Frazz by Jef Mallett for September 07, 2011

square root of a negative, what number comes after infinity? Lord, could you please canonize my math teacher?

Since the only truly round number is zero, the answer to Caulfield’s question is “nothing.” The Uhrmanator (the bearded substitute who is Caulfield’s nemesis—and my hero, since I work as a sub, too) would have known that.

just clasic

A round number is a number that is the product of a considerable number of comparatively small factors (Hardy 1999, p. 48). Round numbers are very rare. As Hardy (1999, p. 48) notes, “Half the numbers are divisible by 2, one-third by 3, one-sixth by both 2 and 3, and so on. Surely, then we may expect most numbers to have a large number of factors. But the facts seem to show the opposite.”

A positive integer is sometimes said to be round (or “square root-smooth”) if it has no prime factors greater than . The first few such numbers are 1, 4, 8, 9, 12, 16, 18, 24, 25, 27, 30, 32, … (Sloane’s A048098). Using this definition, an asymptotic formula for the number of round integers less than or equal to a positive real number is given by

(Hildebrand).

Are you confused now? I am.

ow…. my head hurts

Discourage discourse, crush creativity, isolate identity, prescribe Prozac.

The U.S.A. ranks 25th out of 34 countries in math and science scores in the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment.

…how can scientists accept numbers going on forever but not a God?…

You can have a B.A. in mathematics so technically it’s not just scientists…

Caulfield doesn’t need to go to the principals office – the teacher needs a new approach. Have him research the question for himself.

I thought her question was pretty pointed.