Happy Pi Day!

Pi day has struck again! And Google is sure doing a good job telling everyone about it. Also, be sure to check out 1 million digits of pi - for an instant headache.

If you're feeling in the mood of some music, head over to pi played on a piano. It's irrationally weird.

How I spent/celebrated pi day:

• Telling everyone "happy pi day" - by randomly inserting it into everyday conversations
• Getting blank stares which basically said "I think you're a geek"
• Repeat...
• Eating pie and finishing calculus homework

Yeah, there are some things people just don't appreciate.

Photo Credit: Mykl Roventine

Why Don't Phone Numbers Have Checksums?

I was always intrigued by checksums. Basically, a checksum allows anyone to compute if the transmitted data is correct -- without needing to contact anyone. In other words, checksums give numbers the power of built-in error computation.

Let's first take a look at a simple example of a UPC checksum (in this example, it is better known as a check digit). Suppose the UPC number is 036000241457. To compute whether this is indeed a valid UPC code, we start by adding every second number, starting with the 1^st. In other words, take 0+6+0+2+1+5=14. Next, multiply it by 3 = 42. Then, add every other digit (with the exception of the last) to the number we just got: 42+3+0+0+4+4=53. Finally, take the number and divide it by 10 -- the remainder of the division should be the last number (check digit) of the UPC code. In this case it was 7.

That wasn't too difficult was it? In most cases computers are the ones who do this lengthy task, and take fractions of a second to compute it.

Indeed, there are many more numbers that are used by us every single day which contain these marvelous algorithms. From credit cards, to ISBN numbers, and even check routing numbers, checksums are everywhere. That is why I was so surprised to find that phone numbers don't have checksums.

pi vs. e

Sometimes it's truly relaxing to enjoy a good laugh. And here in the actuarial world, numbers are generally no laughing matter... At least, that's what I thought, until I watched The Great Pi/e Debate.

On October 29, 2005, Colin Adams and Thomas Garrity got a chance to show the world that some math "geeks" can indeed have a sense of humor. While the video may not please the knowledge-seekers amongst us, it can definitely give everyone a much-needed boost of spirit.

All I can say is LOL!

Photo Credit: oskay

Equations in Google Docs

I might be a big fan of Google products, but I've never gotten around to using Google Docs in place of a more traditional word processor. That is why I was quite shocked to find how much Google Docs has matured since I last caught a glimpse of it. Overall, the UI has been polished to perfection and the new features are an eye-opener.

Getting back to the actuary world, one feature struck me as quite useful. Google Docs now has a built-in equation editor who's syntax is very similar to LaTeX. You can take a look at the screenshots (after the break) to see how simple it is to insert the Quadratic Formula into any document.

Obviously, the equation editor is not a true LaTeX replacement. But it can definitely come handy when in some sticky situations.

And it's definitely fun to play with.

Mathematical Overdose

Maybe it's the fact that I'm taking four math-intensive courses. Or maybe because of the particularly large dose of work received this past week. But whatever the case, I found the following incident that occurred to me quite disturbing.

I was just sitting down at my desk to perform some work on my laptop (Dell Latitude to be precise), when a small sticky note caught my attention. It read "847-6123" [numbers randomly changed to protect privacy]. Clearly it was a phone number sans area code. However, for some odd reason I read it as 847 minus 6123. Yeah, you read that right, I viewed a phone number as a mathematical equation.

Of course, it took me just a tad under a second to correct myself. But the sheer thought of it scared me. Is all this math getting to me?

Go figure.

(Photo Credit: Flickr user jesiehart)