April 2009 - mathfun@mailman.xmission.com

Re: [math-fun] Weeks Between Easters
by Dan Asimov 12 Apr '09

12 Apr '09

Of course the actual vernal equinox can occur as early as March 19. --Dan Victor wrote: << . . . the bible says that passover has to be the first full moon after the vernal equinox. . . . >> _____________________________________________________________________ "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that certain je ne sais quoi." --Peter Schickele

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Re: [math-fun] Weeks Between Easters
by Dan Asimov 12 Apr '09

12 Apr '09

Actually, that's a great idea for a new holiday! But when *is* the birthday of Santa Claus? --Dan Steve Gray wrote: << If Easter is the supposed anniversary of Jesus' resurrection, we don't have to celebrate it at all. It's like celebrating the birthday of Santa Claus. >> _____________________________________________________________________ "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that certain je ne sais quoi." --Peter Schickele

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Re: [math-fun] Weeks Between Easters
by Dave Dyer 12 Apr '09

12 Apr '09

I was approaching the discussion as about mathematical modeling of real phenomena, and that after a certain point refinements in the model are meaningless.

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Re: [math-fun] Weeks Between Easters
by Dan Asimov 11 Apr '09

11 Apr '09

Ha! I was just studying that very webpage a few minutes ago before Victor posted it. First time I realized the dates of Easter and Rosh Hashanah are closely related. (Though it's no accident that the English word "paschal" means "relating to Easter or Passover".) --Dan Victor wrote: << Here's John Conway's rendering of the algorithm for the date of Easter (courtesy of http://quasar.as.utexas.edu/BillInfo/ReligiousCalendars.html) . . . . . . >> _____________________________________________________________________ "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that certain je ne sais quoi." --Peter Schickele

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Re: [math-fun] Weeks Between Easters
by Dan Asimov 11 Apr '09

11 Apr '09

Dave: I'm not sure what or who you're responding to, but I didn't see anyone discussing anything but the standard algorithm for the date of Easter. This is a fixed mathematical function assigning to each Gregorian year (starting in 1583) a date in that year. As such, it has certain mathematical properties, which is all I saw anyone discussing. --Dan Dave Dyer wrote: << You're not taking into account "leap seconds", which are necessary to keep midnight at midnight, and the gradual recession of the moon, which is gradually changing the length of the lunar month. For example, over the quoted span of 5 million years, leap seconds at the rate of one a year would result in 57 fewer days between now and then. .. exposing the futility of calculations about dynamic systems over these time scales. You're really doing the equivalent of arguing how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. >> _____________________________________________________________________ "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that certain je ne sais quoi." --Peter Schickele

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Re: [math-fun] Weeks Between Easters
by Dave Dyer 11 Apr '09

11 Apr '09

You're not taking into account "leap seconds", which are necessary to keep midnight at midnight, and the gradual recession of the moon, which is gradually changing the length of the lunar month. For example, over the quoted span of 5 million years, leap seconds at the rate of one a year would result in 57 fewer days between now and then. .. exposing the futility of calculations about dynamic systems over these time scales. You're really doing the equivalent of arguing how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

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[math-fun] Math in the news: Soros & inverted square root
by Henry Baker 07 Apr '09

07 Apr '09

FYI -- Soros gets the prize for the most obscure reference: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/apr/07/george-soros-zombie-banks/pr… Soros said he does not expect the US economy to recover until next year at the earliest. "The recovery will look like an inverted square root sign," he said. "You hit bottom and you automatically rebound some, but then you don't come out of it in a V-shaped recovery or anything like that.

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