Math cake Ideas Answer before 11 pm on 3-10-2010

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around creative ideas for a math-themed cake, exploring various concepts and themes related to mathematics. Participants share suggestions for cake designs that incorporate mathematical principles or humor, with a focus on originality and detail.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests a cherry pie in a square tin labeled "pie are square" as an alternative to a cake.
  • Another proposes a layer cake resembling the Towers of Hanoi, where no one gets a piece until the puzzle is solved.
  • A different idea involves creating a cupcake cube based on Fermat's Little Theorem, demonstrating divisibility by 3 through a series of reconfigurations.
  • Some participants express uncertainty about the context of the request, questioning whether it is related to schoolwork and asking for more details on existing ideas.
  • Current ideas mentioned include using the sigma symbol, pie symbol, or spelling out mathematical terms with icing or bubble gum.
  • One participant references a "proof without words" for pentagonal numbers and mentions historical proofs for the Pythagorean Theorem as potential inspirations.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on a single idea for the math cake, with multiple competing suggestions and approaches presented throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Some participants indicate a lack of clarity regarding the original request's context, which may affect the relevance of the suggestions provided.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for individuals looking for creative ideas for math-themed desserts, particularly in educational or celebratory contexts related to mathematics.

Adi123
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Math cake! Ideas Answer before 11 pm on 3-10-2010..

Can u help me? I need a great idea for a math cake. Please help me, i have been racking my brains! If u answer, write in detail please...
 
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Does it have to be a cake?

If you baked a cherry pie in a square tin you could label it "pie are square".
 


Make a layer cake (layers progresively smaller like a wedding cake) with a dowel running through the center. Bring two empty plates each with a similar dowel and announce nobody gets a piece until The Towers of Hanoi is solved.
 


Adi123 said:
Can u help me? I need a great idea for a math cake. Please help me, i have been racking my brains! If u answer, write in detail please...

Sounds like school work. What is the context of your question? What are your ideas so far?
 


Then again, there's Fermat's Little Torte.

Start with a 5x5x5 cube of cupcakes.

Remove one corner column (1x1x5) and note the remaining cupcakes can be divided by 3 (24 1x1x5 columns).

Reassemble into a 4x4x4 cube.

Remove another corner column and note they can still be divided by 3 (15 1x1x4 columns).

Reassemble as a 2x2x2 cube, remove a corner column and they are still divisible by 3 (3 1x1x2 columns).

When someone says "Hey, what about the 3x3x3 cube?", you sheepishly admit you can't do that because the 8 remaining 1x1x3 columns can't be divided by 3. And then amaze them by dividing the cube into three equal layers!

If everyone hasn't overrun the table to grab a cupcake by now, demonstrate it works in two dimensions also.
 


berkeman said:
Sounds like school work. What is the context of your question? What are your ideas so far?

hahaha
 


current ideas:
sigma
pie symbol (too much used)
can spell stuff out in iceing or bubble gum
 


How about a proof without words?

Barile has a nice one for pentagonal numbers at MathWorld.

There are many good ones for the Pythagorean Theorem; here is one of the oldest known:
china_proof.jpg

(expanation here).

More examples:
http://www.usamts.org/About/U_Gallery.php
http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/ProofWithoutWords12N1NChoose2/
http://mathoverflow.net/questions/8846/proofs-without-words
 

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