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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the humorous and informal examination of mathematical terminology, specifically the spelling of l'Hôpital's name in the context of calculus and its associated rule. Participants share anecdotes, jokes, and personal experiences related to the topic, blending humor with mathematical references.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants joke about the absurdity of textbooks and their content, suggesting that they often contain humorous or poorly constructed examples.
  • There is a playful debate about the correct spelling of l'Hôpital's name, with references to different sources that use varying spellings.
  • One participant humorously connects the discussion to cultural stereotypes about gun ownership in the USA, using Bayes' theorem as a framework for their argument.
  • Another participant mentions the peculiarities of rural life in Alaska, suggesting that the context of the discussion about firearms is irrelevant without dark alleyways.
  • Several comments reflect on the quirks of learning mathematics, including the challenges of language and spelling in academic contexts.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants appear to share a light-hearted agreement on the humorous aspects of textbooks and the spelling of l'Hôpital's name, but there is no consensus on the seriousness of the initial claims or the relevance of the firearm analogy.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes references to personal experiences and cultural observations, which may not be universally applicable. The spelling of l'Hôpital's name is noted to vary, but the implications of this variation are not resolved.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in the intersection of mathematics, language, and humor, as well as those exploring informal discussions about academic terminology.

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Lol! What textbook is that?
 
Since the number of guns in the USA is the same order as the number of people, Bayes' theorem would suggest that any weirdo who wants to talk about math in a dark alleyway probably has a gun. So what's unreal about the textbook scenario?
 
Eh, we need better distribution information though. Everyone in Alaska has five guns.
 
But do they have dark alleyways in Alaska? If not, the number of firearms is irrelevant.

(There is at least one weirdo in Alaska - but I don't remember Ms Palin ever attempting to talk about math)
 
No, the rule in rural Alaska is don't go onto people's yards at night when cutting through the woods because some crazy old man with a shotgun might feel threatened, especially if your'e wearing a hoodie.
 
I love it when textbooks have terrible (read: awesome) jokes.
 
I think math weirdos use pipe bombs.
 
  • #10
I love that he purposely misspelled l'Hopital.

Who didn't think, back in their uni days; "Hey! That looks like a French Hospital, without an 's' "?
 
  • #11
OmCheeto said:
I love that he purposely misspelled l'Hopital.

Who didn't think, back in their uni days; "Hey! That looks like a French Hospital, without an 's' "?

According to sources, this is a valid spelling.

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/LHospitalsRule.html

Note that l'Hospital's name is commonly seen spelled both "l'Hospital" (e.g., Maurer 1981, p. 426; Arfken 1985, p. 310) and "l'Hôpital" (e.g., Maurer 1981, p. 426; Gray 1997, p. 529), the two being equivalent in French spelling.
 
  • #12
The circumflex is there to indicate a following 's' character was "ess"-orcised from the word. "Ess"-orcisms were doubtlessly performed on hapless students of the language by well-meaning French clergymen, masquerading as instructors. Ah the joys of parochial school!
 
  • #13
MisterX said:
According to sources, this is a valid spelling.

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/LHospitalsRule.html

Bah! Show me the birth certificate!

----------------------
Ok. I went to my pre-internet encyclopædia and they spelled it L'Hospital.
But my college text spells it L'Hopital.
Interesting footnote in my textbook, about how L'Hospital came by the rule.
It's mirrored on wiki, so I won't bother typing it in.
Probably not a bad idea they kept L'Hospital's name, as those Bernoullis bred like mathematical rats!
 

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