mathematonymy

rolig commented on the list mathematonymy

Would lobachevskian belong here?

September 10, 2008

qroqqa commented on the list mathematonymy

It would if I had any idea what it meant. I looked through Wolfram and found a fair few I'd never heard of: no point listing those. (I've added a sentence to the list description to clarify this.)

September 10, 2008

chained_bear commented on the list mathematonymy

Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevski is his name! Hey!*

*Lyrics by Tom Lehrer.

September 10, 2008

rolig commented on the list mathematonymy

Lobachevskian geometry is a non-Euclidean geometry based on a kind of saddle-shaped surface (instead of the "flat" plane). Unlike Euclidean geometry, where, given a line A and a point N not on the line but in the same plane, there is one and only one line B that includes point N and will never intersect with line A (thus lines A and B are parallel), in Lobachevskian space, there are an infinite number of lines in the same plane that go through point N but will never intersect with line A. This is also called hyperbolic space. And that's about all I know about it, except that were it not for Lobachevskian space we would never have had Einstein's theory of relativity or, heaven forfend, Star Trek.

September 10, 2008

chained_bear commented on the list mathematonymy

Or that Tom Lehrer song, which really rocks. ;)

Thanks for the explanation, rolig. Do you teach this stuff? I'm wondering because I certainly don't have a mind for it, but found your comment remarkably clear and understandable.

September 10, 2008

rolig commented on the list mathematonymy

Thanks for the compliment, chained_bear, but no, I am not a mathematician. But I did have a good geometry teacher in high school and that, combined with my interests at the time in all things Russian, is why this image of the Lobachevskian saddle universe has stuck in my mind all these years.

P.S. I don't know that Lehrer song, but I am guessing it is set to the tune of "There was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-o".

September 10, 2008

chained_bear commented on the list mathematonymy

Hee... close! I found it on YouTube, if you want to see it.

No offense intended to anyone; Lehrer writes parodies/political commentary, that sort of thing. Like Bill Maher, but he's a mathematician and a pianist. *shrugs* See this list for more irreverent humor (that doesn't have to do with poor qroqqa's list, so I'll shut up now, after thanking qroqqa for his/her patience).

September 10, 2008

qroqqa commented on the list mathematonymy

The song is extensively referenced, entirely straight-faced, s.v. 'plagiarism' in the Collins Dictionary of Mathematics.

September 10, 2008

chained_bear commented on the list mathematonymy

Wow... Oops, I mean, 0_o!

September 10, 2008

rolig commented on the list mathematonymy

Bozhe moy! Tat Lehrer iss fahnni guy! End it fierced time I effer heert satch fahnni sonk about matematika. Spasibo, chend_bayer!

September 10, 2008

chained_bear commented on the list mathematonymy

*hoping rolig really wasn't offended and hasn't activated a serious sarcasm gene*

Edit: P.S. I finally just made a Tom Lehrer list.

September 11, 2008

rolig commented on the list mathematonymy

not in the least! Tom Lehrer is hilarious. And so is his Russian accent.

September 11, 2008

ruzuzu commented on the list mathematonymy

This is my new favorite list.

January 25, 2024