Friday, September 2, 2011

Two ways to compute 1/3

Here, from Betsy Devine and Joel E Cohen, is a "mathematical" limerick:  
     
An Integral Limerick

Its translation is:  

   Integral z-squared dz
   from 1 to the cube root of 3
   times the cosine
   of three pi over 9
   equals log of the cube root of 'e'.


Moreover, evaluation of the formulas on each side of the equality yields 1/3.

This formula-limerick may be found -- along with lots of other math-fun -- in the Devine-Cohen collection Absolute Zero Gravity;  Science Jokes, Quotes, and Anecdotes (Simon & Schuster, 1992) . (My first find of the limerick was, however, in the collection of math miscellany found at the website of retired math teacher, David Pleacher.)

1 comment:

  1. Hi JoAnne, I found you from your comments on my Dr. Seuss/quadratic poem - wow, you're the master at math poems, these are just great! I love it! :)

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