Stories by The Mathematical Intelligencer

An Introduction to the Collected Works of Frederick D. Funkle

His body of work is broad but unnervingly shallow

Proof Without Words

The sum of squares

Chemical π

Using the periodic table to memorize that celebrated number

The Entertainer

In praise of Raymond Smullyan: logician, magician, mathematician, puzzlist and philosopher

Proofs and Guarantees

We can prove things in math, but does that mean they’re true?

Do the Golden State Warriors Have Hot Hands?

Scoring streaks have long fascinated sports professionals and researchers, yet they are not close to consensus on the right way to think about the issue

Burning Man’s Mathematical Underbelly

It’s mostly an art festival, but attendees are impressively fascinated with science and math...

The Same, Only Different

A column about the surprising cultural, structural, philosophical, and mystical features common to mathematics and food

Privacy and Counterfeit Coins

Do fake coins really need a lawyer’s protection in the courtroom?

Painting New Lines: Maximizing Color Difference in Metro Maps

Math at the Met

Amid the museum’s 2 million works of art lie numerous mathematical curiosities