{A Mathematical Experience}[3rd July 1988]

[Redbook5:206][19880703:0145]{A Mathematical Experience}[3rd July 1988]

.0145

Some days ago, on the edge of sleep, having whizzed through elementary mathematics for several days, I felt a re-arrangement (as it seemed) of my rather patchy mathematical knowledge throwing up algebraic formulae before my eyes. There seemed to be some idea that the Circles pattern (or perhaps its square cross structure) could be described in terms of the resolution of one of the simple 'two squares' expressions,

i.e. (a + b)² = a² + 2ab +b²

&/or (a - b)² = A² – 2ab – b²

&/or (a + b) (a – b) = a² – b²

– or something of that sort.*

**

In fact, this confusion may have arisen from equations for maximum and minimum curves, quadratic equations in fact, e.g. y = x² -2x -5

and y = x² +4x -3

– which I noted in passing might lead me one day towards mathematical descriptions for Circles Analysis.*** I think that all this shows is that I have a very long way to go.

- - -

(I did think that the graph of a circle should have a π in it somewhere; and I now find that 'Circular Functions' are dealt with**** under Trigonometry, and seem quite different. Oh dear!)

*In fact it seems that the Circle is described by x² + y² = r² where r = radius

(Pascoe, Teach Yourself Modern Mathematics) <880721>

**But see [[Redbook5:218-229ff][19880722:2307]{The Sphere}[22nd July 1988],] p218-219!

***[See [Redbook5:225][19880724:1443l]{The Sphere [continued (12)]}[24th July 1988], fns]

****Bostock and Chandler, 'Pure Mathematics'

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