Sign in

Matt Macauley

@visualalgebra.bsky.social
1.4K followers 706 following 1.1K posts

Associate Professor (Clemson) | AIMS Lecturer (South Africa) | Author: "Visual Algebra" (forthcoming) | YouTuber | First Gen | Homesteader | Dad to Ida & Felix | 🔱

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Matt Macauley
Steven Strogatz @stevenstrogatz.com · 23/09/2026
www.nytimes.com/2026/09/22/s...
nytimes.com
Mathematics Isn’t Just a Game to Let A.I. Solve. History Shows Why. (Gift Article)
In our field of applied mathematics, the long, human process of trial and error — not just the solutions themselves — is often what has led to progress.
15721
Reposted by Matt Macauley
ꭓle Ormsby 𓆙 @e-infinity.space · 22/09/2026
Chaim is bringing the fire 🔥
Abstract
We provide a clearer presentation of the Chair44 monotile, a new strongly aperiodic
monotile in three-dimensional Euclidean space E3
.
With LLM tools (ChatGPT Astra), Ioannis Tsiokos recently reported the first
known strongly aperiodic monotile in three-dimensional Euclidean space E
3
, the Chair44
monotile (see Figure 3, taken from Tsiokos’ preprint [11]). Hats off to Tsiokos for this
discovery, the framework he developed, and the human inquiry that led to the Chair44
monotile.
However, the paper itself and the formalization that it claims for support are not
in a form that is readily usable to anyone who wants to understand or check it. This is
not just because of the needless length or complexity of the argument (which is indeed
overwhelming as presented), or because the formal repository is not in normal form, or
because much of the text is misleading or poorly organized, but mainly because there
is so much irrelevant puff to push through. These are hallmarks of an LLM-driven
research paper.
We must, absolutely, insist on a higher standard for scientific discourse. The aim
must be to communicate, clearly, with people in the community — certainly this is an
historical requirement for publication.1
37418
Reposted by Matt Macauley
Thomas Lin @7homaslin.com · 18/09/2026
For anyone wondering what Navier-Stokes is all about and what the recent proof did and didn’t do, watch @QuantaMagazine’s excellent new explainer video: youtu.be/PsWR1rQEWYo
youtu.be
Why Navier-Stokes Pushes Math and Physics to the Edge
YouTube video by Quanta Magazine
043
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
September fruit from my orchard. I picked these all today. Fuyu persimmons, flying dragon citrus, and red & green muscadines.
Plate with fruit I picked today: Fuyu persimmons, flying dragon citrus, and red & green muscadines.Fuyu persimmons hanging on branches A bunch of flying dragon citrus fruit growing on a thorny tree.Green and red muscadines on the vine.
050
Reposted by Matt Macauley
Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
This fall I am co-teaching a brand-new class – ENGR 009: Fabricating Tessellations and Tilings. It's roughly equal parts math and design, filtered thru an engineering perspective. The syllabus and all assignments are freely available to the public at mzucker.github.io/e9_f2026/
A hexagonal tile with a chamfered edge and an interacting sawtooth pattern.A 9-triangle polyiamond shown tiling with symmetries *x, 22x, 632, 22x (again), and 2222.A snippet of decorative tiles from the Alhambra.GRT Architects "flutes and reeds" tile system
68223
Reposted by Matt Macauley
Dave Richeson @divbyzero.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Here's a thoughtful blog post about math and AI by Matt Baker. mattbaker.blog/2026/09/10/s...
mattbaker.blog
Some late-night thoughts on AI and the future of research in mathematics
Every time I’ve organized my thoughts sufficiently to finally write a proper blog post about the impact of AI on mathematical research, something massive happens which causes me to delay. I w…
0177
Reposted by Matt Macauley
American Mathematical Society @amermathsoc.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
A recent Washington Post article titled "This may be the first academic profession to see its work taken over by AI," ponders if AI can solve mathematical problems, what is left for mathematicians to do? What do you think? Leave your comments below! Full story link in comments.
Close-up of a glowing microchip labeled AI embedded in a complex circuit board with blue and green pathways.
322
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
My 7-year-old daughter heard me say that Dolly Parton died, and got visibly very sad. I was surprised she even knew that name. “You know Dolly Parton?” In the sweetest timid voice, she replied: “Well, I don’t _know_ know her. But she sent me books.” 🥹😢😭
1268
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Academics, to "celebrate" the start of a new semester, post a WayBack Machine snapshot of your workplace from when you were applying to college (or a later milestone if you missed the dawn of dot edu) #WayBackCollegeChallenge
Snapshot of the Clemson University webpage in April 1999. Featuring Thurmond and Lindsey Graham…
160
Reposted by Matt Macauley
Andrew D Hwang @diffgeom.com · 21/08/2026
Please support independent creators as you shop for mathematical back-to-school posters, T-shirts, jewelry, and games: www.diffgeom.org/misc/math_sh... These are difficult times. We are all grateful for your support! #MathSky #MathArt #SciArt
"Collaboration," a postcard image from the collection You Are Here.
https://www.diffgeom.com/product-category/stationery/postcards/

A side-lit blue-gray compound of five cubes 400 feet across and having overall icosahedral symmetry hovers over a late-wintry body of water bordered by jutting, evergreen-covered shores. On a flat dun area in the middle distance, barely-visible figures walk beneath the cubes' bottom vertex.
1152
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Nothing quite melts my heart like my 7-year-old daughter asking in earnest after dinner: “Daddy, can we do some abstract algebra?”
1190
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
It took 62 days of playing, but today I finally got my first perfect score in #MapTap! (Albany, Athens, Singapore, Bangkok, Gaborone.) www.maptap.gg August 9 100🎯 100🎯 100🎯 100🎯 100🎯 Final score: 1000
maptap.gg
🎯MapTap Daily Geography Game
Play MapTap - the daily geography game! Find 5 world locations on a 3D globe with historical stories. Free browser-based daily game for geography lovers.
130
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
When you get over 150 pounds of fresh figs in 3 weeks, you have to get creative. This is a cast iron skillet with wheel of Brie cheese, fresh figs, nuts, fresh rosemary, honey, balsamic glaze, and raw cane sugar. Baked for 30 minutes.
Cast iron skillet with Brie cheese, fresh figs,  nuts, fresh rosemary, honey, and balsamic glaze. Cast iron skillet with partially baked Brie cheese, fresh figs,  nuts, fresh rosemary, honey, balsamic glaze, and raw cane sugar. Cast iron skillet with baked melted Brie cheese, fresh figs,  nuts, fresh rosemary, honey, balsamic glaze, and raw cane sugar. Baked Brie cheese, fresh figs, nuts, fresh rosemary, honey, balsamic glaze, and raw cane sugar, on toasted everything seasoned sourdough.
4201
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Hey #MathSky. I’m teaching introductory linear algebra this fall for the first time in over a decade. What materials should I be aware of? I know I’ve seen a few posts about this sort of thing, but I don’t remember from whom or when. I don’t even know what (open) textbook(s) to use yet. Thank you!
4167
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
I know that \(…\) is supposedly “better” than $…$, but over the last 20+ years, I’ve shared LaTeX files with dozens of people, and I’ve NEVER seen ANYONE use \(…\) in the wild. Does anyone actually do this in practice? Or know anyone who does? Who are these mythical people?
13221
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Made some water kefir with my fresh figs. Added a little sugar in the raw and basalmic vinegar. Fermentation process takes 48 hours. Gonna crack it open tomorrow!
A large mason jar of water kefir with raw brown sugar and a little balsamic vinegar, at t=0.Closeup of a large mason jar of water kefir with raw brown sugar and a little balsamic vinegar, at t=0.A large mason jar of water kefir with raw brown sugar and a little balsamic vinegar, at t=48 hours.Closeup of a large mason jar of water kefir with raw brown sugar and a little balsamic vinegar, at t=48 hours.
061
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Got 7 pounds each of the last two days. Would have been much more, but the rain caused many to ripen and rot quickly and get attached by bugs and bees. Up to 98 pounds in 13 days
7 pounds of figs in a stack of plastic containers on a small scale.7 pounds of figs in a stack of plastic containers on a small scale.
030
Reposted by Matt Macauley
Juan Diego Rodriguez @juand-r.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Someone made a list of math problems solved by AI: vibemathed.com
vibemathed.com
VibeMathed - tracking math problems solved by AI models
A website tracking mathematical problems solved by AI models - from famous conjectures to the Erdős problems at erdosproblems.com - each with a checkable source, a verification label, and a notability...
14410
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Picked 8 pounds each of the last two days. Up to 83 pounds in 11 days, all from a single Celeste tree that I planted in 2015. (Including a 2 lb basket I forgot to include in my last photo.)
8 pounds of figs in plastic containers on a small metal scale8 pounds of figs in plastic containers on a small metal scale
181
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
The Riemann Hypothesis is false.
1100
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
G-sets need to be taught in every abstract algebra class. It’s criminal at how absent they are from some of the most popular books.
150
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
The distribution is not unimodal! Back up to 7 pounds yesterday and 8 pounds today. Now over 65 pounds of figs in 9 days, all from the same tree that I planted in 2015.
7 pounds of figs in containers on a small metal scale.8 pounds of figs in containers on a small metal scale.
040
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
In 44 days of playing this, I’ve never gotten a perfect score. Today was the closest I’ve come. And the one I missed was in an “easy round”. 😣 www.maptap.gg July 22 99🔥 100🎯 100🎯 100🎯 100🎯 Final score: 999
maptap.gg
🎯MapTap Daily Geography Game
Play MapTap - the daily geography game! Find 5 world locations on a 3D globe with historical stories. Free browser-based daily game for geography lovers.
030
Reposted by Matt Macauley
John C. Baez @johncarlosbaez.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
The Gaussian Moments Conjecture is a pretty conjecture connected to probability and quantum field theory. Two days ago we suddenly learned it's false! - since it implies the Jacobian conjecture. Let me explain this conjecture - it's pretty simple as these things go. (1/n)
arxiv.org
The Gaussian Moments Conjecture and the Jacobian Conjecture
We first propose what we call the Gaussian Moments Conjecture. We then show that the Jacobian Conjecture follows from the Gaussian Moments Conjecture. We also give a counter-example to a more general ...
16115
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Not quite as much the last 2 days: 4.5 pounds and 6 pounds, respectively. But that’s brings last week’s total haul to just over 50 pounds.
4.5 pounds of figs on a metal scale6.5 pounds of figs on a small metal scale.
170
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
The World Cup Final, when tied after regulation, should be Golden Goal. No shootout no matter what. Give each team one extra sub every 15 minutes. What’s the counter-argument to this?
220
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Most people would find this either delicious or disgusting. Toasted sourdough everything (seasoning) bread, butter, fresh figs, and…Marmite.
Two pieces of toast sitting on a plate with Marmite, butter, and fresh figs on top.
140
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Picked 6 pounds today, which means that this one tree gave me 40 pounds of figs in just 5 days!
6 pounds of figs, stacked 5 containers high.
060
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Happy Emoji Day! 📆 Celebrated today, because today is the date on the calendar emoji.
020
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Only 7 pounds today. But that’s still 34 pounds from one tree in 4 days. My LSU Gold and Chicago Hardy trees aren’t even ripe yet.
Plastic container of figs on a small metal scale. 7 pounds and 1 once from a single Celeste tree. That’s 34 pounds in 4 days!
292
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
And another 11 pounds today! Just from the Celeste. The LSU Gold and Chicago Cold Hardy figs haven’t even ripened yet.
11 pounds of figs that I picked from my Celeste tree tonight. Yesterday I got 9.5 pounds, and the day before, 6.5 pounds.
030
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
24 hours later. Over 9.5 pounds! Al from one Celeste tree in my front yard.
Figs I picked from a single Celeste tree tonight. After picking all the ripe ones (over 6 lbs) the day before. Total net weight: 9 lbs 10 oz (The 9 lbs 10 oz includes 4 oz of plastic.)
081
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
It’s that time of year again!!! Today haul: over 6 lbs. I’ll be getting this much every day for a few weeks.
Stack of 5 plastic fruit baskets full of fresh figs on a scale, weighing 6 lbs and 4 oz.
180
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Got my first rip Celeste fig of the year this morning. And saw this little guy protecting it.
Lizard with open mouth on a fig leaf in front of an unripe green fig
060
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
#Worldle #1622 (01.07.2026) 1/6 (100%) 🔥 Current Win Streak: 140 days 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉 🧭⭐📍🗺️🚩🗿📜🛡️🔤🗣️💰💸📐 worldle.teuteuf.fr/share
worldle.teuteuf.fr
Worldle - Guess the Country
A daily geography game where you guess the country from its shape and get clues with every attempt. Play daily or explore the archive.
010
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
This is a fun daily game I discovered a few weeks ago. When you finish, they reveal 5 neat historical facts about the locations. It seems to frequently feature mathematicians; today it’s Sophie Germaine! This is also my highest score. www.maptap.gg June 27 95🏆 100🎯 100🎯 100🎯 100🎯 Final score: 995
maptap.gg
🎯MapTap Daily Geography Game
Play MapTap - the daily geography game! Find 5 world locations on a 3D globe with historical stories. Free browser-based daily game for geography lovers.
100
Reposted by Matt Macauley
Ilana Horn @ilanahorn.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
I went to the NAE's webinar on the proposed OMB changes. The intention of this is to stop scientific progress in the United States and cause the financial collapse of research universities. There is no other explanation for the proposed changes.
1139
Reposted by Matt Macauley
Edward Vogel @mathartforall.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
This was good. History of mathematics somehow helps me get a deeper understanding. "How Divergence and Curl Were Discovered" youtu.be/11QvV18JGQM?...
041
Reposted by Matt Macauley
Dr. Maria at Natural Math @maria-naturalmath.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Natural Math newsletter is out! This doesn't happen every ::checks notes:: semester. Some amazing math fiction books in the pipeline - check out all the samples and full activities to download! #iTeachMath #MathSky #KidLit #NorthCarolina #Raleigh #Durham #ChapelHill
naturalmath.com
Factoring is friendship (check this out by 6/30); graph theory activities; Triangle, NC gatherings - June 2026 news - Natural Math
Thank you for checking out what’s new in the Math Maker Neighborhood! In this newsletter, you’ll see: Future Book Club news about three math fiction stories for elementary, middle school, and young ad...
082
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
I took my kids mushroom foraging in the woods behind my house, and we came home with a bunch of chanterelles.
White basket of chanterelle mushrooms, and one white pepper milk cap.My 7-year-old daughter holding a basket of chanterelle mushrooms in the woods, with a cove of Lake Keowee in the distance.Chanterelle mushrooms in a ravineChanterelle mushrooms with a shallow cove of Lake Keowee in the background.
0100
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
All on her own, my 7-year-old daughter made me a surprise Father’s Day card with a Cayley Graph and Cayley table! 🥰
A 7-year-old’s Homemade Father’s Day card, with a Nyan Cat, and a Cayley graph and Cayley table below, and a sketch of her with her dad.
1243
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Hey #MathSky, I need your advice. Which of the following two pictures should I use to visualize quadratic integer rings? Pro of #1: They highlight the "fundamental domains." Pro of #2: Illustrates how both are "stretched versions" of the Gaussian & Eisenstein integers, respectively. 1/3
Picture showing two grids of quadratic integers rings. A "rectangular" one for m=-2, and a grid of parallelograms for the the other, m=-7. Picture showing two grids of quadratic integers rings. A "rectangular" one for m=-2, and a grid of isosceles triangles for the the other, m=-7.
153
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
The Congo is COD?!? If only there was a more widespread 3-letter abbreviation for the the DRC…
Screenshot of the Portugal vs Democratic Republic of Congo match, 1-0 after 42 minutes.
250
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
The Canada/Bosnia World Cup game, the USA/Canada ODI cricket match, and the RBC Canadian Open are all happening simultaneously. You’d think they’d have a little more foresight about this.
010
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Please feel free to reply with resources and materials that you know of that aren’t in this thread!
021
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
First figs of the year from my orchard, and they’re HUGE!
Two green figs hanging on a branch.Five large green figs on a plate.Large green figs next to a much smaller golf ball on a granite counter.Plate of sliced figs, basalmic drizzle, lavender sheep cheese, and cheesy crackers.
1160
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Puzzle for #MathSky: what’s the knot type of this piece of artwork that is on display at the Denver airport?
Large piece of art work: a knot made of several hundred buckets in Colorado colors (red, white, yellow, blue). Large piece of art work: a knot made of several hundred buckets in Colorado colors (red, white, yellow, blue). View from the left.Large piece of art work: a knot made of several hundred buckets in Colorado colors (red, white, yellow, blue). View from the right.
4213
Reposted by Matt Macauley
Joshua Grochow @joshuagrochow.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
This reminded me of how cool the Petersen graph is; a 6-post 🧵. First, what is it? The vertices are labeled by the 2-element subsets of {1,...,5}, and there is an edge between two vertices if the subsets are disjoint. This gives S5 in its automorphism group; in fact that's all there is. #MathSky
1164
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
My 7-year-old made her first Cayley graph and Cayley table today! And she LOVED it! At 9pm, she was too excited to go to sleep…”but I just want to do more algebra!” 🥰 #MathSky #VisualAlgebra
Bird’s eye view of my 7-year-old daughter drawing a Cayley graph of the Klein 4-group on an iPad.Cayley graph and Cayley table of the Klein 4-group on an iPad, with some of it in a 7-year-old’s handwriting
4485
Matt Macauley @visualalgebra.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
My proof of the Riemann Hypothesis is 95% done. The remaining 5% is just showing that all of the non-trivial zeros have real part 1/2, and then typing it up.
Tweet from Frank Luntz: “insider reporting from an unnamed White House official says the Iran deal is 95% done.

The remaining 5% of negotiations are focused on Iran opening the Strait of Hormuz and turning over all nuclear material.”
1230