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https://theconversation.com/three-letters-one-number-a-knife-and-a-stone-bridge-how-a-graffitied-equation-changed-mathematical-history-241034>
"On October 16 1843, the Irish mathematician William Rowan Hamilton had an
epiphany during a walk alongside Dublin’s Royal Canal. He was so excited he
took out his penknife and carved his discovery right then and there on Broome
Bridge.
It is the most famous graffiti in mathematical history, but it looks rather
unassuming:
i² = j² = k² = ijk = -1
Yet Hamilton’s revelation changed the way mathematicians represent information.
And this, in turn, made myriad technical applications simpler – from
calculating forces when designing a bridge, an MRI machine or a wind turbine,
to programming search engines and orienting a rover on Mars. So, what does this
famous graffiti mean?"
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
