Party Ideas For Math Nerds?

rbf writes "A girl I like at my university, a graduate student in mathematics, will be having a birthday next month. She had thought of throwing a nerd-themed party — show up with tape on your glasses, pants hiked up, etc. However, she decided against it because most of her friends are math nerds and wouldn't even have to dress up! So my question for the community is: What fun party ideas would appeal to a group of mostly math-major nerds?"

I have a few ideas...

See who can recite Pi the furthest in Hexadecimal (3.243F6A8885A308D31319...)

Play pin the tail on the integer?

Dress up as your favorite nonlinear equation.

Start a drinking game where everyone increases their drinks parabolically. (or alternatively: everyone drinks when someone says "Archimedes.")

TP the English department utilizing the golden spiral....

Party ideas that would appeal to math majors?

How about not having one?

Gambling!

Set up a mini-casino and have some games running. Be creative with the prizes, and hand everybody their chips at the door.

Imaginary

Imaginary party, you don't even have to show up!

Re:Imaginary

Well, unless you're a square...

Ask at xkcd

xkcd has some forums. Given the quality of the replies that I've read so far, you should better ask there.

Beer voting

When a math student I knew threw parties, there always were a lot of different sorts of beer. He pinned some sheets to the wall so that everyone could vote for their favorite kind.

If the party is not going so well, voting mechanisms are an interesting enough topic. If the party is going well, everybody is just happy that there's plenty of beer.

Cookies

Bring fractal cookies [evilmadscientist.com].

Also, try asking on the XKCD forums [xkcd.com]. They're slightly higher-brow than here, judging by the comments I see for now ;)

Uh... a normal party?

Just putting myself, a computer nerd/software engineer, in the place of the math nerds, I don't think I would want to go to a party that's math themed. Parties are like miniature breaks from what we do normally. I enjoy dinner parties with people from different backgrounds because the conversations are interesting and new. Better yet, parties where we don't mention work but things we did outside of work are great because we get to see a different side of each other. Plus, parties are meant for socialization, not sure if math is the optimal thing for that. I suggest stepping back and asking yourself what you really want out of the party. If fun is what you're looking for, then cast a wider net because there's a ton of ways to have fun.

All else fails, just have an orgy. That has to be new and interesting to nerds. j/k

Okay, stop right there ...

I know this isn't an answer to your question -- but you say that this is a girl you "like," and you seem to really want to impress her by throwing her the greatest math birthday party ever. Have you told her that you like her, or asked her out yet? If you haven't, and you're hoping that planning this party will help her suddenly realize what a great friend you are, and how well you know her, and that you're the one for her -- well, it just doesn't work that way (except in the movies). Many a shy guy (myself included) has fallen into that trap way too many times, because friendly gestures are far easier than being direct and facing the possibility of rejection. So if I'm wrong, never mind ... but if I'm right, maybe you could redirect some of the party planning effort into gathering the courage to tell her how you feel?

If that's way off base, at least here's a party idea: have everyone come dressed up as a liberal arts student. :)

Cheers,
IT

Re:Okay, stop right there ...

If that's way off base, at least here's a party idea: have everyone come dressed up as a liberal arts student. :)

But where would you find enough McDonalds uniforms at such short notice?

Don't be daft!

I've spent the last 11 years at various math institutions and conferences all over the world. I think I qualify as a "math nerd", and I have a PhD to prove it. I find the question dumb, and somewhat insulting.

Firstly the whole idea that their is a single "math nerd" type is ridiculous. Very few mathematicians I know fit into the high pants and thick glasses type. A lot of people at my institution are musicians, several play in rock bands at night, some dance, some are training buffs, one guy I know is combining his PhD with playing professional sports and is on his way to Olympics. While most are still guys, a growing portion are girls: some are straight, some are gay, some are single, quite many are married. In fact the variety is probably the only defining feature I can find.

And when it comes to partying, the only special way I can think of that mathematicians like to party is hard. I can remember from many times the surprise of "numerotypicals" after having partyed till dawn with a bunch of mathematicians. While there are certainly the "study and never leave the lab" types - most math nerds know are more like the opposite. The reason for this is probably that math is high stress occupation (try having as your job to push your mind to the very limit of its ability every day) which tends to lead to hard partying behavior. The stress is also the reason why many mathematicians are creatively worn out by 35-40.

So, seriously, stop the silly patronizing and just organize a good party. With lots of booze.

Halfway to the Haunt

A friend of mine averaged two Halloween parties a year. The date of the first one in any given year was usually about half way to Halloween, usually at the end of April. The invitations always called it "Halfway to the Haunt". The idea is that finding a decent costume for a Halloween party in October is easy. Doing so in April is, in fact, quite difficult. It's unexpected, it gets people interested, and it gives nerds an uncommon challenge. The conversation describing what you're doing that particular day is always a little interesting as well: "Sorry, I'm busy on Saturday. Going to a Halloween party." "Oh ok... wait, what?" Seems to fit the bill nicely.

Long but hopefully useful

This is my first post on Slashdot. Normally I don't have anything useful to say (smarter faster posters seem abundant), but I think here I can step up.

Comatose51 (687974) got very close.

  Aside from having thrown a lot of very successful parties in my life (even making the news papers), I formed www.HIKEtheGEEK.com a few years ago. Most of the hikers are indeed mathematicians, physicists, and other technically minded people...we also have an amazing geek-girl to geek-guy ratio, which is very cool.

Let's ignore that they are mathematicians, and just recognize they are smart. Smart people are not impressed by shinny objects and noise makers.

Here are some ideas:

- Play music that people will get a kick out of, like the movie soundtrack to a well known or fun movie. Forrest Gump has a very cool sound track for example. It often surprised people when they realize how much music was in that movie. But camp movies can work also.

- Fondue - It involves very hot liquids, and experimentation. The more pots the better. Some can be wine based, others chocolate, etc. It ain't just for the 70s any more.

- Speaking of wine, don't bring beer. Beer is boring...ask people to bring something small, tasty, and interesting. Most geeks don't drink, but if the do, they tend to want to experience something original.

- Invite non-geeks, and invite as many women as you can... Women are naturally social, it is simply wonderful how a well balanced party will just flow.

- Ask everyone to dress nicely. This is rarely done now-a-days. But it is really cool to see your friends at their best, or at the very least, a great chance for black-mail material for later.

- Ask everyone to bring a fav game. Cheap Ass Games is a good example. But don't start games until later. Apples to Apples is another great party game for smart people.

- Show a movie later in the evening, something fun most people would not have seen. Either really old, or really new. (I'm planning on Surfwise next for example).

- Get the invites out early, invite all people in person (on the phone is fine). Do not invite people just by email.
- Hire someone, or get some friends to agree before hand to help clean up.

- Lastly, host the party. This is worth a thousand words on its own, but to be brief, a host is an active job, make sure people meet each other. Introduce people by name, and by someone that others might think is interesting. Even if you don't know someone, you can still make a statement, for example "Terry, meet Pat, Pat meet Terry. Terry wears white vans to parties, while Pat knows how to make the colour red *work*"

They already have everything they need.

There's going to be a GIRL there. And she's not deflatable. It's going to be the best math nerd party EVER!

Re:They already have everything they need.

And she's not deflatable.

Well then how do you get her into the suitcase?

Re:Three things.

Dont forget to serve pi with the coffee

Re:Three things.

David DeAngelo is pretty good but there is so much info out there for dating tips.

Absolutely though please go study dating like you study in school. It is common knowledge that you can never understand the opposite sex but it is so wrong wrong wrong! Study women like you study math and you will finally get what you want.

And take a tip from someone who HAS done the studying. Helping her throw a party wont impress her. It will only make her less attracted to you romantically.

Re:Three things.

Married 7.5 years, 4 kids. The simple answer is "it depends". There is a lot of individual variation.

However, romantic attraction is not everything. For a long term relationship, it is necessary but not sufficient. Being useful and caring about her happiness are also necessary. If your goal is long term, helping her throw the party is a good thing.

If your goal is short term only, I don't have the experience to comment. Nor do I want it.

Re:Three things.

Doubling zero still leaves you with zero. Sadly.

Re:Scrap Barry White

They're mostly maths nerds - have you any idea how complicated those drinking games are going to get?

Re:Scrap Barry White

It's not that hard, you just pick a card and drink half the sum of the prime factors in fingers. If you get it wrong, you have to stand on your head and recite pi backwards (as hard as it sounds.)

Re:Dude! Drinking games

Don't drink and derive!

Re:Hookers

You would be surprised- dating is more difficult for nerds because *meaning* is more important, but when it happens, *attention to detail* trumps all :)

Re:A drinking game called Buzz: here's how it work

a multiple of 7 (49, 24, etc..), then you must say "Buzz", Protip: If you make it above a number that meets all 3 rules, start over because you have missed the point of a drinking game.

Something tells me that you wouldn't make it above 24.