mathematics

Ivars Peterson

Ivars Peterson is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Ivars Peterson rather than just read about it. In short: Ivars Peterson (born 4 December 1948) is a Canadian mathematics writer of Latvian descent. Early life Peterson was born to Arnis Pētersons (1926-1992) and his wife Zelma Alīde (nee Zosēns) (1923-2012), displaced persons from war-torn Latvia.

Key takeaways

Ivars Peterson belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Ivars Peterson to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Ivars Peterson from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Ivars Peterson (born 4 December 1948) is a Canadian mathematics writer of Latvian descent.

Early life Peterson was born to Arnis Pētersons (1926-1992) and his wife Zelma Alīde (nee Zosēns) (1923-2012), displaced persons from war-torn Latvia. In 1950, after emigrating to Canada as a child, he settled in McKenzie Island, part of the municipality of Red Lake in northwestern Ontario. In 1956, his family moved to Caribou Falls, and two years later to the city of Kenora and then to Toronto. Peterson received a B.Sc. in Physics and Chemistry and a B.Ed. in Education from the University of Toronto. Peterson received an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Career Peterson worked as a high school science and mathematics teacher. Peterson has been a columnist and online editor at Science News and Science News for Kids, and has been columnist for the children's magazine Muse. He wrote the weekly online column Ivars Peterson's MathTrek. Peterson is the author of a number of popular mathematics and related books. Peterson has been a weekly mathematics columnist for MAA Online. Peterson received the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics Communications Award in 1991 for "exceptional skill in communicating mathematics to the general public over the last decade". For the spring 2008 semester, he accepted the Wayne G. Basler Chair of Excellence for the Integration of the Arts, Rhetoric and Science at East Tennessee State University. He gave a four lectures on how math is integral in our society and our universe. He also taught a course entitled "Communicating Mathematics". In 2007, Peterson was named Director of Publications for Journals and Communications at the Mathematical Association of America.

Bibliography Mathematical Treks: From Surreal Numbers to Magic Circles (2002) Mathematical Association of America ISBN 0-88385-537-2 Fragments of Infinity: A Kaleidoscope of Math and Art (2000) John Wiley & Sons ISBN 0-471-16558-1 The Jungles of Randomness: A Mathematical Safari (1997) John Wiley & Sons ISBN 0-471-16449-6 Fatal Defect: Chasing Killer Computer Bugs (1995) Times Books ISBN 0-8129-2023-6 Newton's Clock: Chaos in the Solar System (1993) W.H. Freeman ISBN 0-7167-2724-2 Islands of Truth: Mathematical Mystery Cruise (1990) W.H.Freeman ISBN 0-7167-2148-1 The Mathematical Tourist: Snapshots of Modern Mathematics (1988) W.H.Freeman ISBN 0-8050-7159-8

References

External links Quotations related to Ivars Peterson at Wikiquote Ivars Peterson homepage - googlepages Ivars Peterson The Mathematical Tourist - blogspot Ivars Peterson The Mathematical Tourist - Mathematical Association of America via: archive.org Ivars Peterson MathTrek archives Mathematical Association of America JPBM Communications Award Archived 2013-01-05 at the Wayback Machine.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ivars Peterson

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ivars Peterson claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Ivars Peterson before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Ivars Peterson ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Ivars Peterson

In research: Ivars Peterson appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Ivars Peterson in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Ivars Peterson is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1948 births, Canadian mathematicians, Canadian science writers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ivars Peterson outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Ivars Peterson in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Ivars Peterson means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Ivars Peterson out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ivars Peterson in simple terms?

Ivars Peterson (born 4 December 1948) is a Canadian mathematics writer of Latvian descent. Early life Peterson was born to Arnis Pētersons (1926-1992) and his wife Zelma Alīde (nee Zosēns) (1923-2012), displaced persons from war-torn Latvia.

Why does Ivars Peterson matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Ivars Peterson?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Ivars Peterson.