Search and @-resolution appear to be not working on #mathstodon. Am I the only one with this issue?

Yes it is 3.14! Happy Pi Day!

Reminder: you canhelp mathstodon.xyz to keep the lights on, it a fabulous instance: https://ko-fi.com/mathstodon - there's even a leaderbord, maybe YOU can kick me out of the top ten :)

Which is smaller?

I don’t know mates, should we shun discussing #American #politics on #MathsTodon? Besides, we won’t be losing much, because what we have now is not really politics, but a cult.

I'm looking for some pointers...

I have a vector in 3D space. I want to be able to manipulate its direction based on input pan and tilt angles... Importantly I'd like to be able to give these angles as absolute (i.e: from "up") or relative (i.e: from the current direction).

I have a working solution, but I suspect there's a more efficient way to do this. I had a stab with Quaternions, but I couldn't get the tilt to behave like it would on a gimble.

Any ideas?

I feel as though the intersection of #mathstodon and #knitting will say, "yes of course", but it's still an enjoyable passage.

"knitting, at its core, is a method of transforming a one-dimensional strand of yarn into a structured, flexible two-dimensional sheet, which can then fold itself into complex three-dimensional shapes. The researchers realized that this transformation could be described mathematically using the same principles that govern how surfaces curve in space."

https://phys.org/news/2025-02-theoretical-physics.html

on approaching hard problems: https://buttondown.com/yarntheory/archive/on-approaching-hard-problems/

Okay, #compsci, #mathstodon, and assorted friends (feel free to tag other hashtags I don't know). I've got a weird algorithmic problem I can't crack, probably because I don't actually do formal computer science.

Let's say I had a collection of line segments (a nice degenerate case is [[1, 3], [1, 3], [1, 3], [2, 4], [3, 5]]). Obviously some of those are identical and many of them overlap. I want to shorten each of those line segments, such that: 1/

I’ve just modified my mastodon instance to:

• increase the max number of poll options to 6;

• increase the character limit to 628.

Anyone want to guess why those numbers? #maths #mathstodon #math #mathematics

here's a fun maths problem for you:

in Balatro, each hand gains a positive number of Chips and Mult, which are then multiplied together to get your final score. but on the Plasma Deck, the rules are altered such that Chips and Mult are "balanced", averaging the two before scoring.

does this "balancing" step always give you a better score than you would have gotten without the Plasma Deck? how would you prove this?

(I'll share my answer in a day or so)

Ok so I have an optimization problem that boils down to finding the primary axis of a set of 16 points in 3D space

The code I have that I sorta mindlessly copied from someone else has two methods of doing this. the one that claims to be less accurate does a least-squares fit. the one that claims to be more accurate calculates the covariance matrix and a power iteration

What is actually different between these too methods in terms of the result? in addition, if I wanted to prioritize one of the dimensions of the points (theyre colors and perceptually I want to weight towards green), how would I go about doing that?

Two postdoc positions (2-5 years) at our institute (at the Potsdam site) in an ERC Synergy Grant project on mathematical structures of scattering amplitudes.

https://astrodon.social/@mpi_grav/113504052382582384

Hello local server friends! Can y'all consider posting something with #mathstodon on new sites once you bridge or w/e? I'd like to follow of you as many as I can!

A question for #Mathstodon (if that’s a thing): if I want to turn the pattern of string of lights you see in the first image into the pattern you see in the second image, how do I calculate that? The first string you see on the left as brightest is a non-negotiable one from the outlet. Do I start with twice the distance from ceiling to headboard (down & back) plus once the width of the bed (covering that in alternating sections on each level) and divide by the available length of lights?

My friends on #MathsTodon.xyz know that I'm a nut for the #HP #RPN calculators, specifically the HP-41CX, HP-15C, and HP-32S. But, out of curiosity, I added the HP-48SX to my collection a couple of weeks ago, because I got a fresh one on eBay for cheap.

As many HP RPN calculators fans know, the 48SX is quite advanced (a worthy successor the inimitable HP-28S graphing calculator), but with a horrid, low-contrast display. Nevertheless, since the 48 postdates my career by more than a decade and I've never used one in anger, I couldn't resist this cheap thrill.

NB—If you're looking for the most advanced HP RPN calculator, look no further, it's the HP Prime. But if you're seeking the most advanced in the classic line, that's the HP-48GX. After several days of playing with this 1990s peak performer, I'd gladly stay with my 1970s king, the HP-41CX.

https://amenzwa.github.io/stem/ComputingHistory/HowRPNCalculatorsWork/

#mathstodon, which theorem do you use most often when preparing or eating food? Replies welcome; these are merely what came to mind.

Exponentiation turns multiplication into addition: when leaving something to rise or ferment, the difference between expected and actual prep time is polynomially bounded and usually constant; e.g. all-night sourdough rises only need an extra hour in the morning at most

Gauss' remarkable curvature theorem: slices of pizza or paper lids can be folded in one direction to prevent them folding in another

Intermediate value theorem: a four-footed stool or table can be rotated to balance on any smooth surface

Linearity of portions: amounts of prepared food can be scaled by scaling the amounts of ingredients

Triangles determine planes: a three-footed stool or table doesn't need to be rotated in order to balance on most surfaces