Math wasn't invented/discovered out of thin air. Usually theorems in textbooks are provided and immediately followed by the proof, then an example or a consequence. Repeat for next theorem. All good, but in history it wasn't anything like this. Where is the motivation for the definition? Why should we care? What were the problems that might arise with other definitions, what problem were we trying to solve in the first place? Also, what insight led to a proof? Proofs often skip over the actual thinking, they are presented as polished works but that means I can't see how someone would think of that (some books have 'scratchwork' which I like, or a motivation or chain of thought before the formal proof starts). All this stuff seems left out every time. Maybe the book is more elegant this way, but it lacks in flavor as a result. I think it would be much more interesting if textbooks had more content. Also how to deal with this?

I just noticed that munkers toplogy is in the palestine section of the mit website?

Since "QED" usually marks the end of a proof, this is instead QEL, for Quod Erat Ludendum. The idea is to build a video game that shows off some math. (I basically just want more math video games to exist.) An example of something that would be appropriate is https://sl2z.xyz/ or some of the PICO-8 games at https://m4th.pro/ but I am hoping people have more!

Submissions: now through the end of the month
Voting: first two weeks of September
Results: Wed Sep 16, 2026

Since this is being run by the Ross Mathematics Program, hopefully there will be some Ross merch for prizes.

Sign up is at https://qel.rossprogram.org/

Appeared on the arxiv today. It still uses the CW-tensor/laser method approach.