I’m Looking For Topics For My Fall 2018 Mathematics A-To-Z

So I have given up on waiting for a moment when my schedule looks easier. I’m going to plunge in and make it all hard again. Thus I announce, to start in about a month, my Fall 2018 Mathematics A To Z.

This is something I’ve done once or twice the last few years. The idea is easy: I take one mathematical term for each letter of the alphabet and explain it. The last several rounds I’ve gotten the words from you, kind readers who would love watching me trying to explain something in a field of mathematics I only just learned anything about. It’s great fun. If you do any kind of explanatory blog I recommend the format.

I do mean to do things a little different this time. First, and most visibly, I’m only going to post two essays a week. In past years I’ve done three, and that’s a great pace. It’s left me sometimes with that special month where I have a fresh posting every single day of the month. It’s also a crushing schedule, at least for me. Especially since I’ve been writing longer and longer, both here and on my humor blog. Two’s my limit and I reserve the right to skip a week when I need to skip a week.

Second. I’m going to open for requests only a few letters at a time. In the past I’ve ended up lost when, for example, my submit-your-requests post ends up being seven weeks back and hard to find under all my notifications. This should help me better match up my requests, my writing pace, and my deadlines. It will not.

Also, in the past I’ve always done first-come, first-serve. I’m still inclined toward that. But I’m going to declare that if I come in and check my declarations some morning and find several requests for the same letter, I may decide to go with the word that most captures my imagination. Probably I won’t have the nerve. But I’d like to think I have. I might do some supplementals after the string is done, too. We’ll see what I feel up to. Doing a whole run is exhilarating but exhausting.

So. Now I’d like to declare myself open for the letters ‘A’ through ‘F’. In past A to Z’s I’ve already given these words, so probably won’t want to revisit them. (Though there are some that I think, mm, I could do better now.)

Excerpted from The Summer 2015 A To Z

Excerpted from The Leap Day 2016 A To Z

Excerpted from The Summer 2015 A To Z

Excerpted from The Summer 2017 A To Z

And there we go! … To avoid confusion I’ll mark off here when I have taken a letter.

Available Letters for the Fall 2018 A To Z:

Oh, I need to commission some header art from Thomas K Dye, creator of the web comic Newshounds, for this. Also for another project that’ll help my September get a little more overloaded.