Welcome to this week’s Math Munch!

Let’s start with a great new blog – a place for you to do math – Collaborative Mathematics. It’s the pet project of mathematician, teacher, and juggler, Jason Ermer.  The idea is simple. Jason posts videos about a little mathematical idea, and he offers up a challenge question for viewers to solve. In fact, he has lots of ideas for how you can do some mathematical research of your own. After that, you make a response video explaining what you’ve come up with. That’s Collaborative Mathematics.

His first video was about ERMER numbers, like 12312 or 94794. Core Challenge: How many ERMER numbers are even? To learn all about it and get involved, check out this video.

On his site, Jason says, “when possible, students should work with a team of problem solving peers. Our ideas are formed and refined as we communicate our thoughts to others and as we hear a diversity of ways of interpreting the same concepts.” So don’t feel like you have to do it all alone. It is collaborative after all!

And don’t worry if things are tough! “Struggling in mathematics is not a bad thing! We expect sore muscles when we exercise and try to improve at, say, basketball. Why would we expect mathematical growth to be painless? We must exert ourselves to grow. There is glory in the struggle! “

And if you liked that. Here’s the second video challenge.

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Up next is a simple little site I found called the Petals Challenge.

The secret of the game is in the name of the game: Petals around a rose
How many petals?

It’s a kind of riddle, because there aren’t really instructions. The only way to make sense of it is to give it a try. Good luck, and never tell anyone the secret of the game!

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Lastly, here’s a great game called Theseus and the Minoataur. You’re Theseus, and you must exit a labyrinth while a minotaur chases you. The Minotaur is faster than you are, though, so you’ll have to be clever!

Unfortunately, this is a java game, which some computers won’t be able to play, so as a bonus, watch this beautiful animation from Numberphile showing the creation of the Dragon Fractal.

Bon appetit!