tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79205628671434378722024-03-19T07:12:59.411+05:30Spread the word .....The Professor shares his discoveries, so that you can share them with others.dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.comBlogger336125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-22985184926270866952023-12-21T08:21:00.009+05:302024-01-01T10:33:10.865+05:305-2023 How maths saved a blunderNew Year is just round the corner. Some years ago, I wrote about the <a href="http://partha-the-prof.blogspot.com/2012/01/1-2112-happy-new-year-commemorating.html">most famous mathematics blunder</a> created by man. Now, I explain why the blunder is still surviving and celebrated by everyone. Mathematics is at play once again. In spite of the irrational reason for using 360 as a base for dividing a circle, there are some advantages of this choice. The mathematical justification is explained in two videos:
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzkW3P7HPvs">Video #1</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfWpf2ReXdc">Video #2</a>.
The choice of 360 is not so bad, since 360 is a "highly composite number" and is easy to remember. Watch the two videos for more elaborate explanations. Highly composite numbers were a favourite of the Indian genius Ramanujan.dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-86277300560860230082023-11-25T07:30:00.018+05:302023-11-30T18:26:03.860+05:304-2023 What is ISBN ? How does it work ?Have you ever noticed on the back cover of every book is a barcoded pattern with some numbers ? Ever wondered what could that possibly mean ?
According to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN">wikipedia</a> "The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier that is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase or receive ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency. " It helps librarians and bookstores keep track of books in their custody. The bar code replaces the ISBN for automated inventory control.</BR> </BR>
The ISBN is structured as in the digram given on the right: <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3y0_4NeEvXLqLEvsU4RyakYym4BaGzNbCRkRVYrc8FUdr4pB8BFJ2u4ACNQx5gYkoXkM0mxDBzrLF_Yp3j_bSSXe40b5eUBs7U-GzlmVLKVaQkzv7vN1LM8lIxRzI6ndBVTA1ssOuv10phRGSym4bvXxTJUEmbpDgLxnRsd5t_CDJqL2fd42OJjC5563W/s339/ISBN_Details.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3y0_4NeEvXLqLEvsU4RyakYym4BaGzNbCRkRVYrc8FUdr4pB8BFJ2u4ACNQx5gYkoXkM0mxDBzrLF_Yp3j_bSSXe40b5eUBs7U-GzlmVLKVaQkzv7vN1LM8lIxRzI6ndBVTA1ssOuv10phRGSym4bvXxTJUEmbpDgLxnRsd5t_CDJqL2fd42OJjC5563W/s320/ISBN_Details.png"/></a></div></BR></BR>
Recently, my new book on Ramanujan got an ISBN: 978-1-5457-5712-3 (shown in the image below). <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzGqit7IFSJD799588cZDqwcbPkWqgl-1ip0v4GzbIxBsWedWnNWcLTBJcoltGQiA_278ec_JMLHzBYnbDGqydVXvjAjAtb91OpTX11qfHLCj8RtdS8P9OiLPNrBSbANe2nSGXG-4cGDte0CjSWRjK94oOV28LYVCTb78TUeu5pLlYPNRdmp5HGKkCuac/s810/structure.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzGqit7IFSJD799588cZDqwcbPkWqgl-1ip0v4GzbIxBsWedWnNWcLTBJcoltGQiA_278ec_JMLHzBYnbDGqydVXvjAjAtb91OpTX11qfHLCj8RtdS8P9OiLPNrBSbANe2nSGXG-4cGDte0CjSWRjK94oOV28LYVCTb78TUeu5pLlYPNRdmp5HGKkCuac/s320/structure.png"/></a></div>
Also see:: <a href="https://www.bisg.org/barcoding-guidelines-for-the-us-book-industry">How do barcodes work in the book publishing industry ? </a>
dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-74827960974112799612023-11-18T07:46:00.009+05:302023-11-25T19:51:57.684+05:303-2023 La langue la plus bizarre que j'ai apprise !Le français, que j'adore et je maîtrise bien est pleine de pièges et d'enigmes. Voici quelques exemples ::<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7bpaNfgCEvY2Fp5RD4mXDwPL6VMkUXNHx4xWIaQdfGt-mTxRwpMY_vUJDhff_r5Y-P_lf7U77KmrP-_oSnjdyWuQpl1FjReAU4s70W7ZlSwUHJeIiht6xPF1UnjDuvSnP3giYipTy2tDeKR6WAx1HbaWOroQl73uLsSplmcMOrsDH9QioORZmpsDHQt9S/s480/bizarre.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7bpaNfgCEvY2Fp5RD4mXDwPL6VMkUXNHx4xWIaQdfGt-mTxRwpMY_vUJDhff_r5Y-P_lf7U77KmrP-_oSnjdyWuQpl1FjReAU4s70W7ZlSwUHJeIiht6xPF1UnjDuvSnP3giYipTy2tDeKR6WAx1HbaWOroQl73uLsSplmcMOrsDH9QioORZmpsDHQt9S/s320/bizarre.png"/></BR></BR>Vive la langue !</a></div>
dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-86879508502027956032023-11-06T18:58:00.002+05:302023-11-06T19:10:36.485+05:302-2023 Prophet Muhammad family historyExtracted from : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wives_of_Muhammad
Muhammad, the final Islamic prophet, was born and lived in Mecca for the first 53 years of his life (c. 570–632 CE)
Prophet Muhammad‘s family included 13 wives, who are referred to as the ‘Mothers of the Believers‘. Although Muslims are limited to having only four wives at a time, Muhammad was exempted from this ruling and was allowed to have an unlimited number of wives. Little is known about the early life of Aisha. Aisha was prophet Muhammad's third and youngest wife. A preponderance of classical sources converge on Aisha being 6 or 7 years old at the time of her marriage, and 9 at the consummation. At the age of 25, Muhammad married his first wife, the widow Khadija bint Khuwaylid. This marriage lasted for 25 years.
Prophet Muhammad‘s family included 13 wives, who are referred to as the ‘Mothers of the Believers‘.
No. Consort Married
1 Khadijah 595–619
2 Sawdah 619–632
3 Aishah 623–632
4 Hafsah 625–632
5 Umm al-Masakin 625–626
6 Umm Salamah 625–632
7 Zaynab 627–632
8 Juwayriyyah 628–632
9 Umm Habibah 628–632
10 Safiyyah 629–632
11 Maymunah 629–632
12 Rayhanah 627–631
13 Mariah 628–632
The relevant part of his family tree is here.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3Fgzo_8oGIcTCpi_ef-OKjSvPPHAXLiKqtTklB8Eww9VnoVU4greCW04hwu8iGMyMsLduNfLryOuq5vjAWKuK-QFseHfz4eyG8mMtC6eGf5BMMLJrQQlTOCHvIyZDtIdO9ADFrhZDppLX2AOs_72mgCR6j_WYLyIo2MTqOd7hyphenhyphenQxB6tC8ykFzcKyvERv/s833/family-tree1.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="833" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3Fgzo_8oGIcTCpi_ef-OKjSvPPHAXLiKqtTklB8Eww9VnoVU4greCW04hwu8iGMyMsLduNfLryOuq5vjAWKuK-QFseHfz4eyG8mMtC6eGf5BMMLJrQQlTOCHvIyZDtIdO9ADFrhZDppLX2AOs_72mgCR6j_WYLyIo2MTqOd7hyphenhyphenQxB6tC8ykFzcKyvERv/s320/family-tree1.png"/></a></div>
dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-58462593667173397262023-11-03T20:18:00.002+05:302023-11-03T20:21:16.482+05:301-2023 What is semitism (or anti-semitism) ?Semitism denotes both a race and a language family.The name Semite comes from Shem, the eldest of the three sons of Noah -- Shem, Ham, and Japheth. In the Greek and Latin versions of the Bible, Shem becomes Sem, since neither Greek nor Latin has any way of representing the initial sound of the Hebrew name. In later times, the idea was widely adopted that the three sons of Noah represented the eponymous ancestors of three major racial or linguistic groups. Ham was the ancestor of the dark-skinned peoples of Africa, Shem of the Hebrews and their various cognates, and Japheth the ancestor of the Medes, Persians, Greeks, and other peoples who, many centuries later, came to be known as Aryans. Over the years, "Anti-semitism" gradually transformed into "anti-Hebrew" or "anti-Jew".dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-5305302002229535832021-12-25T13:38:00.011+05:302021-12-25T17:34:41.736+05:304-2021 Ramanujan Prizes in mathematics, from India and more<b>Srinivasa Ramanujan</b>, the legendary Indian mathematician, has inspired many mathematicians in India and worldwide. It is no surprise that
his name is associated with some major prizes and awards in mathematics.<BR><BR>
According to <BR><a href="http://www.actforlibraries.org/overview-of-the-ramanujan-prize/">http://www.actforlibraries.org/overview-of-the-ramanujan-prize/</a>, <BR>there are at least two major
prizes awarded in mathematics, from India. These are awarded by SASTRA University and ICTP (along with the Gov. of India and IMU). <BR><BR>
* SASTRA -- <BR>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SASTRA_Ramanujan_Prize%20">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SASTRA_Ramanujan_Prize </a>
<BR><BR>
* ICTP -- <BR>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICTP_Ramanujan_Prize">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICTP_Ramanujan_Prize</a>
<BR><BR>
The third, called as "Srinivasa Ramanujan Medal", is awarded by Indian National Science Academy:<BR>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srinivasa_Ramanujan_Medal">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srinivasa_Ramanujan_Medal</a>
<BR><BR>
In addition to the above, Infosys Science Foundation awards prizes in six categories of science, including
mathematics :<BR>
<a href="https://www.infosys-science-foundation.com/prize/index.asp%20">https://www.infosys-science-foundation.com/prize/index.asp </a>
<BR><BR>
There are many more awards and prizes for mathematics worldwide<BR>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mathematics_awards">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mathematics_awards </a>
<BR><BR>dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-66425129452363636842021-10-29T12:36:00.002+05:302021-10-29T12:37:49.399+05:303-2021 Do'nt look before you leap !<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_b8gElgyQI4/YXudCjO2QKI/AAAAAAAAI9s/zZrOcKGkRl4oVRDeqCtALfjIe7plsejDACLcBGAsYHQ/s219/leap.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="216" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_b8gElgyQI4/YXudCjO2QKI/AAAAAAAAI9s/zZrOcKGkRl4oVRDeqCtALfjIe7plsejDACLcBGAsYHQ/s200/leap.png"/></a></div>Sometimes, it is wiser not to look before you leap. Here is the <a href="https://drpartha.org.in/wp/2021/10/27/17-2021-dont-look-before-you-leap/">personal experience I had 41 years ago</a> !
<BR><BR>
<b>That is why they say "fortune favours the bold"</b>.dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-77306236542970296052021-09-28T13:07:00.010+05:302021-10-29T12:30:19.538+05:302-2021 This may happen to you, if you are a mathematician taking a flight !Why should mathematicians avoid flying ? <BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kROK0ZVHknU/YXub8YyWHdI/AAAAAAAAI9k/xmRMZTbdFTo-eds_ooW-OduEiZ9BT3XlgCLcBGAsYHQ/s305/hostess.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="250" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kROK0ZVHknU/YXub8YyWHdI/AAAAAAAAI9k/xmRMZTbdFTo-eds_ooW-OduEiZ9BT3XlgCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/hostess.png"/></a></div>This may happen to you too .....<BR><BR>
<b>Flight attendant: </b>Is there a doctor on board?<BR>
<b>Me:</b> Yes, but I'm not that kind of… <BR>
<b>Flight attendant:</b> The pilots are arguing about whether there are as many irrational numbers as rational numbers.<BR>
<b>Me:</b> Okay. I’m here.<BR><BR>
(Based on a Tweet by @LongFormMath, Jay Cummings, 2021-09-28)
dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-56081626459416281882021-09-10T19:30:00.008+05:302021-09-10T20:08:11.972+05:301-2021 The mathematician who was a tramp<b>Paul Erdos PGOM, LD, AD,LD, CD </b></BR></BR>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Erd%C5%91s">Paul Erdos</a> was a brilliant hungarian mathematician. He was known both for his social practice of mathematics (he engaged more than 500 collaborators) and for his eccentric lifestyle. He did not have a roof of his own, and spent his life as a nomadic tramp.<BR></BR>
Possessions meant little to Erdős; most of his belongings would fit in a small suitcase, as dictated by his itinerant lifestyle. Awards and other earnings were generally donated to people in need and various worthy causes. He spent most of his life traveling between scientific conferences, universities and the homes of colleagues all over the world. He earned enough in stipends from universities as a guest lecturer, and from various mathematical awards, to fund his travels and basic needs; money left over he used to fund cash prizes for mathematicians. <BR></BR>
He would typically show up at a colleague's doorstep and announce "my brain is open", staying long enough to collaborate on a few papers before moving on a few days later. In many cases, he would ask the current collaborator about whom to visit next. <BR></BR>
Who is a PGOM LD AD LD CD ? See <a href="https://drpartha.org.in/publications/paul-erdos-PGOM.mp4">this video</a> for the answer.<BR></BR>
This, and many more similar stuff is <a href="https://drpartha.org.in/profpartha/lightmath.htm">available here</a>. Take a look. <BR></BR>
Who says, mathematicians have no sense of humour ? <BR></BR>
*** <BR></BR>
dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-15147601605310822652018-09-28T11:44:00.002+05:302020-07-23T12:52:10.994+05:305-2018 Who is better : Norbert Wiener or Albert Einstein ?<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norbert_Wiener">Norbert Wiener</a>
was in fact a very absent minded genius. <BR><BR>
The following story is told
about him: When they moved from Cambridge to Newton, his wife, knowing
that he would be absolutely useless on the move, packed him off to MIT
while she directed the move. Since she was certain that he would
forget that they had moved and where they had moved to, she wrote down
the new address on a piece of paper, and gave it to him. <BR><BR>
Naturally,
in the course of the day, an insight occurred to him. He reached in
his pocket, found a piece of paper on which he furiously scribbled
some notes, thought it over, decided there was a fallacy in his idea,
and threw the piece of paper away. <BR><BR>
At the end of the day he went home
(to the old address in Cambridge, of course). When he got there he
realized that they had moved, that he had no idea where they had moved
to, and that the piece of paper with the address was long gone. <BR><BR>
Fortunately inspiration struck. There was a young girl
on the street
and he conceived the idea of asking her where he had moved to, saying,
"Excuse me, perhaps you know me. I'm Norbert Wiener and we've just
moved. Would you know where we've moved to?" To which the young girl
replied, "Yes daddy, mommy thought you would forget." <BR><BR>
That's not all about Weiner.....<BR><BR>
According to one of his biographers, Norbert Weiner spent 30 years “wandering the halls of MIT, like a duck”, one of its most well-regarded and renowned professors of mathematics, especially known for his absent-mindedness:<BR><BR>
“His office was a few doors down the hall from mine. He often visited my office to talk to me. When my office was moved after a few years, he came in to introduce himself. He didn’t realize I was the same person he had frequently visited; I was in a new office so he thought I was someone else.”— Phyllis L. Block<BR><BR>
“He went to a conference and parked his car in the big lot. When the conference was over, he went to the lot but forgot where he parked his car. He even forgot what his car looked like. So he waited until all the other cars were driven away, then took the car that was left.” — Howard Eves<BR><BR>
“When we met, was I walking to the faculty club or away from it? I’m wondering, because in the latter case I’ve already had my lunch”<BR><BR>
Weiner or Einstein ? Who is better ? You be the judge. <BR><BR>
And now, some good ones about Einstein:<BR><BR>
1.<a href="https://partha-the-prof.blogspot.com/2018/09/3-2018-einstein-in-train.html">Einstein takes a train</a> <BR><BR>
2. <a href="https://partha-the-prof.blogspot.com/2018/09/4-2018-gone-for-lunch-pls-wait.html">Gone for lunch</a> <BR><BR>
3. <b>And now, find out who is better -- <b> Einstein or Chaplin ?</b><BR><BR>
When Einstein met Chaplin in 1931, Einstein said, “What I admire most about your art is its universality. You do not say a word, and yet the world understands you." <BR><BR>
“It's true.” replied Chaplin, "But your fame is even greater. The world admires you, even though they
don't understand a word of what you say ."<BR><BR>
That's what geniuses are made of.<BR><BR>
***<BR><BR>
dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-2927470399827540972018-09-28T11:39:00.002+05:302018-09-28T11:39:39.462+05:304-2018 Gone for lunch... pls. waitHere is another good one about Albert Einstein : He was once found sitting outside his office, because
when returning to his own office he saw a “GONE TO LUNCH. BE BACK IN 10 MINUTES” sign.<BR><BR>
Supposedly, he was found sitting outside, waiting for himself to come back.dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-20285676778225082952018-09-28T06:59:00.002+05:302018-09-28T10:55:26.743+05:303-2018 Einstein in a train
Can you believe it ? This is a story about the most incredibly brilliant mind of our times. <BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tog_m--6b3E/W627Ld4cx2I/AAAAAAAAEfY/WHFUuYf3klUxSBLNQNOgKn_l1JXkcA5eQCLcBGAs/s1600/einstein6pack.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tog_m--6b3E/W627Ld4cx2I/AAAAAAAAEfY/WHFUuYf3klUxSBLNQNOgKn_l1JXkcA5eQCLcBGAs/s200/einstein6pack.png" width="169" height="200" data-original-width="350" data-original-height="413" /></a></div>Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his trouser pockets. It wasn't there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him. He still couldn't find it.<BR><BR>
The conductor said, "Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry
about it." <BR><BR>
Einstein nodded appreciatively. The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket.<BR><BR>
The conductor rushed back and said, "Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don't worry, I know who you are. No problem. You don't need a ticket. I'm sure you bought one."<BR><BR>
Einstein looked at him and said, "Young man, I too, know who I am. What I don't know is where I'm going."<BR><BR>
dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-41567794914831675502018-04-29T09:06:00.000+05:302018-04-29T09:14:50.624+05:302-2018 Teaching by misleadingA good teacher never misleads his/her students. Right ? Wrong ? <BR><BR>
As a teacher, I often ask questions in the class, basically to nudge and provoke my students to think. Sometime these questions have a misleading hint, just to confuse the student and lead him/her to the right concept. My favourite one is in my class on "number theory" when I wave my palm with all fingers open, and ask the question "show me the number five". The students invariably fall for the visual cue (my open palm) and fumble around, till I emphasise that a number is only an abstraction and cannot be used/shown all alone. I feel that such (misleading) prompting questions can often be useful in the classroom. But, this should be done in moderation and very carefully.<BR><BR>
What does this community think about my approach ? Send me a mail.<BR><BR>
dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-88871380632847049852018-01-08T09:06:00.001+05:302018-01-08T13:48:39.900+05:301-2018 Book Review "Formula. How algorithms ..."
The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems . . . and Create More <BR>
Paperback – November 3, 2015<BR>
by Luke Dormehl (Author)<BR>
Pub.: Perigee, Penguin Random House, NY, Nov.2015.<BR>
Paperback: 288 pages<BR>
Publisher: Tarcher Perigee; Reprint edition (November 3, 2015)<BR>
Language: English<BR>
ISBN-10: 0399170545<BR>
ISBN-13: 978-0399170546<BR><BR>
This book drew my attention because of its deceptively worded title. I spent some time on it, trying to figure out what
the author was trying to communicate.<BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h5lTfZm5N_g/WlLmw0ZCCbI/AAAAAAAAD6U/dBJZmcIARzghsFrkrw0lBPixNPch4-nDgCLcBGAs/s1600/formula-dormehl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h5lTfZm5N_g/WlLmw0ZCCbI/AAAAAAAAD6U/dBJZmcIARzghsFrkrw0lBPixNPch4-nDgCLcBGAs/s320/formula-dormehl.jpg" width="214" height="320" data-original-width="333" data-original-height="499" /></a></div>The author, Luke Dormehl is a journalist and technology writer. With a background in
documentary film, he has contributed to Fast Company, Wired, Politico,
The Sunday Times, and other publications. <BR><BR>
The author must be appreciated for his honesty in admitting what this book is NOT about. It is certainly not a book
on "How algorithms solve all our problems....." Neither is it a book on mathematics, logic or philosophy.
There is not a single formula except for its mention in the title of the book. The author has gathered
an impressive list of references and avoided mention of any reference to any author
or article related to algorithms. The book is just a clumsy collection of rhetorical generalisations
drowned in journalistic verbosity. This is proof that literate eloquence does not always lead to intelligent
discourse. <BR><BR>
Of course, the book did not answer any of the questions prompted in the title. <BR><BR>
I am not disappointed.<BR><BR>
***<BR><BR>
dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-20471078224565621622017-05-24T08:16:00.000+05:302017-09-15T16:40:44.852+05:301-2017 More on the randomness of randomness.Some time ago, I published this <a href="http://drpartha.org.in/publications/randomness.pdf">short article on randomness</a>. I thought I was the only one who had such silly doubts on uch a well-known mathematical concept. And, now, I discover the profoundness of my question. I found this <a href="https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/2288774/why-is-the-roll-of-a-die-considered-random?newsletter=1&nlcode=57580%7c1127">interesting article</a>, on stackexchange. Thanks to the guys who posted the article and the responses. I love the opportunity to learn. dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-69507491426611524302016-10-27T12:42:00.000+05:302016-10-27T12:42:43.751+05:3012-2016 Men of mathematics -- a book review
Men of Mathematics: The Lives and Achievements of the Great Mathematicians
from Zeno to Poincare, by E. T. Bell </BR></BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9W0sskL6Oow/WBGozzkmHEI/AAAAAAAADak/9lUs96Cj5ZkPhrIHPwj-x3lJMyVM9SeAwCLcB/s1600/menofmaths.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9W0sskL6Oow/WBGozzkmHEI/AAAAAAAADak/9lUs96Cj5ZkPhrIHPwj-x3lJMyVM9SeAwCLcB/s320/menofmaths.jpg" width="203" height="320" /></a></div>I discovered a great book today `` Men of Mathematics: The Lives and
Achievements of the Great Mathematicians from Zeno to Poincare '', by E.
T. Bell, a Touchstone Book, published by Simon and Schuster. The book was
first published in 1937 by Scottish-born American mathematician and science fiction
writer Eric Temple Bell (1883 -- 1960). Besides being a gifted mathematician and a prolific writer, the author was
a President of the Mathematical Society of America, Vice-President of the American
Mathematical Society and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. One can expect much from a book
written by an author with such impressive credentials. Curious students of mathematics, as well as mature teachers will
find this book useful, since it suits both seasoned mathematicians and wannabes. </BR></BR>
This is a 590 page book, and is available in paperback edition.
The book contains bio-sketches of more than 27 mathematicians, arranged
chronologically in 29 chapters. The book starts with Zeno of Elea (ca. 490 -- 430 BC) and
ends with George Cantor (1845 -- 1918). Each chapter (except two chapters) is devoted
to a single mathematician. Each chapter has an aptly chosen title which gives a hint of what
is to follow. Chapters are not chained to any
other chapter. The book can therefore be read in any sequence. </BR></BR>
Contrary to the
impression that the book's title may give, this book is ``NOT intended to be
a history of mathematics, or any section of such a history''. It is also not
a chronicle of just anecdotes and episodes in the life of these men. In this
spirit, the book contains a fair sprinkling of mathematical snippets related
to these mathematicians. The dosage of mathematics is just enough to keep the average
reader from dozing off.</BR></BR>
As mentioned before, the book starts with Zeno of Elea (ca. 490 -- 430 BC).Very little
is known about Zeno's life. Zeno of Elea is often
remembered for his philosophical problems based on paradoxes. Zeno's arguments
are perhaps the first examples of a method of proof called reductio
ad absurdum also known as proof by contradiction. The concept of “proof”,
so central to all mathematics, seems to have grown from the principles set
up by Zeno. It is not surprising that the book starts with a mention of Zeno.</BR></BR>
This book gives us detailed images of the persons behind some great mathematical achievements. We can mention a few examples here.
This book gives an opportunity to learn about the tug-of-war between Newton and Leibniz. It devotes an entire chapter
to each of these two adversaries. Ironically, these two chapters are placed just one after the other. One can also get a glimpse of the
miserable life of Abel, or the aristocratic lineage of Fermat</BR></BR>
Some people say that this book has a few historical inaccuracies. Complaints like
this are common in narrations of such vintage and magnitude.
Such blemishes, if any, can be overlooked, considering the huge amount of
information compiled by the author.</BR></BR>
The lives of many mathematicians are witness to controversies and disputes.
Cantor was no exception. He sums up his reactions stoically as ``The essence
of mathematics resides in its freedom''. This sentence brings down the curtain on this wonderful book.</BR></BR>
It is said that this book has inspired many young people, including the young
John Forbes Nash Jr. and Freeman Dyson, to become mathematicians. It
can therefore be of immense use to many of my colleagues and students.</BR></BR>
* * *
dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-85813793789619827102016-05-07T07:19:00.000+05:302016-09-25T09:41:36.048+05:3011-2016 Enjoy this Major Technology Breakthrough !Announcing the new Built-in Orderly Organized Knowledge-device (BOOK). The
BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: No wires, no electric
circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It's so
easy to use even a child can operate it. Just lift its cover! <BR> <BR>
Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere -- even sitting in an armchair
by the fire -- yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a
CD-ROM disc. Here's how it works...<BR> <BR>
Each BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper
(recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information.
These pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder
which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence. Opaque Paper Technology
(OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the
information density and cutting costs in half. Experts are divided on the
prospects for further increases in information density; for now BOOKs with
more information simply use more pages. This makes them thicker and harder
to carry, and has drawn some criticism from the mobile computing crowd.<BR> <BR>
Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your
brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet. The BOOK may be
taken up at any time and used by merely opening it. The BOOK never crashes
and never needs rebooting, though like other display devices it can become
unusable if dropped overboard. The "browse" feature allows you to move
instantly to any sheet, and move forward or backward as you wish. Many come
with an "index" feature, which pinpoints the exact location of any selected
information for instant retrieval.<BR> <BR>
An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open the BOOK to the exact
place you left it in a previous session -- even if the BOOK has been closed.
BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus, a single BOOKmark can be
used in BOOKs by various manufacturers. Conversely, numerous BOOKmarks can
be used in a single BOOK if the user wants to store numerous views at once.
The number is limited only by the number of pages in the BOOK.<BR> <BR>
You can also make personal notes next to BOOK text entries with an optional
programming tool, the Portable Erasable Nib Cryptic Intercommunication
Stylus (PENCILS).<BR> <BR>
Portable, durable, and affordable, the BOOK is being hailed as the
entertainment wave of the future. The BOOK's appeal seems so certain that
thousands of content creators have committed to the platform. <BR> <BR>
Look for a flood of new titles soon.<BR> <BR>
(by Alan S. Zaben?)<BR> <BR>
Found at : <a href="http://www.infiltec.com/j-book.htm">http://www.infiltec.com/j-book.htm</a><BR> <BR>
dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-26354338964043929022016-03-20T20:29:00.000+05:302017-10-17T17:55:37.396+05:3010-2016 Another incredible story of a woman mathematicianChristine Ladd-Franklin <BR><BR>
Did a PhD dissertation: "On the Algebra of Logic" at The Johns Hopkins University 1926 (1882) United States<BR><BR>
Her dissertation was completed in 1882, however, the school did not award her with a Ph.D until 1926.
She waited 44 years to actually get her PhD, and died a mere 4 years later.<BR><BR>
Source : Mathematics Genealogy Project <a href="http://http://genealogy.math.ndsu.nodak.edu/id.php?id=41944">http://genealogy.math.ndsu.nodak.edu/id.php?id=41944</a><BR><BR>
Biography: Biography of <a href="http://www.feministvoices.com/christine-ladd-franklin/">Christine Ladd Franklin</a><BR><BR>
Case study of the prejudices she suffered: <a href="https://thonyc.wordpress.com/2017/10/10/a-lady-logician/">Christine Ladd’s life story is a casebook study </a> of the prejudices that women, who wished to enter academia suffered in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-41118252930627474792016-03-14T08:25:00.000+05:302016-03-14T08:28:46.530+05:309-2016 Do not join the army.René Eugène Gâteaux (5 May 1889 – 3 October 1914), was a French mathematician. He is known for the Gâteaux derivative. The Gâteaux derivative is a generalization of the concept of directional derivative in differential calculus. It is defined for functions between locally convex topological vector spaces such as Banach spaces. <BR> <BR>
Gâteaux was killed during World War I. Gâteaux was a fairly well-decorated soldier and was recalled for service in the war. He was killed during a retreat early in the conflict in France. <BR> <BR>
MORAL OF THE STORY: Do not join the army. <BR> <BR>dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-59092651392082596752016-03-14T08:03:00.002+05:302016-03-14T08:04:57.008+05:308-2016 Topologists should not go swimmingPavel Urysohn (1898-1924) was a Russian mathematician of Jewish origin who is best known for his contributions in dimension theory, and for developing Urysohn's Metrization Theorem and Urysohn's Lemma, both of which are fundamental results in topology. <BR><BR>
Urysohn drowned while swimming in the sea, on vacation in France off the coast of Brittany, France, near Batz-sur-Mer, and is buried there. He was accompanied by his colleague and friend, Pavel Alexandrov (another famous mathematician). It is believed that Alexandrov was incredibly distressed by this tragedy, and deeply regretted his inability to save his friend. <BR><BR>
MORAL OF THE STORY : Topologists should not go swimming. <BR><BR>dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-60710581721397187222016-03-14T07:25:00.000+05:302016-03-15T12:08:28.651+05:307-2016 Algebraists are also humanYutaka Taniyama (12 November 1927 – 17 November 1958) was a Japanese mathematician known for the Taniyama–Shimura-Weil conjecture. This conjecture inspired Andrew Wiles to work for a number of years in secrecy on it, and to prove enough of it to prove Fermat's Last Theorem (FLT). The correct proof of FLT was published in May 1995. Owing to the pioneering contribution of Wiles and the efforts of a number of mathematicians the Taniyama–Shimura-Weil conjecture was finally proven in 1999.<BR><BR>
On 17 November 1958, Taniyama committed suicide. His enigmatic suicide note, which shows symptoms of stress and mental depression, mentions tiredness and a loss of confidence in his future. About a month later, Misako Suzuki, the woman whom he was planning to marry, also committed suicide, leaving a note reading: "We promised each other that no matter where we went, we would never be separated. Now that he is gone, I must go too in order to join him."<BR><BR>
MORAL OF THE STORY : Algebraists are also human.<BR><BR> dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-60862212460467171712016-03-13T11:51:00.001+05:302016-04-19T20:51:39.141+05:306-2016 Taxis are no good for game theorists
John Forbes Nash, Jr. (June 13, 1928 – May 23, 2015) was an American mathematician who made fundamental contributions to game theory, differential geometry, and the study of partial differential equations. Nash's work has provided insight into the factors that govern chance and decision making inside complex systems found in daily life <BR><BR>
Serving as a Senior Research Mathematician at Princeton University during the latter part of his life, he shared the 1994 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences with game theorists Reinhard Selten and John Harsanyi. In 2015, he was awarded the Abel Prize for his work on nonlinear partial differential equations. One would have expected him to be a leading contender, perhaps even a virtual certainty, for a 1962 Fields' Medal, but mental illness destroyed his career, long before those decisions were made. <BR><BR>
Nash’s research into game theory and his long struggle with paranoid schizophrenia became well known to the general public because of the Academy Award-winning motion picture A Beautiful Mind (2001), which was based on Sylvia Nasar’s 1998 biography of the same name. The film opened in the United States cinemas on December 21, 2001. It went on to gross over $313 million worldwide and win four Academy Awards, for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress. It was also nominated for Best Actor, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup, and Best Original Score. <BR><BR>
On May 23, 2015, John and his wife Alicia Nash were killed in a car crash while riding in a taxi on the New Jersey Turnpike near Monroe Township, New Jersey, USA. They were on their way home after a visit to Norway, where Nash had received the Abel Prize. <BR><BR>
MORAL OF THE STORY: Game theorists should not hire taxis.<BR><BR>
dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-35475642277791595962016-03-13T10:11:00.002+05:302016-03-13T10:16:34.895+05:305-2016 Do not depend on your wife for foodKurt Friedrich Gödel (April 28, 1906 – January 14, 1978) was an Austrian, and later American, logician, mathematician, and philosopher. Considered with Aristotle and Gottlob Frege to be one of the most significant logicians in history, Gödel made an immense impact upon scientific and philosophical thinking in the 20th century, a time when others such as Bertrand Russell, A. N. Whitehead, and David Hilbert were pioneering the use of logic and set theory to understand the foundations of mathematics. Gödel published his two incompleteness theorems in 1931 when he was 25 years old, one year after finishing his doctorate at the University of Vienna. <BR><BR>
He sadly succumbed to crippling paranoia later in life. In his sixties, he became convinced that his food was being poisoned, and would only trust the cooking of his wife Adele. When she was hospitalized for six months in 1977, Gödel refused to eat, and subsequently died of starvation.<BR><BR>
MORAL OF THE STORY : If you are a logician, do not depend on your wife for food<BR><BR>dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-74765671217125242612016-03-09T19:36:00.001+05:302016-03-10T10:52:12.147+05:304-2016 Might is not always rightArchimedes of Syracuse (287 BC – 212 BC) was an Ancient Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer. Although few details of his life are known, he is regarded as one of the leading scientists in classical antiquity. He is generally considered the greatest mathematician of antiquity and one of the greatest of all time.<BR><BR>
Archimedes was contemplating a mathematical diagram when the city of Syracuse was captured. A Roman soldier commanded him to come and meet General Marcellus but he declined, saying that he had to finish working on the problem. The soldier was enraged by this, and killed Archimedes with his sword. Plutarch also gives a lesser-known account of the death of Archimedes which suggests that he may have been killed while attempting to surrender to a Roman soldier. According to this story, Archimedes was carrying mathematical instruments, and was killed because the soldier thought that they were lethal weapons.<BR><BR>
MORAL OF THE STORY: If an armed brute is talking to you, hide all the mathematical instruments you have. dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920562867143437872.post-64021501279306715802016-03-08T19:29:00.000+05:302016-03-27T20:02:50.804+05:303-2016 The revolutionary mathematician
<b>Évariste Galois </b>(French: (25 October 1811 – 31 May 1832) was a French mathematician born in Bourg-la-Reine. While still in his teens, he was able to determine a necessary and sufficient condition for a polynomial to be solvable by radicals, thereby solving a problem standing for 350 years. His work laid the foundations for Galois theory and group theory, two major branches of abstract algebra, and the subfield of Galois connections. He died at age 20 from wounds suffered in a duel.<BR><BR>
Galois was also a political firebrand. He was even jailed several times for his anti-royalty activities. On Bastille Day of 1831 (14 July), Galois was at the head of a protest, wearing the uniform of the disbanded artillery, and came heavily armed with several pistols, a rifle, and a dagger. He was again arrested. On 23 October he was sentenced to six months in prison for illegally wearing a uniform. He was released on 29 April 1832. Fortunately for all, during his imprisonment, he continued developing his mathematical ideas.<BR><BR>
Tragedy was to strike Galois, for in July 1829 his father committed suicide. The priest of Bourg-la-Reine forged Mayor Galois' name on malicious forged epigrams directed at Galois' own relatives. Galois' father was a good natured man and the scandal that ensued was more than he could stand. He hanged himself in his Paris apartment only a few steps from Louis-le-Grand where his son was studying. Galois was deeply affected by his father's death and it greatly influenced the direction his life was to take. <BR><BR>
Siméon Poisson, a French mathematician, geometer, and physicist. asked him to submit his work on the theory of equations, which he did on 17 January 1831. Around 4 July 1831, Poisson declared Galois's work "incomprehensible", declaring that "[Galois's] argument is neither sufficiently clear nor sufficiently developed to allow us to judge its rigor"; however, the rejection report ends on an encouraging note: "We would then suggest that the author should publish the whole of his work in order to form a definitive opinion."Galois did not ignore Poisson's advice, as he began collecting all his mathematical manuscripts while still in prison, and continued polishing his ideas until his release on 29 April 1832.<BR><BR>
Galois's fatal duel took place on 30 May 1832. The true motives behind the duel are obscure. There has been much speculation, as to the reasons behind it. What is known is that five days before his death, he wrote a letter to Chevalier which clearly alludes to a broken love affair.<BR><BR>
In March 1832 a cholera epidemic swept Paris, and prisoners, including Galois, were transferred to the Sieur Faultrier hostel. There he apparently fell in love with Stephanie-Felice du Motel, the daughter of the resident physician. After he was released on 29 April Galois exchanged letters with Stephanie, and it is clear that she tried to distance herself from the affair. The name Stephanie appears several times as a marginal note in one of Galois' manuscripts. Galois fought a duel with Perscheux d'Herbinville on 30 May, the reason for the duel not being clear but certainly linked with Stephanie.<BR><BR>
Galois was wounded in the duel and was abandoned by d'Herbinville and his own seconds and found by a peasant. He died in Cochin hospital on 31 May and his funeral was held on 2 June. <BR><BR>
Detailed speculation, based on scant historical details, has been interpolated by many of Galois's biographers (most notably by Eric Temple Bell in Men of Mathematics), that the entire incident was stage-managed by the police and royalist factions to eliminate a political enemy.<BR><BR>
<b>MORAL OF THE STORY: </b>If you are an algebraist, do not indulge in fencing.<BR><BR>
dr.parthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618812487159667394noreply@blogger.com0