Angry Math Guy

Happy Pythagorean Triple Day (5-12-13)

Sun, 12 May 2013 12:53:00 -0400

We all know (or should know if you graduated Jr high) what the Pythagorean Theorem is: for a right triangle abc, a^2+b^2=c^2. For many this is one of the first natural laws that we learn. For many more they don’t even learn this and wind up working at Walmart for the rest of their adult lives while their teeth rot out of their heads from all the diet coke they drink. But that’s a different story…

A Pythagorean Triple is a special case of the Pythagorean Theorem, where all three sides are of integer length. There are infinitely many Pythagorean Triples (that means that there’s more of them then there are mouth breathers at a Nickleback concert) since any integer scaling of a Pythagorean Triple produces yet another Pythagorean Triple: (ka)^2+(kb)^2=(kc)^2 where k is an integer.

Combine that with the fact that there are infinitely many Primitive Pythagorean Triples (a,b and c are all co-prime) results in a huge number of triples.

A cool way to generate a Pythagorean Triple is to use Euclid’s Formula: a=m^2-n^2; b=2mn; c=m^2+n^2, where m>n. This generates a Primitive Pythagorean Triple if m & n are co-prime, and one of them is odd and the other is even.

So today is May 12, 2013 (5-12-13) and 5^2+12^2=13^2; 25+144=169. The next Pythagorean Triple is December 5, 2013 (12-5-13 works just as well as 5-12-13). After that we have to wait until August 15, 2017 (8-15-17).

Mathematical drawings… ...

Tue, 07 May 2013 10:40:01 -0400

Mathematical drawings… badass.

hydrogeneportfolio:

Minimal Posters - Five Great Mathematicians And Their Contributions.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE INANIMATE OBJECT?

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 23:42:40 -0400

A Slinky. Although, it’s probably not totally inanimate once it starts going. But until then? no way.

Just me. Sitting in the office. Confused as to the logic...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 23:19:32 -0400

Just me. Sitting in the office. Confused as to the logic behind everyone’s actions….

So many of the kids I see EVERY frinkin’ day get this...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 08:22:49 -0400

So many of the kids I see EVERY frinkin’ day get this wrong. But then again, my school decided that teaching physics without calculus to PHYSICS AND ENGINEERING MAJORS is ok…

When your Thermodynamics class consists of reading selected steam tables in a book then there’s no hope.

photosandmisanthropy: I swear not enough people understand what...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 07:26:17 -0400

photosandmisanthropy:

I swear not enough people understand what an argument is. Fewer still would recognise a fallacy even if it punched them in the brain.