Thursday, December 25, 2008

The Square Root of Three

I love mathematics. There's no question about it. I have always loved numbers and maybe, this passion for numeric figures, equations and formulas has allowed "numerous" persons to pass through my life (and leave without having any traces of luck nor fortune. haha. Just kidding)

I came upon this beautiful poem "Square Root of Three" by David Feinberg while watching Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay. (Trivia: "The Square Root of Three" that Kumar recites was written by a classmate of theirs, David Feinberg when all three went to Randolph High School in New Jersey. They were happy they could include in the film a poem they loved while growing up, and Feinberg was thrilled to make a contribution to the film. - from IMDB) It's a pretty funny film like the previous flick (Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle), a good enough run for a cold Christmas afternoon (literally and figuratively :D)

I am a poet by heart and i was enthralled and mesmerized to have seen and heard a beautifully crafted poem where love and math could ever meet.

Square Root of Three

by David Feinberg

I fear that I will always be
A lonely number like root three

The three is all that’s good and right,
Why must my three keep out of sight
Beneath the vicious square root sign,
I wish instead I were a nine

For nine could thwart this evil trick,
with just some quick arithmetic

I know I’ll never see the sun, as 1.7321
Such is my reality, a sad irrationality

When hark! What is this I see,
Another square root of a three

Has quietly come waltzing by,
Together now we multiply
To form a number we prefer,
Rejoicing as an integer

We break free from our mortal bonds
With the wave of magic wands

Our square root signs become unglued
Your love for me has been renewed

Oh so mushy.

I love it!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Square root of 3

 List of numbers - Irrational numbers√2 - φ - $\sqrt{3}$ - √5 - e - π Binary 1.1011101101100111101... Decimal 1.7320508075688772935... Hexadecimal 1.BB67AE8584CAA73B... Continued fraction $1 + \frac{1}{1 + \frac{1}{2 + \frac{1}{1 + \frac{1}{2 + \ldots}}}}$

The square root of 3 is the positive real number that, when multiplied by itself, gives the number 3. It is denoted by

$\sqrt{3}.$

The first sixty significant digits of its decimal expansion are:

1.73205 08075 68877 29352 74463 41505 87236 69428 05253 81038 06280 5580... (sequence A002194 in OEIS)

The rounded value of 1.732 is correct to within 0.01% of the actual value.

The square root of 3 is an irrational number. It is also known as Theodorus' constant, named after Theodorus of Cyrene.

Geometry

The square root of 3 is equal to the length across the flat sides of a regular hexagon with sides of length 1.

If an equilateral triangle (equilateral polygon with three sides) with sides of length 1 is cut into two equal halves, by bisecting an internal angle across to make a right angle with one side, the right angle triangle's hypotenuse is length one and the sides are of length 1/2 and $\sqrt{3}/2.$ From this the trigonometric function tangent of 60 degrees equals $\sqrt{3}.$

It is the distance between opposite flat sides of a regular hexagon with sides of length 1.

It is the length of the diagonal of a unit cube.

The shape Vesica piscis has a major axis: minor axis ratio equal to the square root of three, this can be shown by constructing two equilateral triangles within it.