| |
Finding numerical relationships between people
(Note: the mathematics contained in the anecdotes below is trivial. But the gist of the material, applied to particular people, could supply an amusing diversion at social gatherings.)
A few short years ago when I was still teaching at Newton South High School, I shared a room with a math colleague named Martha Moyer. I taught the first two periods of the day in that room, and then Martha taught there for the rest of the day.
Martha and I complemented one another admirably. I did all my course preparation at home, while she did all hers at school. As a result, she filled up every available space in that room with her materials: all the cupboards (there were many), all the drawers in the two desks, and all the drawers in the two four-drawer filing cabinets.
But all that did not bother me at all, for the reason that I was able to bring all my teaching materials to school each day in one simple book bag. Once there, I made use of a high metal table (provided by Joan Bryant, the helpful math chair at that time) which I could fit my wheelchair under. The top of the table was only about 2 feet by 4 feet, but it gave me more than enough room to spread everything out for teaching. That tabletop became my little universe at school.
Martha was an engaging person with a bubbly personality. I enjoyed bantering with her in the room before school started or during homeroom period. One day she told me in an offhand way that she had been born in 1961. Something about that number clicked with me, since I was 61 years old at the time. I did a quick calculation in my head, and satisfied myself that she was 43 years old; the year of my birth was 1943.
To summarize what I had discovered:
I was born in '43 and was 61 years old; while
She was born in '61 and was 43 years old.
No wonder Martha and I clicked so well and complemented one another -- we had this great numerical relationship with one another!
Of course, such a relationship would last at most a year. As soon as one of us turned a year older, that particular numerical connection between us would be broken and it could not be restored. Rather, we would have to look for such numerical relationships with other people.
This game is very easy to play: you need only find someone who was born the same year (after 1900) as your present age; or alternatively, someone whose present age is the same as the year you were born. (If one of those works, the other will also.)
(Of course, this is often a matter of some delicacy; for, in order to determine that you have this numerical relationship with someone, you must somehow inquire as to their age.)
I was reminded of this game the other day when I realized that I presently have that sort of numerical relationship with my nephew Todd. For
I was born in '43 and am now 64 years old; while
Todd was born in '64 and is now 43 years old.
My birthday is November 14, while Todd's is December 21. So when we reach the former date, I will be 65 years old and thus irrelevant to Todd's birth year; but I am freed up to search about for someone born in 1965. Meanwhile, Todd may hook up with someone born in 1943 who hasn't had their birthday yet this year; or he can just wait in limbo until his own birthday and then search about for someone born in 1944.
As a matter of fact, one such person would be my wife:
Dorothy was born in '44 and will be 64 years old; while
Todd was born in '64 and will be 44 years old.
It is often interesting what kinds of people one can numerically 'hook up with' in this way. For example, my daughter Gretchen is so related to my friend Phil Lewis -- at least until her birthday on June 20 (his is July 23.) For
Phil was born in '31 and is 76 years old; while
Gretchen was born in '76 and is 31 years old.
My other daughter Heidi has this sort of numerical relationship with, of all people, the composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim -- at least after his birthday on March 22 (she has already had her birthday on January 22.) For
Sondheim was born in '30 and will be 78 years old; while
Heidi was born in '78 and will be 30 years old.
I have recently become aware of certain individuals I know and their numerical connection to the presidential candidate Barack Obama. For example, my wife would have been so connected to him two years ago; for
Dorothy was born in '44 and was 61 years old; while
Barack was born in '61 and was 44 years old.
What makes this particular relationship especially interesting is the fact that Dorothy and Barack have the same birthday -- August 4. So they were related in this way for exactly one full year. (Unfortunately, neither Dorothy nor I was yet aware of the existence of Barack Obama at that time.)
At present (March 2008), Barack has that sort of relationship with my sister-in-law Carol (Todd's mother); for
Carol was born in '46 and is now 61 years old; while
Barack was born in '61 and is now 46 years old.
But my favorite Barack Obama connection is the one I am about to describe. As everyone knows, we are in the thick of an election campaign for the Democratic nomination. The two candidates are in an epic do-or-die head-to-head battle. Here are the facts we need to know about the two candidates: Hillary Clinton was born on October 26, 1947; while Barack Obama was born on August 4, 1961. So, incredible as it may seem, as of this October 26 it will come about that
Hillary was born in '47 and will be 61 years old; while
Barack was born in '61 and will be 47 years old.
I listed Hillary first, not because she is female, but rather because she is the older of the two; and, as well, because she is, at least for today, my preferred candidate (I keep oscillating back and forth between Hillary and Barack on a daily basis.)
She is not merely older than Barack; she is significantly older. Which, when you stop to think of it, is what makes their numerical connection possible to begin with.
(Actually, when I did stop to think of it, I realized that this is not necessarily true. The two candidates could have been born in years very close to one another – say 1953 and 1954; then they would have had a numerical relationship last year. In fact, they could have both been born in 1954 and thus, as of October 26, both would be 54 years old.) (The latter is what is known as the identical numerical relationship.)
So I should modify the above pronouncement about Hillary and Barack as follows: the further the distance of one person'x birth year from 54, the further the distance by the same-but-opposite amount of the other person's birth year from 54. (More simply put, 54 is the average of their two birth years.)
Isn't that (the upcoming numerical relationship between the two Democratic candidates) extraordinary? This means that, as of a week-and-a-half before the presidential election, Hillary and Barack will be bequeathed the positive karma of this sort of union. And now think of this: suppose they are both on a single ticket (with her, perhaps, on top (so to speak)): the two of them should be able to cruise to victory with no effort whatsoever!
But even if they were to lose (a social calamity in my view), they would still have Paris their wonderful numerical relationship to bind them lovingly together -- until the following August, at which time they can start hating one another again.
(16 March 2008)
|
|
|
|
