19 Sep
2010
19 Sep
'10
9:34 p.m.
Considering those huge lists of surprises, I suspect that the really greatest surprise is that mathematics works at all. However, while following the discussion of cubic equations, it occurred to me that the coefficients of a (monic) polynomial just come from the hierarchy of surface areas of the rectangular figure formed by the roots (due care being given to signs). So the constant term is a volume, the coefficient of x the sum of surface areas, the coefficient of x^2 the sum of the edges, and so on. Probably everybody knew this; just never said so. -hvm ------------------------------------------------- www.correo.unam.mx UNAMonos Comunicándonos