The fifth proposition in Book I of Euclid's Elements states that the two base angles of an isosceles triangle are equal (in the figure below, angles B and C). For centuries, this result has been known as Pons Asinorum, or the Bridge of Asses, apparently a metaphor for a problem that separates bright sparks from … Continue reading Pons Asinorum
Month: December 2012
Santa’s TSP Algorithm
This week's That's Maths column ( TM011 ) discusses the challenge faced by Santa Claus: he has about a billion homes to visit in one night, so he needs to be smart in picking his route. The challenge he faces is called the Travelling Salesman Problem, or TSP. Although he won't reveal his secret, Santa … Continue reading Santa’s TSP Algorithm
Sharing a Pint
Four friends, exhausted after a long hike, stagger into a pub to slake their thirst. But, pooling their funds, they have enough money for only one pint. Annie drinks first, until the surface of the beer is half way down the side (Fig. 1(A)). Then Barry drinks until the surface touches the bottom corner (Fig. … Continue reading Sharing a Pint
Ramanujan’s Lost Notebook
In the Irish Times column this week ( TM010 ), we tell how a collection of papers of Srinivasa Ramanujan turned up in the Wren Library in Cambridge and set the mathematical world ablaze. Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887—1920) Ramanujan was one of the greatest mathematical geniuses ever to emerge from India. Born into a poor Brahmin … Continue reading Ramanujan’s Lost Notebook
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