Re: Maths Problem

[Philip Newton]

Chris Benson wrote:
> Mmmm, so if there are 3 water lilies with circular leaves, what
>  is the largest they can grow on the surface of a sphere without
> overlap? On a circle it's easy to see it's just less than the
> radius of the circle.  Not so easy with a sphere.

Well, first off, the circles won't be circles "as we know them" since
they're not 2D circles but have a 3D component (or they wouldn't be on the
surface of the sphere but rather cutting a slice through it).

However, I'd imagine that with three such bulgy circles, the best you can do
is space them equally around the equator.

Cheers,
Philip
-- 
Philip Newton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
All opinions are my own, not my employer's.
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.