Math Christmas Links

Looking for some Christmas math humor?

Here are some of the best links I have collected (along with excerpts):

The Mathematics of Christmas (via Devlin’s Angle):

“To keep the math simple, let’s
assume that these 108 million stops are
evenly distributed around the earth. That
means Santa is faced with a mean distance
between households of around 0.75 miles, and
the total distance Santa must travel is just over
75 million miles. Hence Santa’s sleigh must be
moving at 650 miles per second — 3,000 times the
speed of sound. A typical reindeer can run at
most 15 miles per hour. That’s quite a feat
Santa performs each year.”

How the Grinch Stole Statistics (via mathNEWS)

“Every H₀ down in Math-ville liked Mathmas a lot
But the Grinch, who lived (x-100,y+20,z+1300) from Math-ville, did not!
The Grinch hated Mathmas! The whole Mathmas season!”

The 12 Days of Finals (via mathNEWS)

“On the nth, n ε Z, n ε [1,…,12] day of finals, my TA gave to me…
n = 1: a bell curve to make sure I pass!
n = 2: two painful proofs
…”

Your guide to finding the perfect gift for that “friend” (via mathNEWS)

“Operations Research: Really, what are they
researching? Certainly not good Christmas gift ideas, like me! What you
really want to get them is a spy kit! Something like… Magnifying
glasses and a detective hat, to help them research with more awesome
attire!”

Another Mathie Christmas Carol (via mathNEWS)

“What Function’s This?

(To the tune of “What Child Is This?”)

What function’s this? When added to
c times its derivative gives me
An f(t), oh how can we
Solve this first order DE?”

Squeeze – Merry Mathmas (via mathNEWS)

“Once upon a time there was a theorem known as Squeeze’s Theorem. This
theorem wasn’t particularly nice at all. In fact, he would pinch functions
and force them to converge. He never celebrated Mathmas. However, all of
that was going to change on this: Mathmas Eve.”

Christmas Math Jokes (via MathFail)

“Q: Why do mathematicians often confuse Christmas and Halloween?
A: Because Oct 31 = Dec 25.

Q: What’s purple, round, and doesn’t get much for Christmas?
A finitely presented grape.”

A Calculus Carol (via MathFail)

"Oh, Calculus; Oh, Calculus,
How tough are both your branches.
Oh, Calculus; Oh, Calculus,
To pass what are my chances?
Derivatives I cannot take,
At integrals my fingers shake.
Oh, Calculus; Oh, Calculus,
How tough are both your branches."

My 4-regular Christmas Tree (via Brown Sharpie)

Snow Day (via Brown Sharpie)

Happy Holidays, fellow grad students (via Brown Sharpie)
 

Snow Angles (via Brown Sharpie)

There are lots of rings I like (via Brown Sharpie)
 

Happy Holidays! (via Brown Sharpie)

Gentlemen, I accept! (via Brown Sharpie)

Holiday Tradition (via Abstruse Goose; click for full comic)

AP Calculus Christmas Carols

“Riemann Sums
(sung to the tune of Jingle Bells)

Riemann Sums, Riemann Sums
Counting Areas
Of rectangles whose widths get small
We need to count them all
Riemann Sums, Riemann Sums
Counting Areas
Of rectangles whose widths get small
We need to count them all.”

AP Calculus Christmas Carols (via Youtube)

“I recorded this during my AP Calculus Class right before the
holiday seasons. And when I say we are Math geeks this will prove it to
you!!! Muhahahaha!!!”

A Christmas Proof  (via (x,why?) webcomic)

“I wrote this proof on the blackboard my first year teaching in an 8th grade honors math class in the last five minutes of class on the day before Christmas break.
Strangely, now that I teach in high school, I haven’t been able to use it as I’m never at the right point in the curriculum for them to follow the “logic”.”

Christmas Treats (via (x,why?) webcomic)

“Christmas is about more than the giving and receiving.

It’s also about the baking and the eating.”