Odds and Evenings

A podcast about mathematics, puzzles, numbers and games

About the show

Playing around with maths and puzzles was something that the two hosts spent their time at university doing together. Now in their late twenties with proper grown up jobs, Alaric and Alex carve out the occasional evening to sit back and smell the numbers. Not all of the mathematics is entry level, but they envisioned this podcast for those people whose science degrees may be long behind them, but who still get a kick out of recreational numbering.

If this is your first time listening, episode 4 is a good representation of the show as a whole and can be used as a jumping on point.

All episodes can be played in browser here or you can subscribe on all major podcast apps.

Odds and Evenings on social media

Episodes

  • #17 - Caps, Cracks and Kaprekar's Constants

    23 July 2018  |  56 mins 36 secs
    math, mathematics, maths, number theory, podcast, puzzles

    Topics Discussed:

    • Prisoners in Hats
    • Kaprekar's Constant
    • Generalised Egg Dropping
  • #16 - Algorithms, Adding and Adders

    9 July 2018  |  51 mins 47 secs
    algorithms, computing, math, maths, number theory, podcast

    Topics Discussed:

    • FRACTRAN
    • Negative Bases
    • Polycube Snakes
  • #15 - Sofas, Secrets and Sizzling String

    25 June 2018  |  48 mins 53 secs
    mathematics, maths, proof, puzzles, unsolved problems

    Topics Discussed:

    • Moving Sofa Problem
    • Zero Knowledge Grab Bag
    • The Fuse Problem
  • #14 - Guesses, Geometry and Grover's Algorithm

    21 June 2018  |  45 mins 1 sec
    geometry, math, maths, number theory, quantum computing

    Topics Discussed:

    • Digital Mastermind
    • Cheers
    • p2 - 1 mod 24
  • #13 - Byzantines, Blockchain and Boats

    4 June 2018  |  1 hr 5 mins
    blockchain, game theory, games, math, maths, puzzles

    Topics Discussed:

    • Nomic
    • Byzantine Generals Problem
    • Jealous Husbands River Crossing
  • #12 - Ducks, Deals and Doku

    6 May 2018  |  55 mins 24 secs
    bitcoin, blockchain, ducks, games, math, mathematics, maths, numbers, puzzles, sequences, sudoku, zk-snarks

    Topics Discussed:

    • Email Bidding Game
    • Zero Knowledge Sudoku
    • Duck Pond Probabilities
  • #11 - Dwarves, Drinking and Deserts

    24 April 2018  |  1 hr 35 secs
    math, mathematics, maths, puzzles

    Topics Discussed:

    • Lewis Carroll's Dwarven Puzzle
    • Blood Alcohol Level Modelling
    • The Petrol Station Problem
  • #10 - Stacks, Splitting and Seating

    9 April 2018  |  1 hr 3 mins
    games, math, mathematics, maths, minecraft, numbers, puzzles, sequences

    Topics discussed:

    • Minecraft Grid Numbers
    • Stack Thirding
    • Plane Seat Puzzle
  • #9 - Cows, Counting and Chin Ups

    27 March 2018  |  1 hr 4 mins
    math, mathematics, maths, numbers, sequences

    Topics discussed

    • Narayana's Cows
    • Welsh Numbers
    • Weightlifting Maths
  • #8 - Snakey, Scrabble and Sieve

    15 March 2018  |  1 hr 18 mins
    games, math, mathematics, maths, numbers, prime numbers, puzzles, scrabble, sieve, snakey, tictactoe

    Topics discussed

    • Harary Tic-Tac-Toe
    • Prime Scrabble
    • Alaric's Sieve
  • #7 - Water, Winter and Watson

    26 February 2018  |  1 hr 29 secs
    math, maths, physics, puzzles

    Topics Discussed

    • Tea Cooling
    • Olympic Rankings
    • Sherlock Holmes Puzzle
  • #6 - Princesses, Ponds and Poker Puzzles

    13 February 2018  |  50 mins 6 secs
    math, mathematics, maths, physics, puzzles

    Topics discussed

    • The Princess Monster Game
    • Duck Wakes
    • A Poker Puzzle
  • #5 - Factors, Figures and Words With Friends

    28 January 2018  |  1 hr 5 mins
    board games, books, mathematics, maths, scrabble

    Topics discussed

    • The Number of Factors Sequence
    • Scrabble Boards
    • Gödel, Escher, Bach
  • #4 - Farthings, Fizz and Food Boards

    16 January 2018  |  1 hr 20 mins
    currency, games, math, mathematics, maths, physics, puzzles

    Topics discussed

    • Change and the Coin Problem
    • Beer Bubbles
    • The Blind Waiter Problem
  • #3 - Rationality, Reddit and Recurrence

    31 December 2017  |  1 hr 5 mins
    game of life, math, maths, physics, reddit, the internet

    Topics Discussed

    • Is Big G Rational,
    • Top Posts of All Time,
    • Game of Life Towers
    • Online Now?
  • #2 - Advent Calendars, Combinatorics and Christmas

    24 December 2017  |  1 hr 3 mins
    christmas, combinatorics, math, mathematics, maths, physics, puzzles

    Topics Discussed

    • Tying a Ribbon around a Present,
    • Christmas Wrapping,
    • Advent Calendar Maths,
    • Father Christmas Physics