Short Wave Humble Pi: Enjoying When Math Goes Awry
Mar 15, 2022
Matt Parker, a stand-up mathematician and author known for his witty take on math, shares insights from his book, Humble Pi. He emphasizes that mathematical mistakes can be just as enlightening as correct answers. The discussion dives into humorous intersections of math and daily life, particularly through amusing pi-related anecdotes. They explore the significance of off-by-one errors and how embracing mistakes can lead to growth in understanding. It's a celebration of imperfection in mathematics, especially fitting for Pi Day!
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Fence Post Problem
- People often miscalculate the number of posts needed for a 50-foot fence with posts every 10 feet.
- They divide 50 by 10, getting 5, but forget the first post, making the correct answer 6.
Off-by-One Errors
- "Off-by-one" errors often stem from how we define start and end points in counting, especially concerning zero.
- Counting from zero can be confusing because it breaks the direct link between the count and the total.
Vitruvius's Temple
- Even Vitruvius, known for the Vitruvian Man, documented an off-by-one error in architecture.
- When doubling a temple's length, simply doubling the columns leads to an error, demonstrating this mistake's long history.
