12-03-2022, 12:30 PM
Talking about the INTEGER DIVISION symbol (the \ symbol), it reminded me of a story that my father used to tell about when his teacher was teaching them the concept of rounding numbers back in 1946 or so.
"Now class," Mrs Gay told them, "when it comes to rounding, we round up if there's half, or more, of something. Otherwise, we round down."
Sagely, everyone nodded and pretended to pay attention. (Just like you guys do when I go off onto one of my stories...)
"Since everyone is paying such good attention, James, could you look over at the countertop and see what I baked everyone as a snack today?"
"Apple pie," my dad exclaimed happily!
"Now, I've got three pies here, and I'm going to cut one of them in half." Getting her knife from the top of desk, and a plate, she went over and cut the middle pie in half and carefully slid it onto the plate, before carrying the plate and one of the other pies back to her desk.
"Now, I've got one and a half pies here," she informed her class, as they all grinned happily, expecting to be eating pie very soon. "Now remembering what I just told you a moment ago, Marvin, can you tell me how many pies are on my desk, if you round the figure?"
"One," Marvin answered, confidently.
Frowning, Mrs. Gay looked closely at the half pie she'd carried over to her desk, and then back at the half pie which she'd left sitting over on the countertop. Giving Marvin the benefit of the doubt -- maybe he thought the other pie was larger somehow -- she asked, "And how many pies are there over on the counter, rounded, would you say?"
"One," Marvin answered, confidently.
"Now Marvin," Mrs Gay chided, "how can they both be one, if we round up the larger half?"
"Because I saw some flies over there eating earlier," Marvin assured her, smugly. "I figure there's got to be less than half, if you account for the bites they's already ate out of it!"
Sometimes the logic behind rounding just doesn't seem logical.
"Now class," Mrs Gay told them, "when it comes to rounding, we round up if there's half, or more, of something. Otherwise, we round down."
Sagely, everyone nodded and pretended to pay attention. (Just like you guys do when I go off onto one of my stories...)
"Since everyone is paying such good attention, James, could you look over at the countertop and see what I baked everyone as a snack today?"
"Apple pie," my dad exclaimed happily!
"Now, I've got three pies here, and I'm going to cut one of them in half." Getting her knife from the top of desk, and a plate, she went over and cut the middle pie in half and carefully slid it onto the plate, before carrying the plate and one of the other pies back to her desk.
"Now, I've got one and a half pies here," she informed her class, as they all grinned happily, expecting to be eating pie very soon. "Now remembering what I just told you a moment ago, Marvin, can you tell me how many pies are on my desk, if you round the figure?"
"One," Marvin answered, confidently.
Frowning, Mrs. Gay looked closely at the half pie she'd carried over to her desk, and then back at the half pie which she'd left sitting over on the countertop. Giving Marvin the benefit of the doubt -- maybe he thought the other pie was larger somehow -- she asked, "And how many pies are there over on the counter, rounded, would you say?"
"One," Marvin answered, confidently.
"Now Marvin," Mrs Gay chided, "how can they both be one, if we round up the larger half?"
"Because I saw some flies over there eating earlier," Marvin assured her, smugly. "I figure there's got to be less than half, if you account for the bites they's already ate out of it!"
Sometimes the logic behind rounding just doesn't seem logical.