Curiouser and CuriouserAuthor(s): Helen MorrisSource: Mathematics in School, Vol. 26, No. 1 (Jan., 1997), pp. 28-29Published by: The Mathematical AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30211790 .

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Curiouser and

Curiouser

Compiled by Helen Morris

Queen Alice

'Can you do Addition,' the White Queen asked. 'What's one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one and

on)e? )'

'I don't know,' said Alice, 'I lost count.'

'She can't do Addition,' the Red Queen interrupted. 'Can you do Subtraction? Take nine from eight."

'Nine from eight? I can't, you know,' Alice replied very readily, 'but -'

'She can't do Subtraction,' said the White

Queen. 'Can you do division? Divide a loaf by a knife - what's the answer to that?"

'I suppose -' Alice was beginning, but the Red

Queen answered for her. 'Bread and butter, of course. Try another Subtraction sum. Take a bone from a dog: what remains?'

Alice considered. 'The bone wouldn't remain, of course, if I took it - and the dog wouldn't remain: it would come to bite me - and I'm sure I wouldn't remain!'

'Then you think nothing would remain?' said the Red Queen.

'I think that's the answer.'

'Wrong, as usual,' said the Red Queen. 'The dog's temper would remain.'

'But I don't see how -'

'Why, look here!' the Red Queen cried. 'The dog would lose its temper, wouldn't it?'

'Perhaps it would,' Alice replied cautiously.

'Then if the dog went away, its temper would remain!' the Queen exclaimed triumphantly.

From: The Complete Stories of Lewis Carroll 1993, Magpie Books, London

Maths is Funny?

'How do you make the number 7 even?'

Cross off the s! Boom boom!

Mathematical Graph-iti

Quadratics are for squares.

Algebra is x-sighting.

Are statisticians normal?

28 Mathematics in School, January 1997

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Robert Recorde

Facts:

Born: 1510 in Tenby, Wales

Died: 1558 in a London prison, imprisoned for debt.

Education: Went to Oxford University to study mathematics at age 15. Then went on to study medicine at Cambridge University.

Robert Recorde was probably the most important 16th century mathematician in England. He is known for introducing algebra into England, using the + (indicating excess) and - (indicating deficiency) symbols in his work. His first book The Grounde of Artes was a practical and popular arithmetic book and was used by scholars of mathematics for many years. Recorde introduced the equality szgn = in his second book The Whetstone of Witte, choosing a symbol that in itself

represents two equal lines.

'I will set as I doe often in woorke use, a paire of paralleles, or twin lines of one lengthe, this: = , bicause noe two thynges can be moare equalle.'

Puzzle Corner

1. What mathematical quality have 64 and 96 got in common that is shared by no other integer between 1 and 100? What would be the next number that has the same quality?

2. What property is common to 50, 65, and 85 but to no other number under 100? What would be the next number that has the same

property?

3. People from the West End of London all tell

lies; those from the East End all tell the truth.

You have become hopelessly lost on the Underground, you emerge onto the street and see a passer-by. You know that she is a Londoner, and you are allowed to ask her one short question, of no more than 4 words, to find out whether you are in the East End or West End of London. What is the question?

Answers

1. These are the only two numbers under 100 that have more than 5 factors, ie 64 =2, 96= 2 x3.Thenextnumberwouldbe128=25

x 4.

2. Theyareallthesumsoftwodifferentsetsofsquares, ie50= 12 +72 or 52

+ 52, 65 = 12

+ 82 or 42 + 72, and 85 = 62 +

72 or 22 + 92 .

The next number would be 145 =

82 + 9 or 12 +

122.

3. 'Do you live here?' If you are in the East End the answer will be 'Yes' and if you are in the West End the answer will be 'No' regardless of whether the

passer-by is an East-Ender or a West-Ender.

Contributions to this column are most welcome and should be sent to:

Helen Morris, Balshaw's High School, Church Road, Leyland, PR5 2AH

INTERESTED IN THE USE OF CALCULATOR TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING

AND LEARNING MATHEMATICS?

Then this new programme of courses may be for you!

The University of Plymouth announces a national programme of courses on the use of calculator technology in teaching and learning mathematics, T3: Teachers Training with Technology.

Courses will begin in 1996/1997 and are designed by a team with national and international expertise in the use of technology, such as graphics calculators and computer algebra:

* in curriculum design * in inservice support * in teaching, and * in inspection.

Courses for Mathematics teachers at all levels of Secondary School Education will be running in your region over the next three years.

For an information pack write to the T3 Secretary Karen Eccles, Centre for Teaching Mathematics, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA.

4 ERS

o o

; , ty r4o

Phone Karen

on 01752

232772

Mathematics in School, January 1997 29

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