random7 Posted August 2, 2008 Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 This is actually something from Wikipedia, so it's not my own: What is special about this mathematical expression? I'll give it a few day's before posting a spoiler (or the straight answer). Hope you all have fun with this one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted August 2, 2008 Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 This is the truism 1/3 = 1/3... that's not it is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted August 2, 2008 Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 I don't think I get your point. I see nothing out of the ordinary from normal calc and trig. It simplifies to (2/3) * (1/2) = (1/3) which is clearly correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted August 2, 2008 Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 hmm well maybe something of the signs are different from regular calculus or trigonomitry? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Prime Posted August 2, 2008 Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 It evaluates: (2/3)*(1/2)=1/3, so there is nothing special there. On the other hand, it's Intergral square tea times. Three pie over nine equal log cubic root. Yeee... Or something like that. Sounds like something from Alice in Wonderland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted August 3, 2008 Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 I got it...the poster before me is actually on the right track... There was an Old Man with a beard, Who said, 'It is just as I feared! Two Owls and a Hen, Four Larks and a Wren, Have all built their nests in my beard!' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 random7 Posted August 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 I got it...the poster before me is actually on the right track... There was an Old Man with a beard, Who said, 'It is just as I feared! Two Owls and a Hen, Four Larks and a Wren, Have all built their nests in my beard!' Very good!! Steeleman23 knows the answer... The above hint will be sufficient enough to help most people... I'm proud you guys are getting it so quick I will post the "exact" answer (and explanation) in a spoiler tomorrow (it's 12pm here)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted August 3, 2008 Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 I believe the significance of the equation is that the equation links 3 (or 4) very famous people in mathematics in one equation, Newton (calculus), Ptolemy or Pythagoreas (trig) and Euler (the constant e). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted August 3, 2008 Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 this is getting harder by the minute i still do not get what steelman23 said.the poem is like any other poem ive ever read.?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted August 3, 2008 Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 What I wanna know is...how long did it take whoever originally came up with it to figure it out? I mean it incorporates a lot of different types of math and it still fits the scheme. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted August 3, 2008 Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 It evaluates: (2/3)*(1/2)=1/3, so there is nothing special there. On the other hand, it's Intergral square tea times. Three pie over nine equal log cubic root. Yeee... Or something like that. Sounds like something from Alice in Wonderland. Sorry for being obtuse here... but how does the left-side of the equation evaluate to (2/3)*(1/2)?? The cosine of 3pi/9 is approximately 1 according to my calculator, and the integral of t^2 dt is t^3/3 which, as t approaches the cube root of 3 = 1/3. That looks like (1/3) * 1 to me. What am I missing here. I know my math is pretty rusty, but am I just way off in the weeds? Cheers, Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted August 3, 2008 Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 The cosine of 3pi/9 is approximately 1 according to my calculator I had the same problem so don't feel bad. Make sure your calculator is in radian mode vs degree mode when you do the cosine. I saw like .998 for the cosine value and just assumed it was supposed to be 1 also and figured i didn't use enough significant figures. But I remembered the windows calculator uses degree mode as default. Also, the integral evaluates to 2/3....(t^3)/3 evaluated from 1 to the cube-root-of-3...simplifies to 1 - 1/3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted August 4, 2008 Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 I have the solution, and I now hate you. My friend (Computer Science Major) and I (Electrical Engineering Major) just spent an hour and a half trying to figure out the meaning. My friends girlfriend (English Major) poked her head in for 5 seconds and understood it. You're terrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted August 4, 2008 Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 (edited) i see what you mean. the guy who made it was very smart and intelligent. steelman23 Edited August 4, 2008 by jitHU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted August 4, 2008 Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 i hope random7 posts the answer soon i have no clue what imn doin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 random7 Posted August 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 i hope random7 posts the answer soon i have no clue what imn doin Ok... I think you've had enough... Here's the answer: It's a Math Limerick... When read out aloud, it reads as follows: The integral t-squared dt From one to the cube root of three Times the cosine Of three pi over nine Equals log of the cube root of e For those that are not familiar with Limericks, they are short poems that have the form AABBA, such as above, or: The limerick packs laughs anatomical In space that is quite economical, But the good ones I've seen So seldom are clean, And the clean ones so seldom are comical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 random7 Posted August 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 What I wanna know is...how long did it take whoever originally came up with it to figure it out? I mean it incorporates a lot of different types of math and it still fits the scheme. It's just like any other puzzle (creating Math Limericks)... I was going to set the challenge in this thread... But I think some of you are tired of this thread... For example in this case, the composer started with "dt", "three"... "Cosine" and "nine"... And went from there... The reason for using "e" as the final line, is that the log of e to the power of anything, is that power... So it gives the composer the freedom to make the left hand exp​ression what ever he wanted... And he just has to raise the e to the answer to the left hand side... And to make it a nice equation... He used 3pi/9 in the cosine to evaluate to one half, if it were a sine in the Limerick, he would have used "three halves of pi on nine"... But it is seen that using cosine is neater and shorter (ie. fits the Limerick structure better)... What I'm getting at is, the composer used logic and math to create it... And I believe you all have it in you to create your own... Here is one more for the road: A dozen, a gross, and a score Plus three times the square root of four Divided by seven Plus five times eleven Is nine squared and not a bit more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted August 4, 2008 Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 I had the same problem so don't feel bad. Make sure your calculator is in radian mode vs degree mode when you do the cosine. I saw like .998 for the cosine value and just assumed it was supposed to be 1 also and figured i didn't use enough significant figures. But I remembered the windows calculator uses degree mode as default. Also, the integral evaluates to 2/3....(t^3)/3 evaluated from 1 to the cube-root-of-3...simplifies to 1 - 1/3. Thanks, Steeleman! I totally spaced on the radian thing as well... As for the integral, this is my rusty calculus brain... when integrating you take the difference of the limits? I think I vaguely remember that... Cheers, Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted August 4, 2008 Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 This is actually something from Wikipedia, so it's not my own: What is special about this mathematical expression? I'll give it a few day's before posting a spoiler (or the straight answer). Hope you all have fun with this one... Ok... so after my completely erroneous pedestrian guess, and with great help from those who have come before, I will give it a go: The integral of t-squared dt, From 1 to the cube-root of 3, Times the cosine of 3 pi over 9 Equals ln the cube-root of e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted August 4, 2008 Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 ohb i see Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Prime Posted August 4, 2008 Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 (edited) Sorry for being obtuse here... but how does the left-side of the equation evaluate to (2/3)*(1/2)?? The cosine of 3pi/9 is approximately 1 according to my calculator, and the integral of t^2 dt is t^3/3 which, as t approaches the cube root of 3 = 1/3. That looks like (1/3) * 1 to me. What am I missing here. I know my math is pretty rusty, but am I just way off in the weeds? Cheers, Chris I studied my math back when they did not come up with calculators yet. So the integral of t**2 is (1/3)* t**3. If you plug in the boundaries and subtract lower from upper, you get 2/3. Cosine of 60 degrees is 1/2, and I guess you have figured out the logarithm. This puzzle is hard to solve unless, you heard that limmerick before. Edited August 4, 2008 by Prime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Prime Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 i hope random7 posts the answer soon i have no clue what imn doin Well, who is the author? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 random7 Posted August 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 Well, who is the author? The author is unknown, unfortunately... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 oh thats sad that guy whoever made it would have been famous!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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random7
This is actually something from Wikipedia, so it's not my own: What is special about this mathematical expression?
I'll give it a few day's before posting a spoiler (or the straight answer). Hope you all have fun with this one...
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