Simpsons Rule! Mathematical Morsels from The Simpsons
Sarah J. Greenwald* and Andrew Nestler
Appalachian State University - Santa Monica College
The Simpsons
has established itself as an award-winning international pop
culture phenomenon. It is the longest-running sitcom of all time and it
is also one of
the most literate television programs on the air,
containing many references to
subject matter and scholars from various academic fields, including
mathematics. Since The Simpsons
has been airing in prime-time for most of our
students' lives, they likely are familiar with the program and its large cast
of
characters,
including a resident mathematician. The Simpsons also contains over
a hundred in
stances of mathematics ranging from arithmetic to geometry to calculus,
many designed to expose and poke fun at innumeracy. Several episodes of
The
Simpsons contain significant mathematics that relates to material we
normally cover
in our
classes. For these reasons, this program is an ideal source of
fun ways to introduce important concepts, reduce math anxiety,
and motivate students.
Join us as we present some of our favorite mathematical excerpts from
The Simpsons and explore the related mathematical content,
accuracy and pedagogical value. See simpsonsmath.com for more information.
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