Re: [math-fun] How many spokes does a bicycle need?
Amy C. Edmondson may be good to talk to. Wrote "A Fuller Explanation" referencing the 12-spoke rationale- pg 109 of the book. She teaches at the Harvard Business School. (617) 495-6732. On Fri, Oct 22, 2010 at 7:57 PM, Gary Antonick <gantonick@post.harvard.edu> wrote:
Amy C. Edmondson may be good to talk to. Wrote "A Fuller Explanation" referencing the 12-spoke rationale (attached)
She teaches at the Harvard Business School. (617) 495-6732.
On Fri, Oct 22, 2010 at 6:13 PM, Dan Asimov <dasimov@earthlink.net> wrote:
In the biography of H.S.M. Coxeter "King of Infinite Space", one section describes his interaction with Buckminster Fuller.
It states that Fuller erroneously claimed that a bicycle wheel needs 12 spokes "to hold it rigid", whereas the correct number is 7. This seems to be stated as a fact of geometry, rather than one of structural engineering.
Anybody have any insight into this claim?
--Dan
P.S. In case anyone's interested, this is the only biography of Coxeter I know of and it's filled with interesting facts about his life. But it is sadly lacking in details about his mathematical accomplishments, other than in the vaguest terms.
Those who sleep faster are more rested sooner.
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Link to online version of this book --- www.angelfire.com/mt/marksomers/40.html WFL On 10/23/10, Gary Antonick <gantonick@post.harvard.edu> wrote:
Amy C. Edmondson may be good to talk to. Wrote "A Fuller Explanation" referencing the 12-spoke rationale- pg 109 of the book.
She teaches at the Harvard Business School. (617) 495-6732.
On Fri, Oct 22, 2010 at 7:57 PM, Gary Antonick <gantonick@post.harvard.edu> wrote:
Amy C. Edmondson may be good to talk to. Wrote "A Fuller Explanation" referencing the 12-spoke rationale (attached)
She teaches at the Harvard Business School. (617) 495-6732.
On Fri, Oct 22, 2010 at 6:13 PM, Dan Asimov <dasimov@earthlink.net> wrote:
In the biography of H.S.M. Coxeter "King of Infinite Space", one section describes his interaction with Buckminster Fuller.
It states that Fuller erroneously claimed that a bicycle wheel needs 12 spokes "to hold it rigid", whereas the correct number is 7. This seems to be stated as a fact of geometry, rather than one of structural engineering.
Anybody have any insight into this claim?
--Dan
P.S. In case anyone's interested, this is the only biography of Coxeter I know of and it's filled with interesting facts about his life. But it is sadly lacking in details about his mathematical accomplishments, other than in the vaguest terms.
Those who sleep faster are more rested sooner.
_______________________________________________ math-fun mailing list math-fun@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/math-fun
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