Math Constants

Have you ever wondered where the numbers like pi, e, and phi come from? I love the special math constants and I think it's awesome that these numbers, some of which will never repeat and never end, are so useful that we create ways to represent them with the smallest possible round-off error. Pi is my absolute favorite, mostly because of pi day (March 14th) and pi approximation day (July 22nd), but they are all fascinating!
In case you ever want to know any of the four major constants -- pi, e, phi or Euler's constant -- here is a site that lists them all to many more decimals than you could ever need!
PI: Mathworld, one of the sites I recommended earlier, has a site specifically on pi. It goes into a bit of detail about the history of pi, approximations, the more recent culture references to pi and much more. Here is a more detailed history of pi.
e: Although it doesn't have it's own holiday (it's digits just don't work quite as well), e is another very common mathematical constant. e is much easier to approximate and this site not only explains that, but it explains the more recent history and explains how e manifests itself in many situations. Here's Mathworld's take on e, similar in content to the one on pi.
PHI: Phi isn't a number than only the mathematicians of the world can claim. Phi is known as the "golden ratio" and appears in many applications. This site, dedicated solely to phi, has all sorts of information on phi. Look in the math section for how to mathematically derive it, but also check out its history and other applications. Here's Mathworld's take on it.
Euler's Constant: Euler's constant is a much newer constant. It was studied by Leonhard Euler, one of history's most famous mathematicians. Here is a basic overview of the constant, which is represented by gamma, along with how it is derived. Want to know how pi and this constant are different? Read carefully (I'll give you a hint, it starts with an r . . . )! Mathworld is much more detailed about it and it's history.
So what are you waiting for? I hope this gives you a little of my appreciation and amazement toward these cool constants!

Math Outside of the Classroom

Have you ever wanted to learn something that we didn't cover in class? Maybe you were bored and wanted to move on to a new section or maybe you weren't sure you understood what we covered one day, but regardless you wanted to know where to find math instruction online. Well, here are some places you can check out first!
The Obvious: Math.com!: Of course there's a website called math.com! Math.com has a lot of stuff on it, everything from tips on finding a tutor to loan calculators to homework help. I would suggest you start on the "Practice" tab for any sort of exploration or catching up, but feel free to look around. The practice section teaches a lesson, then has a short quiz at the end so you can see what you learned! This is a good way to check and see if you understand something, even if we've gone over it in class. Then, once you've finished your practice, you can move on to games. Come on, playing games first is like eating dessert before dinner!
More Math Tutorials: I don't know who Mrs. Glosser is, but she's been busy! Mrs. Glosser's math goodies has all sorts of topics on it. She covers everything from basic math to calc and has many options for each! I'd suggest using the tutorials (be aware that some are free and some are on the cd only!) to learn the new topics and then using the worksheets to practice. Most of the worksheets don't have any answers with them, but I'm sure I or another math teacher could check them for you . . . if you ask nicely! :) There are games for practice on this site too.
S.O.S.!: It's never good when you need to yell "S.O.S.!" And, it's even worse when it's because of math! That's why S.O.S Math is a great site for learning new stuff, but also catching up on class material. You'll probably want to stick with the Algebra, Trig and Calc sections, as many of the topics they cover are college level! So, if you're planning on taking math in college, S.O.S. math might be helpful to take along! Each section in this site has a good explaination, complete with graphics and pratice exercises with solutions so you can check! There's all sorts of topics here, so anything you might want should be there!
Dessert Time: I've given you so many practice sites, I suppose you deserve a fun site. Math playground is full of math games. Even though it might not be your wii, they are still fun and educational too. These games are all on the easier end of high school math, though, so if you're looking for calculus fun, sorry, this site won't help you. Have fun!
What are you waiting for? Go learn your math online!

Math on the Web

Ever thought about looking for math stuff on the web? It seems like math has been limited to calculators and notebook paper, but in today's world, it's all over the Internet too! Here are a few of my favorite math-related websites.
Math History and So Much More!: MacTutor is a site that I have learned to love. I discovered it in a math history class and found that it was a great source for anyone or anything in the history of math. Wonder where a theorem or subject came from? MacTutor can probably help you find it! They have everything from biographies of famous mathematicians throughout history to math primary sources to mathematicians of the day. It has a lot of fun trivia-style knowledge about anything in math history.
Cool Math Societies: Both the American Mathematical Society and Math Association of America seem to be societies for people who are seriously into math research, but in reality, both are open to high school students! These sites list off benefits of being a member and offer hints for mathematicians. However, they are also full of information. They offer some of their publications online and offer more fun hints and tips like the MacTutor sites. Plus, both have competitions, one specifically for high schoolers! Check out MAA's minute math and numberaday for some fun stuff you won't find in a traditional math class!
Math=Cool??: Coolmath.com looks like one fun site! With specific areas based on subject matter, for students, for parents and just for fun, it seems to cover it all. It offers both help for those who are struggling and ways to extend what you've learned if you're bored in math. There are also links to other sites related to math and other school subjects. It seems to be not quite complete, but the information on it seems to be organized well and also presented well.
So what are you waiting for? Math is waiting for you online!