other problem with it is that it isn't presented very well. There's a lack of consistency in its formatting that suggests that it was thrown together somewhat haphazardly, and it's littered with typographical and mathematical errors. The question for January 19, for example, asks the reader to translate the hexadecimal number F4 into decimal. Aside from fitting my earlier complaint about this being a mere trivia question, anyone who knows hex will tell you that the answer is 244, not 19. The calendar has a page of errata buried on the publisher's atrociously bad website, but really, this is the sort of thing that should have been spotted instantly -- BEFORE the product went into circulation.

Looking around Amazon at some of Pappas' other products, many reviews seem to complain that they reflect a very low editorial standard, and I think this is the case with the 2006 Mathematics Calendar too. It's a great idea and does have a few interesting problems in it, but for the most part it's a disappointment. Stay away from this one.

I'm on my second year, and I got the one for kids as well. These calendars are great for keeping your math skills up. For each day of the year, you are presented with a problem -- and the answer to that problem is the day of the month! Very diverse problem types, some tricky, some straightforward. Coverage of algebra, geometry, some trigonometry, number/set theory, the occasional calculus problem, and famous formulas (e.g., one problem from January 2011 required knowledge of Euler's identity: e^(i*pi)= -1). Basically what you would expect in an advanced high school setting. Also, the top half covers a mathematical topic of interest, with extensive references to web sites and printed works. If you want to boost your nerd cred, then nothing beats hanging this in your cube space and showing your work for each and every day of the month, preferably in near-illegible pencil scrawl.

Good value for the price; 365 creative math problems from arithmetic, algebra 1 and 2, geometry, trig., and precalculus. Plus some brainbuster problems and a crossword puzzle. Each month has a write-up on some topic such as "the parabola's staying power." Attractive graphics throughout. I enjoyed solving several of the problems last night.

I have been receiving this calendar for years.
It makes a great conversational "piece" in my office.

This is really a cool calender with great math problems ranging from algebra to pre-calculus, nothing that requires higher math.

I love these calendars. I received one as a gift in 2010 and went through it page by page. I ordered the 2011 from Amazon. I had a stroke in December 2009 and doing the exercises really helped me get back to "normal". Thank you!

I have solved 99% of the problems in these Mathematics Calendars for many years now and I still purchase the new one every year. (Is there a website where I can get help on the 1% that I haven't been able to solve?) If you want to keep mathematics fresh in your gray matter, bother old colleagues and friends with some interesting problems, and challenge students to really integrate and enjoy mathematics, this calendar is for you!

A Retired High School Math Teacher (29 years in Cherry Creek Schools in CO)

I love this calendar! But then again, I'm a total math nerd. I have a math degree, and some of the problems I don't remember how to do. On the other hand, some of the math is very easy. I only gave it 4 stars because the math is rather difficult on some days. If you don't have some college mathematics, this may not be the calendar for you. If you are a math geek like me and want to brush up, then go for it!

I've been getting the Mathematics calendar for years. I use it along with few colleages to brush up and tease each other. It's worth a lot more than any other calendar and a bit challenging for those of us long away from school.

The Mathematics Calendar offers a tiny math puzzle for each day. Some are trivial, others take at least a little thought -- or, perhaps, insight into how to approach the problem. The most interesting feature of the calendar is the monthly essay, which provides an overview of a specific field of mathematics.

I really enjoy the calendar, but I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so I took away a star. There are some typesetting problems; a few diagrams are clipped (such as January 10th) and some are typeset in such a way that they're rather confusing.

A couple of problems were porly edited and are confusingly worded as a result. February 15th, for instance, says that "there are 3 consecutive weights on this scale". Turns out that the each weight's mass is one unit away from another. The BASIC program for Aprial 10th contains a syntax error.

Perhaps my most sincere annoyance is aimed at an important missing feature. The calendar is about 8.5x11 when folded, so it's about 17x11 when unfolded. This is a rather typical size for a wall calendar -- but the calendar doesn't feature a hanging hole, so the purchaser is left to find a hole punch that will make it through the thick paper so they can hang the darn thing. A petty annoyance, but a rather startling oversight.