Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site proper.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!qantel!intelca!proper!judith From: judith@proper.UUCP (Judith Abrahms) Newsgroups: net.math Subject: Re: a piece of folk-lore Message-ID: <320@proper.UUCP> Date: Mon, 23-Sep-85 06:02:21 EDT Article-I.D.: proper.320 Posted: Mon Sep 23 06:02:21 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 26-Sep-85 07:07:49 EDT References: <> Reply-To: judith@proper.UUCP (judith) Distribution: net Organization: Proper UNIX, Oakland CA Lines: 42 In article <> ian@psuvax1.UUCP (Ian Parberry) writes: >Great Moments in the History of Mathematics: > ... > > "A cyclist is exactly x miles from home. She rides home at a constant > speed of c miles per hour. At the exact instant she starts out, a fly > leaves the front wheel of her bicycle at i miles per hour (i>c), > heading towards home. When it reaches there, it turns around (in zero time) > and heads back to the bicycle. It flies backwards and forwards at the > same speed between the bicycle and the house until the rider gets home. > How far does the fly fly?" > > The Master replies, without pause, "ix/c miles". Deflated, the student > observes that "a surprising number of people miss the easy solution, and > try to sum the infinite series of distances flown by the fly". To which > the puzzled mathematician replies, "But I did!". > >Can anyone answer the following questions: >1. Is this a true story, or just a piece of mathematical folk-lore? It was told to me as a true story. >3. Who was the great mathematician? (I've forgotten). I was told it was Steinmetz, but I've been shot down on my other Steinmetz story, so don't take my word for it. >6. How was the original problem stated? For example, every time I've heard the > fly-and-bicycle problem, the person telling it has used different values > for i, c and x. The way I heard it, there were two trains on a collision course, and a bee flying back & forth between them until they met and pureed it. I don't remember the exact values stated. >Ian Parberry. >!psuvax1!ian >Dept. of Computer Science, Penn. State University. Judith Abrahms {ucbvax,ihnp4}!dual!proper!judith ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A man who is a genius and doesn't know it probably isn't. -- Lec ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com