The Big Internet Math-Off 2024, Semi-final 2

Here’s the second semi-final match of The Big Internet Math-Off. Today, we’re pitting Angela Tabiri against Ayliean.

Take a look at both pitches, vote for the bit of maths that made you do the loudest “Aha!”, and if you know any more cool facts about either of the topics presented here, please write a comment below!

Angela Tabiri – Six everyday examples of mathematics applications

Mathematics is difficult. Mathematics is abstract. What will I use maths for after high school? In this contest, we demonstrate six applications of mathematics in everyday life.

Starting your morning in Ghana usually involves a breakfast of “koko” and “koose”. Koko is a porridge made from millet while koose is made from beans. The koko seller stores the porridge in an aluminium cylindrical object. Using the mathematics of computing the volume, the koko seller can compute the quantity of porridge and how much the portions need to be sold in order to make profit. The volume of the cylinder can be explained as each layer of the cylinder consisting of circular surfaces so the sum of all these circular surfaces gives the volume of \(\pi r^2 h\).

When joining a road from a side street, you estimate the speed of the driver in the lane you are joining to see if the vehicle will be a safe distance from you by the time you join the road. If the estimation shows that the speed is high and you are not safe to join the road, you need to wait for the road to clear up in order to safely join. This involves speed, calculated as the ratio of distance to time.

In buildings which are tiled, mathematics is used to compute the area of the floor to estimate the quantity of tiles needed to tile the floor. If there are special designs to be incorporated, maths is used to compute the precise location where the designs need to be in order for the artwork of the tiles to come out beautifully.

When window frames are not fixed properly, the smallest space will allow water to seep in when it rains. If the right angle is accurately fixed at the corners of the window frame, this will reduce the chances of rain seeping through the window.

Malaria is a challenge especially in developing countries. Anytime you test positive for malaria, immediate treatment is recommended. The treatment prescribed is the stage of malaria. Mathematics is used in determining the dosages to ensure that they are taken in the right quantities and at the right time.

The wall clock shows a twelve hour time when we have twenty four hours. With modular arithmetic, we can convert times from 13:00 to 24:00 to times between 0.00 t0 12:00. We do this by computing the remainder when divided by 12. For instance: 13:00 becomes 1:00pm since 13 leaves a remainder of 1 when divided by 12.

In conclusion, mathematics is the foundation for most professions due to its universality. A deep understanding of mathematical concepts and availability of interesting learning materials will make it accessible to all.

#mathsiseverywhere #mathsisfun

Angela Tabiri is a mathematician and youth mentoring in STEM expert from Ghana. She is the founder of Femafricmaths, a non profit organisation that promotes female African mathematicians to highlight the diversity in careers after a degree in mathematics. You can follow Femafricmaths on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X.

Ayliean – Counting Stars (it’s surprisingly difficult to count to 5)

Ayliean (noun): Mathsy, arty, crochet crafty, origami, activist, zine author known for making badges and trouble. You can follow them on YouTube, as @Ayliean on all social media, or look at their homepage.

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So, which bit of maths has tickled your fancy the most? Vote now!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The poll closes at 08:00 BST tomorrow. Whoever wins the most votes will get the chance to tell us about more fun maths in the final!

We’re giving the competitors a break before the final round. Come back on the 23rd for the grand final, or check out the announcement post for your follow-along wall chart!