A super-simple database
As a suggestion on a Coding Train thread on GitHub in which Daniel Sghiffman was asking for ideas on how to keep poll votes after restarting the server, Simon has … Continue reading A super-simple database
Author: Geeks out of the Box
This is a blog about Simon, a young mathematician and programmer, and his little sister Neva. We write this blog together, share their projects and thoughts on their journey towards self-dicovery. They’re growing up in a supportive non-coercive learning environment. We deeply believe in interest-based, self-paced education and have had to move countries to make this possible as a family.
Visit Simon’s website at https://simontiger.com/
We are a family from Amsterdam who moved to Antwerp because homeschooling is illegal in The Netherlands.
This blog started as https://antwerpenhomeschooling.wordpress.com in March 2016. Over the years, most of our entries have gravitated towards exploring together with Simon as he has developed an insatiable passion for programming, math and science. His sister Neva is treading on his heals. We changed or name to Geeks of the Box in May 2021.
Square Roots on Napier’s Checkerboard
I’ve figured out how to do square-roots in binary on Napier’s Checkerboard! I’ve learned how to do addition, subtraction, multiplication and division from James Tanton’s vids. I’ve shown how to … Continue reading Square Roots on Napier’s Checkerboard
Base 3/2
Simon is simply mesmerized by the founder of the Global Math Project James Tanton. He has watched countless tutorials by Tanton and frequents Tanton’s Exploding Dots website that features a … Continue reading Base 3/2
Squangular numbers
Simon has created a Python program that looks for “squangular” numbers. 36 is both a square number (6×6 square of things makes 36 things) and a triangular number (8×8 triangle … Continue reading Squangular numbers
Latin Square Puzzle
This is called a Partially-Filled Latin Square. There’s a theorem stating that a partially solved Latin Square can always be completed such that every row has each symbol and every … Continue reading Latin Square Puzzle
Ways to construct an ellipse
Simon has been greatly inspired by the Tech Square website and tutorials on tech drawing. We have also ordered a drawing kit from their company based in Ireland but haven’t … Continue reading Ways to construct an ellipse
Year two of the World Science Scholars program
The new cohort of World Science Scholars (a World Science Festival program for young math talents from across the world) seems to be more active than last year’s group. Or … Continue reading Year two of the World Science Scholars program
A “quirky way to add, subtract and multiply in binary”
Simon has shown me an interesting way to add, subtract and multiply in binary using what is called a Napier’s Checkerboard (or Napier’s Chessboard), something he learned from his new … Continue reading A “quirky way to add, subtract and multiply in binary”
Autumn in the skies
Autumn started with the death of our dear aunt Noor in The Netherlands, which came as a shock. It also brought about the second wave of COVID-19. That second wave … Continue reading Autumn in the skies
Fooling Java
I wanted to get Java to mix the order of the numbers between -128 and 127. I think there’s no way to do that because the shuffling algorithm would break … Continue reading Fooling Java
World Cleanup Day 2020
10 times the volume of an olympic swimming pool of plastic waste ends up in the world ocean every hour. E v e r y h o u r. Today … Continue reading World Cleanup Day 2020
Geeks out of the box 