The Math Club

If we asked all of our listeners to look up the current population of their hometown and email us just the first digit of that number, what do you expect we'd find? Would the digits be evenly distributed, or would some be more common than others? In this episode, we look at Benford's Law, and learn some surprising truths about the distribution of numbers in natural data sets. Leave us a voice messageFind us on Twitter Send us an email

Ever wonder how a website knows your credit card number is "invalid" before you even hit the submit button? In this commando-style holiday episode, Pete and Noah dive into the secrets of Luhn's Algorithm, a clever approach that uses simple arithmetic to validate sequences of digits. Leave us a voice messageFind us on Twitter Send us an email

It's a simple question: What's your favorite number? But as Pete and Noah discover in this special episode, the answers are anything but simple—they're deeply personal, surprisingly mathematical, and always connected to a story. Join our hosts as they open up the floor to listeners, friends, and family to find out their favorite numbers and the fascinating reasons behind their choices. Leave us a voice messageFind us on Twitter Send us an email

Hey there Math Club. Our most recent episode, Math Club Junior: It’s a Zoo Out There, was our second special episode made specifically for kids. When Noah was planning how he wanted to use the episode with his own third grade class, he knew that some visuals would come in handy, so he created a slide deck with images to go along with each problem that the students will have to solve. If you’d like to use this resource along with the audio, you can find it by going to: https://bit.ly/mcj_zoo We hope you find these images to be fun and helpful, and we’ll see you next time!

In this long-awaited followup to our popular Math Club Junior episode, Pete and Noah are back with Mrs. Morrison’s class, as chaperones on a field trip to the local zoo. Listen in as our group of Junior Zookeepers meet a whole new cast of zany characters, and once again learn that math is everywhere if you just look around. And just like last time, this story is full of interesting math challenges for listeners in the upper elementary grades to enjoy and solve. Leave us a voice messageFind us on Twitter Send us an email

A family visit to the Netherlands introduces Pete to the idea of average speed zones, which illustrate a particularly interesting mathematical theorem. Join our hosts as they really go off on a tangent about the mean value theorem, and how it just might get you a speeding ticket. Leave us a voice messageFind us on Twitter Send us an email

It’s finally here! Part Three of the Fermat Trilogy! In this exciting conclusion, Pete and Noah talk about the mathematicians who ultimately proved (or thought they’d proven) Fermat’s Last Theorem. Join us for the final chapter of this riveting 350 year journey! The Proof Leave us a voice messageFind us on Twitter Send us an email

Join us for part two of our deep dive into the history of Fermat's Last Theorem. In this episode, Pete and Noah focus on the fascinating story of Sophie Germain, a 19th century French mathematician who pursued a proof in the face of overwhelming obstacles. Come learn about this impressive chapter in the saga of one of the most interesting problems in mathematica history. Leave us a voice messageFind us on Twitter Send us an email

A few episodes back, our hosts talked about the great unsolved mathematical problems of our time, and Pete teased an interesting story about one such problem that was finally solved not too long ago. In this first of a two-part episode, we dive into the fascinating story of Fermat's Last Theorem... from its inception, to Fermat's bold claim that he had a proof that he couldn't share, to the mathematical greats of yesteryear who took up the challenge to prove it. Join us for a look into this intriguing conjecture, and its amazing history. Leave us a voice messageFind us on Twitter Send us an email

In this episode, Pete and Noah are joined by Andy Looney, the creator of the card game Fluxx, to talk about Math Fluxx and his history designing games. Whether you’re a math person who loves a good game or a game person who loves to do math, we’re sure you’ll find Andy and his story to be interestingly enjoyable. Game on! Looney Labs Leave us a voice messageFind us on Twitter Send us an email

If you've ever seen a science fiction movie or TV show, then you've heard of the spacetime continuum. But what is it, and is there math that describes it? In this episode, Pete and Noah dive into the facts about spacetime, and its fascinating mathematical history. Leave us a voice message Find us on Twitter Send us an email

It’s the holiday season, and Pete and Noah are getting into the festive spirit by looking at the math behind a favorite Hannukah game. Join our hosts as they delve into the probabilities of the dreidel and uncover a counterintuitive truth about its fairness. Whatever traditions you and your family look forward to at this time of year, we promise a lively and interesting time as we take this topic for a spin. Seasons Greetings! • Robert Feinerman's paper, An Ancient Unfair Game Leave us a voice message Find us on Twitter Send us an email

Have you heard the big news? There’s a new largest known prime number, and Noah wants to know how it was discovered. In this episode, Pete explains the various tests used to determine the primality of insanely large numbers, and there’s even a prime challenge for you to sink your teeth into. Leave us a voice message Find us on Twitter Send us an email

Are you ready to revisit the best of The Math Club? Pete and Noah share a trip down memory lane with a pair of special guests. But as they dive deeper into their past episodes, a nagging feeling grows harder to ignore.. Who are these mysterious guests, and what strange secret are they hiding from our hosts? Episodes we reference in our conversation: Tales from Decrypt Positive Thinking Discovery vs. Invention MathGPT Try out NotebookLM Leave us a voice message Find us on Twitter Send us an email

The memory of a restaurant-choosing game from grad school inspires Pete and Noah to look at different voting systems, and the math behind how they work to select a winning candidate. From standard majority rules to ranked choice to plurality with elimination, join our hosts for a lively (and timely) conversation about how our voting system can be just as important as our vote. Leave us a voice message Find us on Twitter Send us an email

An unlikely string of coin flips leads to a conversation about a counterintuive puzzle that Pete found online. Join in on the fun as Pete and Noah dissect this problem, and talk about multiple ways to approach understanding its solution. • Daniel Litt's Twitter post with the puzzle • Noah's Scratch simulation of the problem • Leave us a voice message • DM us on Twitter • Send us an email

Hey Math Club... Pete and Noah need your help with a data mystery, so they put this mini-episode together. If you think you have any info that can help shed some light, drop us a line... Leave us a voice message DM us on Twitter Send us an email

Unsolved. From the origin of Stonehenge, to the identity of Jack the Ripper, to the location of all those missing dryer socks, the world is full of unsolved questions. But what about math? Join Pete and Noah as they discuss some of the great unsolved problems facing mathematicians today. Leave us a voice message Find us on Twitter Send us an email

Pete’s efforts to help Noah prepare for an upcoming math competition lead to a conversation with Kristen Chandler, the executive director of MATHCOUNTS. Join Pete and Noah as they learn about this fascinating organization that provides engaging math programs to middle school students around the country. MATHCOUNTS website Email Kristen Chandler Leave us a voice message Find us on Twitter Send us an email

A batch of almost perfect waffles leads Pete and Noah into an exploration of an interesting probability result. Come find out how, whether you’re eating breakfast or hiring a new employee, math is here to help you make the best choice. Leave us a voice message Find us on Twitter Send us an email