Extra, extra! Extra credit possibilities! The “Dead Mathematicians’ Society” rides again.
The “Dead Mathematicians’ Society,” a play on the title and subject of Peter Weir’s Dead Poets’ Society, has lined up some extracurricular classes called the “Infinite Enrichment Series.”

The series was dead for a couple of years but some students helped to get it back and running.

Jon Spindor, an MHCC math instructor who helped to bring this to MHCC, said, “Hopefully these presentations will shed light on the power of math and science and some of the subtleties that make the disciplines beautiful and interesting.”

The first of the series was “The Simpsons’ Rule: Mathematic Morsels from The Simpsons.”

This presentation was created by Andrew Nestler, from Santa Monica Community College, in California, and his colleague Sarah Greenwald, from Appalachian State University in North Carolina. Nestler was the speaker Tuesday in Room 1710.

His presentation was an examination of the professionally educated writers of “The Simpsons,” and how they incorporated mathematics into the show.

There was a brief introduction about the show and then he moved to actual episodes that the audience had a chance to watch.

The math dealt with simple addition all the way to theory and calculus.

Posters around campus announce upcoming events in the series. All the events run at 3:10 p.m. on Tuesdays. Those are: “Proofs Without Words and Words Without Proofs,” “From Housewife to Warlord’s Bride,” and “Taxicab Geometry.”

Kari Rothi, a math instructor for MHCC, is presenting the “Taxicab Geometry.”
The basis for this event is to examine and explore non-Euclidean geometry. It refers to Euclid, a mathematician from Alexandria, Egypt, who lived around 2300 years ago. Euclid’s geometry is the core of traditional geometry.

Non-Euclidian geometry begins with the question of whether there is more than one line to connect two dots.

“This can explore new frontiers, and new ways at looking at old stuff,” says Rothi, referring not only to her presentation but to the entire series. Smiling, Rothi speaks of these events as “brain-food.”

Coming up on Nov. 1, the “Dead Mathematicians’ Society” is conducting a math contest. This contest is taking place at other schools around the country. Everything that will be tested is pre-calculus. As extra incentive there will be prizes.

There will be an information meeting, with some practice questions, on Tuesday at 3:10 p.m. in Room 1573.

These events are created with all levels of mathematicians in mind. Spindor said, “I want [students] to see that math and science take place in the world beyond the classroom,” and apparently also in “The Simpsons.”

As Rothi said, “It’s where the fun is.”