Always remember: The harmonic series diverges.

[mrstogoff]

This post will be about math. Why not?
First of all, nice quote.
"Today I said to the calculus students, "I know, you're looking at this series and you don't see what I'm warning you about. You look and it and you think, 'I trust this series. I would take candy from this series. I would get in a car with this series.' But I'm going to warn you, this

Comments

[vanderhoog]

Should I be sad about it?
Only the question already makes me extremely sad :-(.

How you put all the coins in those wallets so that the number of coins in one wallet is exactly twice then in the other?
33⅓ coins + 66⅔ coins. That was an easy one.

but they (many of them!) just don't know to count.
Tell them to count from 1 to 100 and count very carefully every nine. Then they will give, for sure, the correct answer.

[mrstogoff]

Only the question already makes me extremely sad :-(.
oops.. why is that?

33⅓ coins + 66⅔ coins. That was an easy one.
:-) did't I say that you are not allowed to saw coins? well, then now I tell it.

Tell them to count from 1 to 100 and count very carefully every nine.
that's kind of computer programmer's answer. like "I don't know the answer, but I may write program that will calculate it for you." ^-)

[vanderhoog]

oops.. why is that?
Let's keep it light Mr. Stogoff junior. We don't want to chase these lovely ladies away, now don't we?

:-) did't I say that you are not allowed to saw coins? well, then now I tell it.
Am I allowed to put one wallet inside of the other?

that's kind of computer programmer's answer.
and a proof that poor counting is not the reason for the wrong answers.

To find the correct answer on your puzzle I went to a nearby lettershop and told the shopkeeper I needed to number 100 houses, from 1 to 100. One number costed € 1,00, forty of the same number would cost me € 20,-. I bought all the necessary numbers, the man charged me € 172,-, I ran home, started to count the all nines and counted a staggering 40!

The shopkeeper must have made a mistake, don't you agree?

[mrstogoff]

We don't want to chase these lovely ladies away, now don't we?
I see, now it's your turn to tell me how to treat ladies :-)

Am I allowed to put one wallet inside of the other?
yep, that's the point. you got it!

and a proof that poor counting is not the reason for the wrong answers
or, at least, not the only reason :-)
just look at those numbers..

The shopkeeper must have made a mistake, don't you agree?
:-))) since it's your nearby lettershop you should know better if the shopkeeper is the honest man, one that wouldn't cell nine instead of six.
on the other hand, he gave you nice discount, so I guess it's OK.

[heather_zero]

see? my lack of both mathematic and literary skills makes ME sad. i've been out of school for too long. i've out of TOUCH. school is going to kick me arse this semester. and i meant to write without grammar and i hate capitalising. i'm pomo like that.

[mrstogoff]

sorry, I did't intend to make readers sad.
..should Northern California Indian care for mathematic skills? ;-)

i hate capitalising
"I HATE CAPITALIZING" ;-)

[shadusfix]

I've been told that you do lose some of your math functions if you take a year off and then try to go back to it. Which I think is true. I've lost a good bit of geometric functions. I can remember maybe a formula or two but as for applying it and picking the right one, I feel like I need a refresher course. (But I won't be getting one because I hated that subject.)

[mrstogoff]

if you take a year off
OMG! and I took about 10 years off..

..some skills that are preserved much better. for example diving skill. you take a couple of refresher dives with the instructor and you may dive on your own later. or bicycle riding. once you know how to ride it you always know it. why can't it be the same with the other skills? I think, it's not fair.

[shadusfix]

I guess it's easier to remember things that are physical because your body can do some of it naturally. With mental skills, they should probably be kept cultivated or they'll get overwritten by more recent things I guess. I agree that it's not fair. I much prefer my mental skills over my physical ones. :P

[mrstogoff]

looks like that's the way it is. "if you don't use it - you lose it".
all that is left is the feeling that you know it. or at least knew.
on the other hand, sometimes that feeilng is one of the most important reults of learning. :-)