Bear Logic: Suppose a bear walks a mile south, a mile east,

[bdelaughter]

Suppose a bear walks a mile south, a mile east, and a mile north and ends up exactly where it started. One explanation for how this can happen is for the bear to begin its journey at the North Pole. Is there any other place on earth where such a journey could take place?

 

[soroban]

Re: Bear Logic

Hello, bdelaughter!

Suppose a bear walks a mile south, a mile east, and a mile north
and ends up exactly where it started.
One explanation: the bear began its journey at the North Pole.
Is there any other place on earth where such a journey could take place?

Yes . . .

Consider a location somewhere near the South Pole.
The bear walks one mile south.

When it walks one mile east, it travels "around the earth".
. . It walks a circle of latitude which is exactly one mile in circumference.
Then it walks one mile north to its starting point.

There is another location, even closer to the South Pole,
. . where the bear walks one mile east
. . and travels twice "around the earth".
and so on . . .

[Hmmm, there are no bears in Antarctica . . . piffle!]