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Antigone
New Member
44 Posts |
 Posted - 11/09/2006 : 23:13:42
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So, I have a question and a suggestion here, suggestion's first:
I don't know if this has been suggested before, but I think a 'Sticky' thread designated for questions would be a good thing. Sometimes, like now, I have a question I think you guys could answer but don't think it deserves its own thread ... seems like a waste of a good thread/space. Like clutter. I dont like clutter! 
Any, I will ask my question and bring up this suggestion of a sticky in the same thread so it doesnt seem so wasteful! 
I started reading this book I'v had for a while now. I don't know why I haven't read it sooner or how I forgot I had it, but anyway.
There is a reference to something in it that I don't get, maybe one of you do ... perhaps a math geek smarter than me and my mathematician girlfriend.
The book is titled The Kingdom of Infinite Number and its written by Bryan Bunch. The reference is in the intro and is the last sentence of the first paragraph ... it seems more of a passing interesting fact than anything important to the book, but it has my curiosity highy peaked. I am typing the whole paragraph for context:
The intent of this field guide is to aid the reader in identifying numbers in the native habitats. Just as an experienced birder can tell which birds are hidden in the trees by hearing their songs, or recognize a species from a silhouette or a flash of color through the leaves, the experienced number-watcher learns to find the hidden secrets of numbers, to classify a number instantly, and to use number relationships to enhance the enjoyment of mathematics as well as to solve problems. Just as nearly everyone can recognize a robin on the lawn or crow's caw from the sound, most adults can easily spot one of the smaller perfect squares, such as 25 or 49. But the adept birder idetifieswhich warbler is singing in the woods and knows the profiles of all the birds of prey. Similarly, better number-watchers know that 10 is a triangular number, that 21 is in the Fibonacci sequence, and that [pi] is transcendental. The very best catch relationships such as the "amicable" one between 1184 and 1210.
 What is this amicable relationship between 1184 and 1210 that he speaks of??? Does anyone know? (and btw, the writer used the quotation marks on amicable, not me.)
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Mortui non dolent |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
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ocheewah
Skeptic Friend
USA
50 Posts |
 Posted - 11/10/2006 : 08:29:43 [Permalink]
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Two numbers are called amicable if each equals to the sum of the divisors of the other
Pagnnini 1866 |
Those who danced were thought quite insane by those who could not hear the music. |
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ocheewah
Skeptic Friend
USA
50 Posts |
Posted - 11/10/2006 : 08:31:00 [Permalink]
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| Pagannini, excuse me. |
Those who danced were thought quite insane by those who could not hear the music. |
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Antigone
New Member
44 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2006 : 16:16:38 [Permalink]
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Wow, I feel stupid  Being more of a writer and lover of words I read amicable and instantly thought 'friendly'
I was like, "how the hell can two numbers be 'friendly' and just what does the author mean by that?" I asked my girlfriend if numbers were 'friendly' or had relationships mathematically that would be concidered friendly and she looked at me like I was taking pills or smoking god knows what...
So, Dave, I didn't think google would help me find out what 'friendly' numbers were. So I didn't look there. if I realized it was an actual property of numbers not associated with the meaning of the word 'amicable' I would have looked there...but thanks for directing me to that link.
I didn't know thats what that property was called
Oh, and next time I will use the water cooler for questions like these. I had the assumption the water cooler was more of a casual/joking around area. I'm new but I'll catch on quick, don't worry  |
Mortui non dolent |
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Ricky
SFN Die Hard
USA
4907 Posts |
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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2006 : 18:57:31 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Ricky
Mathematicians typically pick normal English words to define certain types of things:
Regular, smooth, normal, special, ideal
Are some examples.
And don't forget irrational and imaginary! |
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Ricky
SFN Die Hard
USA
4907 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2006 : 23:55:33 [Permalink]
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Square, cube, real, rational, natural, complex, associative, commute, faithful, center (as used in abstract algebra, not geometry), identity, image.
I actually find this quite interesting. I wonder how extensive this list can get.
quote:
Originally posted by Dave W.
Google is your friend. 
Or if you want a more rude version. |
Why continue? Because we must. Because we have the call. Because it is nobler to fight for rationality without winning than to give up in the face of continued defeats. Because whatever true progress humanity makes is through the rationality of the occasional individual and because any one individual we may win for the cause may do more for humanity than a hundred thousand who hug their superstitions to their breast.
- Isaac Asimov |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 11/14/2006 : 09:40:26 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Antigone
Wow, I feel stupid
It was definitely not my intent to make you feel that way. And I didn't even ask Google about "amicable" or "friendly" numbers, I just searched for a snippet of the quote you provided. Specifically, I Googled "1184 and 1210" (with the quotes included), because I had no clue about the meaning of the term "amicable" in a mathematical sense, either. I was just as ignorant as you were until I did the Google search.quote:
Oh, and next time I will use the water cooler for questions like these. I had the assumption the water cooler was more of a casual/joking around area.
Well, this has been pretty casual, yes?quote:
I'm new but I'll catch on quick, don't worry
The Water Cooler thread itself has only been on this site for 31 days longer than you have. It hasn't been nearly as active as I thought it would be. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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