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math

What color hat am I wearing?   ...   random thoughts , logic , math
tue 2005-may-10 15:07:22 pdt   ...   permalink


I recently wrote up (in an email to someone) a few of my favorite cute little logic-ish puzzles, involving guessing the color of the hat on one's head. As long as I'd already written them up anyway, I figured I'd post them here so that others may share the joy. I did not invent them, and I have no idea where the first two come from; the third I provide a reference for below.

colored hat problems )


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Bezier curves   ...   what i learned today , math , cabri
wed 2005-jan-19 20:30:37 pst   ...   permalink


Yesterday I learned the math behind Bezier curves. Ever since I first started playing with a vector graphics program (probably MacDraw or SuperPaint, way back in the day), I always wondered what they were, and how those little handles manipulate the shape of the curve. Turns out the math is pretty cool.

Of course there's a whole lot of algrebra surrounding it -- basically, they're piecewise cubic polynomials. But what's most interesting is the meaning of those little handles in the drawing programs. In particular, there turns out to be this really elegant geometric construction.

the construction )


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