manners of provoking mathematics

[jonah2.0]

WARNING: Beer soaked rambling/opinion/observation/reckoning ahead. Read at your own risk. Would be readers can take it seriously or take it with a grain of salt. In no event shall the wandering quixotic math knight-errant Sir jonah in his inebriated state (usually in his dead tired but mentally revived inebriated state) be liable to anyone for special, collateral, incidental, or consequential damages in connection with or arising out of the use of his "enhanced" beer (and tequila/absinthe) powered views.

Denis-Sensei, are you still there?

Boy, what a dummy I am. I was going about it all wrong. I think I found a better way (and immediately thought of King Richard III's retort to Lord Stanley, "What need'st thou run so many miles about when thou mayst tell they tale the nearest way?").
Beautiful. Why indeed Lord Stanley?

If M is the median between two numbers, the second of which is 15% below the first, I'd wanted to find a formula that gave b for any value of M:

b
|
M
|
0.85b

M is equal to b minus half the distance between b and 0.85b, or

M = b-(b-0.85b)/2

Solving for b,

M = b-b(1-0.85)/2
M = b-0.15b/2
M = (2b-0.15b)/2
M = b(2-0.15)/2
M = 1.85b/2
2M = 1.85b
b = 2M/1.85

Checking with M = 3,000 as before:

b = 2(3,000)/1.85 [?]
b= 6,000/1.86
b = 3,243.24320.85b = 2,756.7567

Did'st thou perhaps meant
b= 6,000/1.86 = 3,243.243342...
and
.85b = 2,756.756757...


I assume this is the best approach?
Not too sure about that.
It may be a matter of personal taste.
Methinks me liketh the more intuitive first approach.


This struck me in the haze of waking up this morning.
It's called subconscious assimilation.
You think about a problem long enough, you're bound to come up with something.
In my case, I try to accelerate that process with a "little bit" of alcohol consumption.
The advantage of alcohol based eureka moments is that you don't mind doing all the preparatory work. The unwilling part of your psyche just breaks down and most, if not all, of your inhibitions about getting down and dirty with math work just goes away. If you're lucky, you might even think it's a good idea to follow in Don Quixote's footsteps and be a math knight-errant yourself.
I once had to work as a graveyard digger and I realized that I don't mind digging at all under a blistering sun as long as me and my buddies are happily hammered. Same deal with math work. You won't mind doing all those mind numbing math exercises and problems when you're hammered.
But that's enough about beerlosophy.

 

[CharlesW]

WARNING: Beer soaked rambling/opinion/observation/reckoning ahead. Read at your own risk. Would be readers can take it seriously or take it with a grain of salt. In no event shall the wandering quixotic math knight-errant Sir jonah in his inebriated state (usually in his dead tired but mentally revived inebriated state) be liable to anyone for special, collateral, incidental, or consequential damages in connection with or arising out of the use of his "enhanced" beer (and tequila/absinthe) powered views.

Jonah. Yes, I did'st. A slip.

An interesting perspective on how to advance in math, though I'm not sure it will work in my case. Thou needs must remember three things that drink doth provoke--and unprovoke.

Gravedigger, eh? Doesn't sound like such a bad job. It would give an interesting perspective on life and keep you focused on your priorities no doubt.

Don't happen to know a guy named Jerry Cruncher do you?

Many thanks,

 

[jonah2.0]

Don't happen to know a guy named Jerry Cruncher do you?

Nay, Sir Charles, I say nay.
Heard about him though.
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, ..."

If you don't mind my asking Sir Charles, What are ye? Of the number of the happy, or of the afflicted?
Woud'st thou care to make account of how you came to sorrow and affliction itself, if thou art indeed of the afflicted?
I ask because of the seeming inconsistency of thy "speech" and of thy location.

 

[CharlesW]

Nay, Sir Charles, I say nay.
Heard about him though.
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, ..."

If you don't mind my asking Sir Charles, What are ye? Of the number of the happy, or of the afflicted?
Woud'st thou care to make account of how you came to sorrow and affliction itself, if thou art indeed of the afflicted?
I ask because of the seeming inconsistency of thy "speech" and of thy location.

Alack, I haven't knighted yet, and being a Californian by birth, I don't expect her majesty to bestow such a favor on this humble subject, even if my ancestors did side with the Crown in the 1770s.

I'm actually in Yokohama, not exactly Tokyo but Tokyo, Kawasaki, Yokohama and Chiba are all one massive urban area. I first arrived in the Land of the Rising sun in 1976 and have spent most of my life here, learning to live with earthquakes, typhoons, floods, landslides, tsunami and of course nuclear disasters.... and of course a lot of nice people and delicious food.

I'm only afflicted in having forgotten much of my algebra, so I hope all the smart people here know how grateful I am for all their help [bowing profusely...].

Again, many thanks,

 

[jonah2.0]

Alack, I haven't knighted yet, and being a Californian by birth, I don't expect her majesty to bestow such a favor on this humble subject, even if my ancestors did side with the Crown in the 1770s.

Aye Sir Charles but ours be more of quixotic conduct than regular knighthoodery.

I'm actually in Yokohama, not exactly Tokyo but Tokyo, Kawasaki, Yokohama and Chiba are all one massive urban area. I first arrived in the Land of the Rising sun in 1976 and have spent most of my life here, learning to live with earthquakes, typhoons, floods, landslides, tsunami and of course nuclear disasters.... and of course a lot of nice people and delicious food.

Did it took long for you to have an acquired taste for the wasabe condiment? Had a hard time with that condiment even when I was heavily intoxicated.

I'm only afflicted in having forgotten much of my algebra, so I hope all the smart people here know how grateful I am for all their help [bowing profusely...].

Forgive me Sir Charles but I was merely implying that a certain Dulcinea must keeping you in that area. Unless of the course the beauty of the place must be your Dulcinea.

Cheers.

P.S. Love their rice wine.

 

[Otis]

Had a hard time with [wasabe] even when I was heavily intoxicated.

'Tis a shame, Sir Jonah, to be sure. Wasabe can be very important, when constructing a Thermonuclear Bloody Mary guaranteed to blow your mind.

 

[jonah2.0]

'Tis a shame, Sir Jonah, to be sure. Wasabe can be very important, when constructing a Thermonuclear Bloody Mary guaranteed to blow your mind.

'Tis be news to me Sir Otis.
I shall look further into this and tell thou all about it as soon as I can control Lady Absinthe's hold on me.