Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site tymix.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!oliveb!tymix!kanner From: kanner@tymix.UUCP (Herb Kanner) Newsgroups: net.math Subject: Re: a piece of folk-lore Message-ID: <538@tymix.UUCP> Date: Tue, 24-Sep-85 12:48:53 EDT Article-I.D.: tymix.538 Posted: Tue Sep 24 12:48:53 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 26-Sep-85 07:35:47 EDT References: <> <320@proper.UUCP> Reply-To: kanner@tymix.UUCP (Herb Kanner) Distribution: net Organization: Tymnet Inc., Cupertino CA Lines: 51 Summary: In article <320@proper.UUCP> judith@proper.UUCP (judith) writes: >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 >------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This story was kicking around the University of Chicago circa 1960. The scenario as I remember it was two trains and the mathematician was allegedly John von Neumann. -- Herb Kanner Tymnet, Inc. ...!hplabs!oliveb!tymix!kanner Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com