What do Groupon and Charlie Brown have in common?

The curious saga of Groupon takes another step. After exchanges closed Friday Groupon announced “material weakness” in its internal controls leading to greater quarterly losses.
Groupon's shares drop on earning restatement
By now Groupon investors must feel like Charlie Brown after Lucy pulls away the football again. The company seems to be a case study in both finance as well as investor psychology. (Prior posts address past Groupon drama.)

Da Vinci and mathematics

In Keith Devlin's excellent book about Fibonacci titled "The Man of Numbers", a passage describes Pacioli a 15th century mathematician who tutored and collaborated with Leonardo Da Vinci. Pacioli apparently worked extensively on some perfect Platonic solids, the Golden Ratio and other mathematics in nature. Da Vinci in turn uses the math in his art including the Last Supper and Vitruvian Man. Eckerd alum should well remember Vitruvian Man from Western Heritage!

An excellent paper written by Melissa Kimich reviews the mathematics found in Da Vinci's art. An academic paper that is a pleasure to read. Da Vinci's Connection with Mathematics

In honor of the Greek default

Suddenly two months have gone by since my last post.

My new semester has begun. Republican presidential candidates still show little appeal. The American economy is still limping but with a bit better prognosis. Any big changes? Well, Greece. Finally it has defaulted. (Technically the International Swaps and Derivatives Association declared Greece's latest deal with private lenders a "credit event.")

To mark the Greek milestone it seems appropriate to yield the floor to Paul Krugman Greek lessons? who warns against those who make Greece the bogey the U.S. will become if it doesn't cut fiscal spending.