Blog

Explorations of fun calculus problems, Mathematica demos, and more.

Optimal cake under a cone

Can You Bake the Optimal Cake Using Calculus?

August 27, 2016
Gradient Vectors Optimization
Solving FiveThirtyEight's Riddler challenge: maximize the volume of a three-tiered cake that fits inside a cone using multivariable calculus.
Lampshade casting hyperbolic shadow

Does a Lampshade Cast a Hyperbolic Shadow?

September 17, 2016
Mathematica Demos Parametric Plotting
Using parametric plotting and Mathematica to prove that the shadow a lampshade casts on a wall traces out a pair of hyperbolas.
Rolling shutter effect animation on a spinning propeller

Modeling the Rolling Shutter Effect

Posted on Wolfram Community
Polar & Contour Plots Animation
Using Mathematica to simulate how a rolling shutter distorts a spinning propeller, from polar plots to contour plots to animated distortion.
Riemann sphere on the complex plane with stereographic projection

The Riemann Sphere as a Stereographic Projection

Wolfram Demonstrations Project (2015)
Complex Analysis Geometry
Visualizing stereographic projection and the extended complex plane with an interactive Wolfram Demonstration. Explore how circles, lines, and curves in $\mathbb{C}$ lift to the Riemann sphere.
Elliptic curve with torsion order 8 and group law lines

Parameterized Families of Elliptic Curves with Large Rational Torsion Subgroups

Wolfram Demonstrations Project (2015)
Elliptic Curves Number Theory
Exploring one-parameter families of elliptic curves with rational torsion points of order 4 through 12, with an interactive Wolfram Demonstration and connections to descent via isogeny.