Friday, December 25, 2009

Mathematical Christmas Fun

Standard Christmas is December 25, which is 1225 in the USA. It is the square of 35:

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX



If we observe that the triangular number of n is the sum of the whole numbers from 1 to n, like

X 1

X
XX 1 + 2 = 3


X
XX
XXX 1 + 2 + 3 = 6


X
XX
XXX
XXXX 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10

then we can do this with 49, and we will get 1225.


1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10 + 11 + 12 + 13 + 14 + 15 + 16 + 17 + 18 + 19 + 20 + 21
+ 22 + 23 + 24 + 25 + 26 + 27 + 28 + 29 + 30 + 31 + 32 + 33 + 34 + 35 + 36 + 37 + 38
+ 39 + 40 + 41 + 42 + 43 + 44 + 45 + 46 + 47 + 48 + 49 = 1225


Two places in Scripture where there is mathematics related, indirectly, to this subject are the ninth chapter of Daniel, and the first chapter of Matthew.

Merry Christmas to All!
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3 comments:

  1. leliaDecember 27, 2009 at 4:14 PM

    And a happy new year to you Claudia!
    Thank you for directing my to your blog from Aspires. I've been reading your posts there for quite a while. Now I'm going to bookmark your blog.
    As I read your post, I had a blinding insight that is making me go "Duh!" Okay, I have a critique group that is showing me where I need more clarity, description, etc in the trilogy I plan to publish soon. The first part of the trilogy was published by Eerdmans a long time ago...long story....
    Anyway, I have mild Asperger's (and a son with AS and a daughter with autism and a son with I am an artist syndrome, works on GuildWars.) The protagonist in the Shatterworld trilogy has Asperger's, but is Not Me. She is a math prodigy. I am not. I just happen to like mathmeticians. The duh! moment is suddenly realizing that I have not had a math person look over the manuscript to see that what she says and thinks is congruent with being a math prodigy.
    Sooooo..... the question is: would you be willing to spend the time to read the ms and comment on that side of the character's personality?
    Lelia Rose Foreman

    ReplyDelete
  2. leliaDecember 27, 2009 at 4:36 PM

    I just realized I forgot to give you my email address. frank4man@comcast.net.

    Can you tell I have a disordered executive function?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Claudia SpiroDecember 29, 2009 at 11:11 AM

    Hi Lelia,

    I would love to read your work. I will have to read the first book, too!

    Claudia

    ReplyDelete

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