ContentJanuary 18th, 2007 by DeWitt Clinton
I saw this on del.icio.us, which means that you’ve probably already seen it, too.
But this is one of the most incredible and memorable, while admittedly not useful, feats of mathematics I’ve ever learned about. (Click the image to read more.)
Even after thinking about it all day I still don’t begin to understand how he did it.
January 19th, 2007 at 1:48 am
that’s 11th grade math, man. now this formula is mind bending.
January 19th, 2007 at 5:12 am
Sean, I think you’ve missed the point. It’s not the mathematics itself, it’s the fact that the solutions for (x, y) plot the formula itself.
January 19th, 2007 at 9:10 am
james, i don’t think you clicked on the link i provided. i was completely joking. i have no idea what that formula means. ;)
January 19th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Ah.
I just figured it out.
He didn’t find n, he specifically picked it.
The Tupper function acts a general plotter over a very specific and narrow range. n is just an encoded set of x/y coordinates that the function is supposed to plot. After that it was as simple as creating a bitmap of the function itself, converting it to the encoding scheme, and using that value for n.
Very, very brilliant.