# Category Archives: Algebra

## (Ir)rational Behavior of Calculation

We had the following set of exercises with a group of secondary school students (in Ressun lukio). Assume that a and b are positive real numbers. Then assume one of the following: (i) a and b are both rational (ii) … Continue reading

Posted in Algebra, Calculus, Education, Mathematics, Wednesday Problem | 1 Comment

## A non-associative “group”

Here is what I’ve been doing for the past hour: proving that associativity does not follow from other group axioms including that the left and right inverses are the same and the neutral element is unique. Let us define the … Continue reading

Posted in Algebra, Mathematics | 1 Comment

## A Year Problem

There are more year problems than years. But since I have been pondering on this particular one, I will present it here. You are allowed to use +, -, / and * (plus, minus, division and multiplication) signs and bracketing. … Continue reading

## Using Abstract Algebra To Understand Basic Combinatorics

Pascal’s triangle has many fascinating properties. One of them is for any given prime number p, the number of k-element subsets (0< k < p) of a p-element set is divisible by p: $$p | \binom{p}{k}\qquad \qquad \qquad (*)$$ You … Continue reading

Posted in Algebra, Combinatorics, Mathematics | Tagged | 5 Comments

## Euler’s Riddle

Please comment your solutions, questions and remarks.. I found in a recreational book the following riddle attributed to Leonard Euler. The book gives a clumsy solution involving solutions of quadratic equations, a lot of fractions and half a page of … Continue reading

Posted in Algebra, Mathematics, Recreation, Wednesday Problem | 2 Comments

## How Many Good Colorings?

Please comment your solutions, questions and remarks.. Suppose G is a graph in which each vertex has three neighbours, for example: Suppose we have three colors, red green and blue, with which we want to color the edges of the … Continue reading