"The chief aim of all investigations of the external world should be to discover the rational order and harmony which has been imposed on it by God and which He revealed to us in the language of mathematics." - (Johannes Kepler, 1571-1630)
In 1897, the Indiana State State Legislature attempted to legislate the value of pi with House Bill Number 246. The wording starts this way:
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana: It has been found that the circular area is to the quadrant of the circumferences, as the area of an equilateral rectangle is the the square of one side.
The Bill passed the House 67-0, but, after ridicule, it was shelved by the Senate. In his book, A History of Pi, Petr Beckman writes:
The Bill contains more hair-raising statements which not only contradict elementary geometry, but also contract each other.
Among other things, the Bill assumes that if a circle and a square have equal perimeters, then they have equal areas.
Why did Herkimer want a square bathtub in his house?
Answer: So there wouldn't be a ring of dirt after he took a bath.
Herky's friends:
ELLA PHANT: A young lady who takes care of the large animals at the local zoo.
MISS DEMEANOR: She is a lawyer who handles non-felony cases.
ASSIGNMENT #81
Reading: Review as necessary to do assignment.
Exercises: (Handout) 1997 Multiple Choice, 1-17 (excluding 14)
