The Mathematics of Lawn Mowing. "The grass is long, and guess whose job it is to cut it? Confronted with this tedious chore, a Maths Master has only one possible course of action: he must immediately retire to his office, to determine the mathematically best way to mow the lawn.
Clearly what is optimal for a lazy Maths Master is to push the lawnmower the shortest distance possible. So, he wants to avoid mowing twice over the same patch of lawn. Let’s see what he might have to consider. As we push the mower, its circular slashing disc cuts a swath through the grass. If we travel in a straight path, then the cleared region will be a corresponding thick line." http://education.theage.com.au/cmspage.php?intid=147&intversion=76 _______________________________________________ NetBehaviour mailing list NetBehaviour@netbehaviour.org http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour
