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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Disasters, Delights and Other Detours - 57. Three Mathematical Skyscrapers

These attempt to observe the world through the lens of mathematical language. You'll have to judge if they work. The last of these appeared in the Live Poet's Society, a place on GA I hold close to my heart. I encourage all readers to visit there and contribute.

How is it

that as differentials

amongst us shrink to almost nothing,

these tiny distances create yawning chasms,

eternal and discontinuous,

asymptotes which prevent

convergence?

 

Some teachers

see inequalities

as greater than or less than symbols,

dry observations which require no reaction;

but I believe we must raise ourselves

to powers which make our

numbers whole.

 

I can’t solve

life’s complex equations

with multiple implicit unknowns

and multidimensional intersecting curves,

each with unique points of inflection;

but I can contemplate

their beauty.

There is no homework. Any comments you may want to leave are always welcome.
Copyright © 2017 Parker Owens; All Rights Reserved.
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
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  • Site Administrator

:worship:  These are brilliant.  I don't understand the mathematical concepts, but the meaning behind the poems are quite clear.  Well done.  

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Battling a headache, but I still got the meaning of these. The last one is my favorite... it has that special 'Parker' touch. :2thumbs:

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Three very engaging Skyscrapers. The message of the first one reminds me of Chaos Theory, which emphasizes the tiniest variances in calculations can eventually add up to massive changes. Most people know this as the Butterfly Effect (a butterfly flapping its wings in Beijing on Friday can cause a thunderstorm in New York on Monday). But in my mind this poem also conjures images of the Fibonacci Sequence which states convergence is far less beautiful than natural, ever-evolving expansion :)

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The second poem speaks of social justice to me. The world must grow to respect each of us as a 'whole number,' divisible mainly by our own selves :)

The third one...well, you know how I gushed about it in Live-Poets, so I'll only repeat here, fantastic job! 

That goes for all three of the poems. Muah  

        

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5 hours ago, Valkyrie said:

:worship:  These are brilliant.  I don't understand the mathematical concepts, but the meaning behind the poems are quite clear.  Well done.  

You're much too nice to me. I can't help seeing things through math vocabulary. I'm glad that the meanings of these aren't as obscure as the concepts used as metaphors. Thanks so very  much for reading!

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4 hours ago, dughlas said:

Like Val the math is beyond me but these add up to something I understand very well. Very nice work.

I am happy these make themselves heard, even if the math doesn't speak to you well. Thank you for your most encouraging words.

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4 hours ago, northie said:

asymptotes?  ;)  As usual with any of your scientific / maths-derived poems, it matters not that I don't know some of the words. As other have said, the real meaning is clear and that's what counts. :)

Asymptotes: lines on a graph indicating an eventual discontinuity. That is, the curve will get infinitely close to the asymptote, yet it will never touch it. In order for the curve or graph ti continue, it must break at the asymptote and restart on the other side. It's good to know that the meanings of these are clear, even if the mathematical metaphors are obscure. Thanks very much for reading!

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3 hours ago, Headstall said:

Battling a headache, but I still got the meaning of these. The last one is my favorite... it has that special 'Parker' touch. :2thumbs:

I'm so very sorry you are hurting. I hope these didn't make your headache worse. At least you have a favorite - I confess that I like that one very much, too. Thanks so much for reading, and for your response.

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41 minutes ago, AC Benus said:

Three very engaging Skyscrapers. The message of the first one reminds me of Chaos Theory, which emphasizes the tiniest variances in calculations can eventually add up to massive changes. Most people know this as the Butterfly Effect (a butterfly flapping its wings in Beijing on Friday can cause a thunderstorm in New York on Monday). But in my mind this poem also conjures images of the Fibonacci Sequence which states convergence is far less beautiful than natural, ever-evolving expansion :)

           spacer.png

The second poem speaks of social justice to me. The world must grow to respect each of us as a 'whole number,' divisible mainly by our own selves :)

The third one...well, you know how I gushed about it in Live-Poets, so I'll only repeat here, fantastic job! 

That goes for all three of the poems. Muah  

        

The Fibbonacci spiral is a marvelous image. There are all kinds of different spirals, and these can depend on the starting point - the size of the original tiny quantity, as you have suggested. I'm so glad the intention of the second poem shone through - together, we can raise each of us to be whole. You were so kind to read these, and to offer such wonderful thoughts in response. Thank you!

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37 minutes ago, Parker Owens said:

lines on a graph indicating an eventual discontinuity

You lost me...  :lol:

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Following the line on a graph is like following the "Yellow-brick Road". It leads you to a marvellous fantasy place

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In the Fibonacci sequence, each new number is the sum of the two preceding it. Kind of like children are the sum of the two parents, or genius is the result of the collision of two ideas that seem to contradict, but actually compliment. 

Or, like saying that what we take in with our senses may not add up, but it sure is pretty to look at.

As you have said so nicely here. :)

 

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11 hours ago, Geron Kees said:

In the Fibonacci sequence, each new number is the sum of the two preceding it. Kind of like children are the sum of the two parents, or genius is the result of the collision of two ideas that seem to contradict, but actually compliment. 

Or, like saying that what we take in with our senses may not add up, but it sure is pretty to look at.

As you have said so nicely here. :)

 

The Fibonacci sequence is just one of an infinite variety of recursively defined patterns. It’s just a coincidence that I’m covering them in classes right now. Maybe. You’re kind to read these, and I’m glad you did. 

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