3Blue1Brown
Tie random ends: How many loops?
A math puzzle video presents a probability problem involving tying random string ends together to form loops. Starting with 50 strings and tying ends together 50 times, viewers are asked to calculate the expected number of loops. Solutions to monthly puzzles are shared on Patreon rather than in individual videos.
Covering 10 points, a surprisingly tricky puzzle.
A mathematical puzzle is presented asking whether 10 arbitrary points on a 2D plane can always be covered by non-overlapping unit discs (radius 1). The puzzle explores edge cases from covering all points with one disc to requiring individual discs for each point.
Escher's most mind-bending piece
An analysis of MC Escher's 1956 lithograph 'Print Gallery,' which depicts a paradoxical scene where a man views a picture that contains the very gallery he's standing in. Mathematicians in 2003 discovered the mathematical principles underlying this recursive artwork, including what should theoretically fill the mysterious blank space at the center.
The subset sum puzzle
A mathematical puzzle game is presented where one player chooses 10 numbers from 1-100, and the other must find two distinct subsets with equal sums. The challenge is to determine which player has a winning strategy.
How (and why) to take a logarithm of an image
The video explores how M.C. Escher's 1956 lithograph 'Print Gallery' can be mathematically analyzed through complex functions, specifically using logarithms to transform self-similar images into warped loops. The analysis reveals deep connections between Escher's intuitive artistic process and mathematical concepts like conformal mapping and elliptic functions.
Bacteria Grid Puzzle Solution
A puzzle about bacteria replicating on a grid that asks for the minimum moves to clear 16 lattice points is revealed to be impossible. The solution uses a clever weighting system to prove mathematically that bacteria cannot escape certain grid boundaries.
The most beautiful formula not enough people understand
A mathematician presents what he considers one of the most beautiful yet underappreciated formulas in mathematics - the formula for the volume of high-dimensional spheres. He derives this formula using an extension of Archimedes' method and explores the surprising behavior of spheres in higher dimensions.