maddog is a Genius

[T-bone]

In a recent post, I asked maddog (our resident mathematician), to somehow express my need of a 30th to my wife (an engineer and mathematician) in the form of an equation. My logic here is that these people are on some similar plane and able to communicate in a way this simpleton just can’t. His equation came out looking like this:


h(t) = 30th*e^-t + bngo for t>=0

h(t) is the happiness function with indepedent variable t being time.

30th = 1 or 0; 1 being 30th possession, 0 being no 30th possession

bngo = 1 or 0; 1 being Bongo possession, 0 being no Bongo possession

maximum happiness occurs at t=0 which means you should run out and buy the 30th NOW!!!!!


Needless to say, it worked. She understood completely and has fully endorsed the purchase of this instrument. What’s more, and I’m no rocket scientist, I believe I can use this same equation when the Bongo G.A.S. hits. Doctor?

Let me know when you hit Corvallis. At some point you’ll want to head up to Portland where you shall be greeted warmly by me and intellectually by my wife.

You are the Maddog Man!

tbone

 

[bovinehost]

Only Tom could have come up with this.

It makes my head hurt!

 

[maddog]

I'm still not exactly sure what I did last night. But if anybody wants to argue, I have multiple degrees that I can repeatedly refer to in a very loud manner such that I can drown out any criticisms they might have.

Glad it worked.

 

[T-bone]

You mean to say you don't remember this equation? Maybe you should be madscientist instead of maddog

Your equation allowed me to secure the 30th I was gassing over. Some Bongoloids almost had me swayed, however, the sun will rise tomorrow and your equation will be used again.

tbone

 

[Oldtoe]

I love our maddog Tom.

 

[maddog]

Nah, I remember. Just looking at it again, I'm not sure I took the right approach. Or maybe my rationale is not mirrored correctly. Was attempting to factor in that the probability of you acquiring the 30th goes down asymptotically as time increases since the population is increasing exponentially so more people would have the chance to purchase it from under your nose.

So maybe it would have been better to simplify it with

h(t) = e^(-t) + Bongo

where Bongo = 0 or 1.

Although this is the probabilistic approach. Some where along the way, someone else may purchase it and so a discrete jump to 0 on the 30th term would happen and at most your happiness can never exceed 1. And you know you really want to have a happiness rating of 2.

 

[BigTony]

 

[Seer-o]

Too bad we aren't all married to mathematicians...

 

[bovinehost]

I have a calculator.

 

[adouglas]

I have a calculator.

I have a slide rule.

And an abacus.

I was wondering about that original equation. If maximum happiness occurs at 0 and both 30th and Bongo values are 0, then maximum happiness occurs when there is no bass ownership.

Which may be true for your significant other, but certainly not for you.

So, to how many digits is your "other" significant, anyway?

For a poseur, I sure can sound like an engineer, can't I?

 

[midopa]

hmm Well as you said, the decaying exponential is for probabilty, but once a 30th is acquired, happy get. So some sort of term that will cancel out the exponential decay...

h(t) = e^{-t*[1-(30th)]} + bongo

So yeah get both for maximum happy.

 

[maddog]

I was wondering about that original equation. If maximum happiness occurs at 0 and both 30th and Bongo values are 0, then maximum happiness occurs when there is no bass ownership.

maximum happiness of 0 would suck.

Using any equation given so far in this thread, maximum happiness occurs when h = 2.

Midopa, definitely closer. Thinking the 30th should take on a negative value in case sold to someone else.

 

[T-bone]

I, too, learned using the slide rule. However, during high school calc classes my mind was usually somewhere else. Good thing I did't play a Bongo back then

One thing I've learned, after 25 years of truly wedded bliss, is when my wife gives me an opening, I take it (you should see some of the cars I've bought over the years). And maddog's equation brought a smile to her face and the opening I was looking for. That 30th is now mine and all I have to do is drive 200 miles roundtrip and she'll be in my living room. Can you say Road Trip?

tbone

ps - midopa's equation is looking pretty good for the Bongo (that is, if I ever decide to play one). Must......resist.......temp........ta........

 

[tkarter]

You taking the wife along on the road trip? While she is paying for the 30th you can check out the Bongos.

My math skills are Raccoon in chicken house=0 chickens.

tk

 

[timmy5strings]

I'm looking for the "Translate" button, it was working fine but it seems I've screwed something up

 

[maddog]

you only get that when you have admin privileges.

 

[Big Poppa]

Tkarter that is brilliant.

 

[Oldtoe]

I'm thinking the equation we need to start worrying about is:

"Frequency of posting math equations is inversely proportional to future scoring with the opposite sex."


the has a scientific calculator somewhere,

 

[maddog]

I'm thinking the equation we need to start worrying about is:

"Frequency of posting math equations is inversely proportional to future scoring with the opposite sex."

I have a counterexample I'll share with you another time.

 

[ekb16b]

errr i dun get it, but aslong as u get a 30th that equation is ok with me!


p.s. does that equation only work with 30ths?