Math Delights

Flatland

The following are reviews that appeared on Amazon.com.

• “As an elementary teacher, I was impressed at how the filmmakers tell this story in a way that it is visually appealing and engaging for children, while at the same time thought provoking for adults.” —Gina Polly
• “I cannot recommend this movie highly enough. Even though it is only 35 minutes long, it introduces what could be a difficult concept so plainly and with entertainment that kids will love it (as well as grown up kids like me!) and it gets kids to think outside the box — something that is lacking in most children today.”

The Story of One

The story of the number one is the story of Western civilization. Terry Jones (“Monty Python's Flying Circus”) goes on a humor-filled journey to recount the amazing tale behind the world's simplest number. Using computer graphics, “One” is brought to life, in all his various guises. One's story reveals how celebrated civilizations in history were achieved, where our modern numbers came from and how the invention of zero changed the world forever — and saved us from having to use Roman numerals today.

Donald in Mathmagic Land

“Disney used animation here to explain through this wonderful adventure of Donald how mathematics can be useful in our real life. Through this journey Donald shows us how mathematics are not just numbers and charts, but magical living things.“ Written by Ibrahim (From IMDb.)

Hard Problems: The Road to the World's Toughest Math Contest

“Hard Problems” is about the extraordinarily gifted students who represented the United States in 2006 at the world's toughest math competition - the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). It is the story of six American high school students who competed with 500 others from 90 countries in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The film shows the dedication and perseverance of these remarkably talented students, the rigorous preparation they undertake, and the joy they get out of solving challenging math problems. It captures the spirit that infuses the mathematical quest at the highest level.

“Hard Problems” may not appeal to primary school children, particularly those who are not intrigued by math.

Mathemagic

Cartoon by John Eddings

by Authur Benjamin
www.math.hmc.edu/~benjamin/mathemagics.htm

Dr. Arthur Benjamin is both a professor of mathematics and a magician. He has combined his two loves to create a dynamic presentation called “Mathemagics,” suitable for all audiences, where he demonstrates and explains his secrets for performing rapid mental calculations faster than a calculator. Reader's Digest calls him “America's Best Math Whiz.” He has presented his high energy talk for thousands of groups throughout the world.

Dr. Benjamin received a standing ovation when he presented part of his show at the TED 2005 meeting. Since the talk went online, it has been viewed over a million times.

More Videos

Please let us know of other engaging math videos.

Nancy Blachman
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