Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: grey_whiskers

A remarkable solution, given that the fly will be 40 miles behind the first bike (and never overtake him) when the two bikes collide.

The source below gives the initial distance between the bicycles as 20 miles, the speed of the bikes as 10 MPH and speed of the fly as 15 MPH. Other than that it was a great story!

It’s not a particularly hard series to sum, the difficulty is construction the series, figuring out which series to sum. In my form it’s sum (1/5)^n, n from one to infinity. Then you have to multiply by 60, 4 being a scale factor that falls out, and 15 being the speed of the fly.

https://www.numerade.com/questions/a-famous-story-about-the-outstanding-mathematician-john-von-neumann-19031957-concerns-the-following-/


16 posted on 01/09/2023 2:41:34 PM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets (Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies ]


To: Lonesome in Massachussets

OK, fine; 5mph relative to each bike.

I was going from memory having heard it once over 40 years ago, and typing without coffee while on a work deadline.

Sheesh.


17 posted on 01/09/2023 3:32:34 PM PST by grey_whiskers ( (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson