The fascination of Maths thread

[Denny]

I think rather that you hated calculation. If you liked algebra, you might have found A level and university maths much more interesting - there's very little real maths at O level.

.

That's possibly true. Although I'd never have got a place doing maths with my exam result

It's the same with other subjects. Although I was good at O level subjects and passed the others, I much prefered university level education that required high level interpretation and analysis rather than just memorising facts and theories.

[sasguru]

Walter Mitty strikes again. What year were you a wrangler, Threaded?

Ah no answer from Threaded. I thought not.

[El_Diablo]

Ah no answer from Threaded. I thought not.

He's become de-threaded.

[threaded]

He's become de-threaded.

What you talkin' 'bout willis?

[El_Diablo]

What you talkin' 'bout willis?

I'm randomizing, in a toroidal form. Forgive me.

[Sockpuppet]

I bloody hated maths.... I hated the smelly old maths teacher and I hated that my parents knew I was thick and made me have grindes for 2 fliping years.... 3 times a week....

You worked at McDonalds 3 times a week for 2 years?

I did maths tutoring when I was 23. One of pupils was a very nice 16 year old girl. I only lasted 2 weeks...

Thats just wrong. Seriously wrong.

I may be a bit of a twat in the love department but 2 years (maybe 3) age difference is the most I could deal with. I'd find it really hard to see someone that was younger than me. Maybe because all of my mates are a good 5+ years older or maybe because all the young women I see are about as thick as two short planks.

A mate who is 29 (the bloke) has just started to date a 20 year old. Apart from him getting his end away I really can't see what the hell they have in common.

Anyway back to the maths...

No, begins with a 9.

And surely that's more to do with the length of roads rather than any strange matematical law.

I was thinking that. Essentially it could mean that a lot of roads are either numbered 1 - 30 so 1/3 of them would begin with 1 or there are a lot of roads with houses in the 100 - 199 range where they all begin with one. Guessing that there are not many roads with over 200 numbers.

[threaded]

Guessing that there are not many roads with over 200 numbers.

Nothing to do with that. This'll bake your noodle: it applies equally well to any position of the digits in the numbers. So how does that tally with your length of road conception?

[bored]

Nothing to do with that. This'll bake your noodle: it applies equally well to any position of the digits in the numbers. So how does that tally with your length of road conception?

It only applies to the first digit.

[threaded]

It only applies to the first digit.

Especially for binary numbers...

[TimberWolf]

Non-mathematical curiosity

Why do so many continent names begin with the letter A?

E.g. Africa, America, Antarctica, Asia, Australia.

And why do so many continent names end with the letter A?