Hergert Numbers @ MathFest 2012

I had the pleasure of watching Ellen Borgeld (on the right) & Elizabeth Meena (Hergert Numbers' #1 proponent) deliver a fabulous talk on Arrow Path Sudoku Puzzles this morning at MathFest 2012. You can view their presentation here.

Not surprisingly, my Hergert Numbers t-shirt sparked many conversations with folks who walked up to me with quizzical looks as they tried to figure out just what it meant. So, I retold the story of the origin of the shirts and gave out this web address many times throughout the day. It was a hallmark day for "spreading the word"!

So, if you're new to Hergert Numbers and you want to get involved, all you need to do is send me $11, a shirt size & color preference, and you can become a part of the Hergert Numbers movement. And if you already have more t-shirts than you could ever want, you can still support the cause by adding the term "Hergert Numbers" to your mathematical vocabulary. After all, that's what this is really all about!

Hergert Numbers in the Windy City

I realized earlier this week that it's been a ridiculously long time since I updated this page. I've been putting all my focus into Facebook & Twitter lately. But yesterday my wife & I took the train into Chicago and I couldn't resist wearing my Hergert Numbers shirt.

The main purpose of our visit was to go to the Chicago History Museum which we tried to catch a couple years ago but we ran out of time in our day back then. The picture above is from the "Facing Freedom" exhibit which explores ways that fighting for freedom has shaped US history. You could take your picture and have it become part of a display that would change the picture every 5 seconds or so throughout the day. I had to do mine twice since I was standing too close the first time so you could only see "rgert Numbe" and "EAD THE WO" on my shirt.

If you go to the Hergert Numbers Facebook page, you'll see a few other pictures from the museum.

Later on, we ventured down Michigan Avenue to take in the sights and sounds of absurdly high-priced merchandise. One of the best places to find such merch is Crate & Barrel. While meandering about the store, a clerk came up and asked about my shirt. I gave him the 30-second layman's version of the story and he seemed satisfied. Apparently, he couldn't think of anything "mathy" to say, so he told me about a customer he once had named Jessica Neptune who had recently completed her doctorate in history at the University of Chicago. He actually remembered what her research was about, so I'm really hoping he'll remember something about Hergert Numbers to share the next time someone with a math shirt comes into his store. That's what spreading the word is all about!

The Equation for Hergert Numbers!

Courtesy of the Inverse Graphing Calculator

The given equation produces the graph shown below.

Spreading the Word on One Wheel

Many of you know that I started riding a unicycle about two years ago. I didn't want to make the claim that I could really ride a unicycle until I could pass the first skill level as defined by the Unicycling Society of America. One way to get certified is to record yourself and have an examiner verify that you have indeed performed the required skills.

For this level, the requirements are to mount the unicycle unassisted, ride 50 meters, and dismount gracefully with the unicycle in front of you. I've been able to ride the 50 meters for about a year and a half without difficulty. The dismount has taken a little concentration since I got into the habit of stepping off forward rather than backward when I was done. But that was just a matter of paying attention to how I finished and wasn't a big deal. The mounting unassisted part has come much more slowly. Over the past several weeks, I was finally able to do it fairly consistently and was ready to make my video.

For certification, I posted a raw video, but here's a spruced up version that I hope you'll enjoy. And, of course, I couldn't do something like this wearing just any old shirt. If you have video of yourself doing something entertaining in your Hergert Numbers shirt, please share!

GeoGebra talk @ Allerton

Later this week, I'll be spreading the word at the IMACC Annual Conference at the Allerton Park Conference Center in Monticello, IL. On Saturday morning, I'll be giving a talk entitled "GeoGebra: Do You Really Get What You Pay For?" where I'll be demonstrating some of the cool things you can do with the free, open-source program GeoGebra.

Rather than print up a bunch of handouts and either running out or having a bunch left over, I decided to post the handout for my talk here.

GeoGebra talk handout

If I see any Hergert Numbers fans at the conference, I'll be sure to post their picture!

Hergert Numbers in Orbit?

OK, Hergert Numbers are not quite in orbit ... yet. But the next best thing is to be sighted at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama which is where we find Terra Stamps of Prairie State College sporting her Hergert Numbers shirt. And since the U.S. doesn't appear to be on the verge of sending much back into space anytime soon, we may have to get the Hergert Numbers trend over to Russia in order to leave the atmosphere. Until then, I think this is pretty cool.

Don't forget that you can now keep up with the latest Hergert Numbers news on either Facebook or Twitter (or both!). Keep those pictures coming!

Have youself a Hergert Numbers Christmas!

Obviously, Becca stayed off Santa's "naughty list" since her request for a Hergert Numbers shirt for Christmas was honored. I'm sure she'll be wearing it proudly throughout the new year. So, look for her to appear in a future blog post, Facebook message or Tweet.

That's right - Hergert Numbers are now on Twitter! You can keep up with the most up-to-date Hergert Numbers news by following us at @HergertNumbers.