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Futurama and Math

Some while ago, I reported on an article Dr. Sarah J. Greenwald was preparing with a little help of Tom Georgoulias and me. The article was called "Futurama πk - Mathematics in the Year 3000" and aimed at undergraduates getting into the field of mathematics. This month the Mathematical Association of America printed the article in its April edition of Math Horizon.

For those of you interested in the math and science background of Futurama but unwilling to leave the basement to check out the math department library, Sarah's SimpsonsMath site has a section on Futurama including a pdf of the 4 page article. Even though earthly boundaries kept it from covering everything mathematic in Futurama, it should be a nice primer for prospective nerds
The Futurama collectors might have some headache with this one though. As far as I know the magazine is subscription only.

View comments | Apr 25th 2004 | contributor

Comments (25)

Comments locked
scruffyOct 30th 2003, 21:19
scruffy, read scruffy don't care
fryfanOct 30th 2003, 21:24
yet another reason, why FOX sucks, while we all were watching Futurama, we got free math lessons.
JamesDeanOct 30th 2003, 23:20
i still maintain that simpsons/futurama math should all be done in Octal
we have 10 fingers we use a base 10 system
they have 8 fingers they should use a base 8 system
JeremyFeinOct 30th 2003, 23:24
NERRRRRRRRDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!

Nah I'm just kidding, hey you're allright. ( ;
GersonKOct 30th 2003, 23:27
A nice article, though I'm sort of disappointed that they ignored the fact that the show could be high brow and low brow all at once - demonstrated very well by the "Neutron Encrusted Steaming Hot Dark Matter" note right over the particle coming out of the back of Witten's Dog diagram (page 5).

They also say that "The math and science references used in Futurama are too numerous to count" - which coming from mathematicians would suggest that they're actually infinite.
fryfanOct 31st 2003, 07:43
you know if people made math text books with Futurama reference, you'd probably have more students interested in math.
SQFreakOct 31st 2003, 13:33
Appalachian State. Hmm...

Appalachian State University is located in Boone, North Carolina. (I live about 100 miles from Boone.) It's certainly not one of the better colleges in the Universities of North Carolina system. My school typically sends its worst students to places like AppState, Western Carolina, and East Carolina.

I'm rather surprised that:
1) Any AppState student or professor actually likes and watches Futurama
2) Any AppState student cares about Futurama math
and
3) AppState students and professors had the initiative to write a paper like that.
AppStateishighlyrankedOct 31st 2003, 16:04
In the 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 U.S. News & World Report
gusNov 5th 2003, 18:01
well the picture's a fake at least. he didn't change his middle initial to "X" until showbiz, and then only because his name would otherwise have been already taken in some showbiz union, and duplicates aren't allowed.
[-mArc-]Nov 5th 2003, 18:08
The picture is a assembly taken from the season 2 DVD set, not a year book entry.
FryApr 25th 2004, 13:35
the guy in the picture should be "David S. Cohen", he only put x because someone else had the same name and writers arnt allowed to have the same name
RorschachApr 25th 2004, 15:21
Well that's just one more reason for me to watch all the episodes over again and pay more attention. I don't know if it makes science nerds love the show but it sure makes me want to know more about that science stuff they make jokes about.

No wonder why Fox cancelled the show, they couldn't get any of the jokes, not event the most obvious ones. Thinking is something very painful for them, they're not used to that. That's why they prefer to stick with those stupid reality shows. You don't need a brain to watch that, the spinal cord is more than enough.
KazzahdraneApr 25th 2004, 15:39
I'll have you know that Fox execs are all spineless :P
ghApr 25th 2004, 16:03
Great article, but nothing a true Futurama didn't already know.
DrJohnZApr 25th 2004, 16:44
...I hate mathm it's everywhere in life, but I hate it.
NeoxenokApr 25th 2004, 18:44
I'm at peace with math. I don't particularly dislike it nor do I like it.
However, I do get all of the math jokes on the show.
"And the winner is, (something) by a quantum finish."
"No fair! You changed the outcome by measuring it!"
from "luck of the fryish" I think is one of the more obvious ones.
KazzahdraneApr 25th 2004, 20:24
That one's not really a maths joke, more a science joke.
elevenoceansApr 26th 2004, 11:00
The mathmatical work in Futurama is amazing...I love the details and hidden jokes that make for exception repeat viewings
elevenoceansApr 26th 2004, 11:04
exceptional*
FRinGesApr 28th 2004, 04:02
i like how each episode is so detailed, it makes for one great show
BuzzApr 29th 2004, 17:49
Futurama was a very intelligent show and that's why I believed it got cancelled. Fox is too into lowbrow stuff and not witty things.
"I don't see why we have to pay for a whole extra dimension we're not gonna use."-Fry
LordPhobosMay 31st 2004, 19:34
Is it just me or does the name of that book really seem to have the symbol for pi in there instead of an "n"? It looks more like "(pi)k" than "nk" to me.

Come on, us nerds have to be particular about such things! ;)
pikJun 16th 2004, 06:20
#12, yes, the magazine article does have (pi)k in it.
ShuterJul 2nd 2004, 15:33
Ahh yes it is a pi, as pi is 3.14 so it is saying Futurama 3k (Futurama 3000).
hardyJul 7th 2004, 23:00
NERD!!!!!! ... !!!!!!!!!!(whew)!!!!!!!!!! ... !!!!!!!!!!