4 skaters and a monkey

[SeaniBu]

I could have never done that anyway but now I understand how you are saying negative 3.

sorry about the joke, I respect Math.

[Mathman]

Now I know that according to math, motion never reaches it final destination....1/2 way, 3/4 way, ect on to infinity...or does that say Math doesn't suport reality???? Need a fiendish emoticon!!!! mooohaaahaaa

Well, it took mathematics about two thousand years to come to grips with this particular aspect of "reality," LOL. Zeno's paradoxes (500 BC) gave philosophers fits until the 17th century AD when Newton and Leibnitz finally resolved them by coming up with a serious way of treating infinite sums. (It's that "etc on to infinity" that requires a deeper understanding, LOL.)

But the larger question, how is it possible that (mere) mathematical models have any utility at all in describing the real world? -- that's one of the biggies.

As Einstein put it, "The most unintelligible thing about the universe is that it is intelligible."

[Theatregirl1122]

-3 + 256 = 253 coconuts in the pile is the smallest solution in positive integers.

All other solutions in postive integers are of the form 353 + a multiple of 256.

Now what confuses me is how the number went up by 100 between posts.

Now I feel like I should ask Mathman for help on tomorrow's calc exam. I honestly tried to find the actual answer for this problem but was not acctually successful. I'm not that great at word problems like this one. I got related rate problems down this year, however.

I enjoyed the challenge, post math more often!

[Mathman]

Now what confuses me is how the number went up by 100 between posts.

Er, um, see, uh, that's the beauty of mathematics. 353 really means 253. (That's advanced stuff -- way beyond related rates. )

Seriously, thanks for the correction. 253 is right.

The point is, that 253 is really the same as negative three in this problem. (The proper language is: -3 is congruent to 253 modulo 256. This means that -3 and 253 have the same remainder when divided by 256. Any number that has a remainder of 253 when divided by 256 will work, such as 509, 765, 1021,...

MM

[Dee4707]

Math is this what you do for fun??? Do you have any friends?? That whole problem hurt my brain so now I'm going to have a glass of wine. HIC!!!

Dee

[SeaniBu]

But the larger question, how is it possible that (mere) mathematical models have any utility at all in describing the real world? -- that's one of the biggies.

As Einstein put it, "The most unintelligible thing about the universe is that it is intelligible."

Something sooooo true to me, yet I am not as inthralled but facinated, I have an incredible respect for Math and it realistic consistency. But it is just not fun. I am glad it is for some people because I don't know where the word would be without it. SO IMO, Math dosen't necessary rule but it is a part of all that we know and understaning of it is vital as well as helpful.

BTW, I am not kidding.