Platonic Relationships
The MAA uses this Platonic solid in its logo.
What is an icosahedron?
Consumed food yesterday.
What is "ate" (8)?
This is the largest solution to the equation x^3 - 6x^2 - 2x + 12 = 0.
What is 3!? (or x = 6)
This is the value of c in
{-2, -1, 0, 1, 2}
so that c is less than its reciprocal.
What is -2?
These sticks of calcium sulfate are primarily white, but also come in a wide array of colors, and are used for writing on blackboards.
What is chalk?
This is the only Platonic solid that has the same number of faces and as it does vertices.
What is a tetrahedron?
A thorny bush that bears red, white, pink, or yellow flowers.
What is "rose" (rows)?
This is the value of the (2, 3) entry in the matrix that I'm about to write.
This is the value of C so that the equation below has x = 3/2 as a solution.
x^2 + 4x + C = 8 - x - x^2
What is -4?
This is an unmarked ruler used for doing classical geometric constructions, like connecting two points to form a line.
What is a straightedge?
What is 90?
A public notice or announcement, especially one that promotes a product.
What is an "ad" (add)?
This is the maximum value of the function y = 13sin(5x - pi) + 11.
What is 4!? (or 24)
This is the value of the integration constant C which makes f(2) = 11, given that f'(x) = 2x^3 + 9x^2 - 9x + 2.
What is -7?
Modern versions of this counting tool are often constructed as a bamboo frame with beads sliding on wires, but originally they were beans or stones moved in grooves of sand or on tablets of wood, stone, or metal.
What is an abacus?
These two Platonic solids have more vertices than they do faces.
The planned course or way which is to be traveled (using the French influenced pronunciation).
What is "route" (root)?
This is the number of distinct permutations of the letters in the word wellness (or rollover or appetite).
What is 7!? (or 5040)
This paper is printed with lines, making a grid for the purpose of plotting functions or data.
What is graph paper (or grid paper)?
What are a tetrahedron and an octahedron?
Forward; onward in time, place, or order; in advance from a given point as in "Go _____."
What is "forth" (fourth)?
This is the value of the integral that I'm about to write.
What is 2!? (or 2)
These are the values of x that make the vectors u and v below orthogonal.
u = (c, -3, c)
v = (c, 2, 1)
What are 2 and -3?
Logarithmic tool made obsolete by the calculator.
What is a slide rule?