Happy Birthday Jenny Kirk 8/15

She has grown from a cute elegant Pochohantas to a beautiful young woman. She always handles herself with so much


Grace and Intelligence

From her latest journal

http://www.figureskatersonline.com/jenniferkirk/


Happy Birthday Jenny

http://school.discovery.com/clipart/images/bdaycake.gif

Happy Birthday, Jenny! Have a nice one.

Hi, everybody. I just got back on line after the blackout. Naturally Detroit was the very last city to have it's power resored. And now, here I am late for Jenny's birthday!

Anyway, I did send Jenny a birthday present from from the Golden Skate trivia contest. EmiC from the other board won a prize for his/her favorite skater by solving a mathematics puzzle. The prize -- the new CD by violin virtuoso Rachel Barton -- was recommended by Eltamina, our resident musicologist from the other board.

Here is a copy of the accompanying letter. I'll let you know if she answers. (I hope she will answer by posting on GS, LOL.)
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August 6, 2003


Ms. Jennifer Kirk
c/o The Onyx Ice Arena
52999 Dequindre Road
Rochester, MI 48307

Dear Ms. Kirk,

Some members of the Golden Skate Figure Skating Forum

http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/

have an ongoing game in which contestants can win birthday prizes for their favorite skaters by answering trivia questions about skating, music, mathematics, and other off the wall topics. The winner for August was GS poster "EmiC," and EmiC's favorite skater is .... Jenny Kirk.

So, happy birthday from all of your fans and friends at Golden Skate! We have selected this recent release of the Brahms violin concerto performed by Rachel Barton. We hope that the story of how Ms. Barton overcame so many challenges to achieve success will be an inspiration to you in the coming season.

On a personal note, I had a chance to meet you and your sister in Spokane (my home town) last year. You knocked 'em dead, especially in the short program! I hope I will be able to attend this year's Skate America in Reading, Pa., also. I read on your web site that you will be skating a new program to the Fledermaus this year. That is my favorite music for you -- it seems to suit your personality to a "T." I can't wait to see it. I also look forward to seeing you doing pairs with Fedor Andreev, wow!

I hope that your hip is fully rested and well. Are you still planning to take classes at Oakland U. in the fall semester?

Best regards,

L******* B******
(Mathman on Golden Skate, LOL.)

PS. Just for fun, here is the math puzzle that EmiC solved to win a prize for you.

Ben Cartwright died, after a long and happy life, leaving his estate to be divided among his three sons. Adam, the oldest, was to receive half of the estate. Hoss, the second son, was left one third of the estate. And Little Joe, the youngest, received one-ninth.

All went well until it came to dividing old Ben's prize horses. There were 17 of them, and they couldn't figure out how to take 1/2, 1/3 or 1/9 of 17.

To the rescue came the circuit riding judge. After considering the dilemma briefly, she put her own horse into the pen with the others, making 18 in all. Now it was easy to divide up the 18 horses according to the provisions of the will.

After each son claimed his allotted share of the 18 horses, the judges got back on her horse and road away.

Question: Since the judge’s horse was one of the 18 that were divided up, where did the extra horse come from?
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Mathman

Larry = What a nice nice note to Jenny. I'm sure she will appreciate it even if she doesn't have time to answer it.

(I'm still working on your math ridddle)

Joe

Happy birthday to jenny!!

Mathman said:

Anyway, I did send Jenny a birthday present from from the Golden Skate trivia contest. EmiC from the other board won a prize for his/her favorite skater by solving a mathematics puzzle. The prize -- the new CD by violin virtuoso Rachel Barton

PS. Just for fun, here is the math puzzle that EmiC solved to win a prize for you.

Ben Cartwright died, after a long and happy life, leaving his estate to be divided among his three sons. Adam, the oldest, was to receive half of the estate. Hoss, the second son, was left one third of the estate. And Little Joe, the youngest, received one-ninth.

All went well until it came to dividing old Ben's prize horses. There were 17 of them, and they couldn't figure out how to take 1/2, 1/3 or 1/9 of 17.

To the rescue came the circuit riding judge. After considering the dilemma briefly, she put her own horse into the pen with the others, making 18 in all. Now it was easy to divide up the 18 horses according to the provisions of the will.

After each son claimed his allotted share of the 18 horses, the judges got back on her horse and road away.

Question: Since the judge’s horse was one of the 18 that were divided up, where did the extra horse come from?

Click to expand...

Thanks Mathman for sending Jenny Kirk the birthday gift. I hope all is well after the black out.

Here is my attempt:

1/2 + 1/3 + 1/9 = 17/18 not 18/18 or 1, so that is the problem of this inheritance division.

I hate to challenge a math professor's memory. IIRC, the brain teasers started with the above question. By the time emiC won the prize, it was a different question. ( I know, because I couldn't solve that problem). I think you gave a series of numbers (I use the word series not in the mathematical sense, so don't kill me). There were 4 numbers: n1, n2, n3, and n4, and you asked what will be the next number n5. So the challenge then was to solve n5. Of course no one could solve it , so you gave a hint, and I forgot what. emiC then said s/he could solve n5 by using simple algebra of 1/n1 + 1/n2 + 1/n3 + 1/n4 + 1/n5 = 1

n1 - n4 were given, according to emiC, the unknown n5 could be solved, s/he did not want to crunch it out. You then gave the incentive of a prize. I thought emiC asked for half of your brain, since you gave one kidney to Tara and the other to Michelle?

Back to this problem, Ben just need to will 1/18 to Hub Sing Kwan.

Good heavens, I've lost my memory, too. But wasn't it Freddy the Pig who gave his kidney to Michelle?

BTW, the reason that emiC's numbers n1, ..., n5 are interesting is not because of the legacy of Ben Cartwright's five sons, but rather because they provide for the construction of a model 5-dimensional universe in which a space traveller twists n1,...,n5 times in the various directions as he travels around the cosmos and back to his starting point. The equation that these numbers satisfy is required to preserve certain physical laws on the journey. (I told Jenny all this in my second note. )

Mathman

I received an autograph pic from Jenny

WOW, I received an autograph picture from Jenny today. She looks beautiful in a pink Capezio outfit.

It is so nice for her to take the time. The message on this picture postcard is simple but sweet. "Thank you for your birthday card. Reach for the Stars!!"

According to her journal Capezio is coming up with a campaign featuring outfits made just for her. When?? Jenny is supposed to be wearing these throughout the 03 - 04 season.

Go Jenny

Hey, way cool, RTureck! I can't wait to see Jenny modeling her new line of clothes. What a beautiful skater. My fondest wish is that she make the podium at Nationals this year.

Mathman

Mathman said:

Hey, way cool, RTureck! I can't wait to see Jenny modeling her new line of clothes. What a beautiful skater. My fondest wish is that she make the podium at Nationals this year.

Mathman

Click to expand...

Have you bought the REading PA tickets yet? Jenny and her sister will be there??

I haven't bought my tickets yet. I am hoping that it won't be sold out if I wait until the last minute. I am not sure yet whether I will be able to go. I hope so.

Mathman