I think so; actually, I would say it is even more related to the exact value of 1/3 as a binary number:
0.01010101010101010101010101... On Tue, Apr 8, 2014 at 12:00 AM, Don Kelly <[email protected]> wrote: > Ah, then the question is that when the trains are exactly opposite to one > another- where is the fly- half way between the trains going perpendicular > to the track, at one or the other of the trains or or simply confused with > the whole problem and going toward a ripe piece of cow dung? Isn't this > related to what is the exact value of 1/3 as a decimal number? > > Don > > As a fly, which would be your preference. > > > On 07/04/2014 2:44 PM, Jose Mario Quintana wrote: > >> One can avoid the "time" reversal assumption. Consider the modified setup >> (with parallel tracks next to each other, etc.) when the trains keep >> running and the fly keeps flying (back and forth): when the (front of >> the) >> trains are again 100 miles apart the fly has flown 400 miles; but, where >> is >> it? >> >> >> On Sat, Apr 5, 2014 at 5:54 PM, Don Kelly <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> If it was "time" reversal- then it would be at the train where it started >>> in the first place. >>> >>> Don >>> >>> On 04/04/2014 11:41 PM, Bo Jacoby wrote: >>> >>> Bonus-bonus question. Time reversal of the problem: The fly is stuck >>>> between the two trains standing still on the track when suddenly the >>>> trains >>>> move apart (with the speeds from before) and the fly flies between them >>>> (as >>>> before). What is the position of the fly when the trains have returned >>>> to >>>> their stations? >>>> >>>> Den 1:28 lørdag den 5. april 2014 skrev Don Kelly <[email protected]>: >>>> Thanks- In any case, the fly is dead-so is Zeno (and the lawyers of >>>> his >>>> >>>> time).. >>>>> >>>>> Don >>>>> On 04/04/2014 3:19 PM, Roger Hui wrote: >>>>> >>>>> A quick check indicates that "terminate" can be used as an adjective. >>>>>> Therefore, perhaps a better pun is to say "... it is >>>>>> indeterminate >>>>>> as well >>>>>> as terminate for the fly", with the last "a" pronounced as a short a. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On Fri, Apr 4, 2014 at 2:43 PM, Don Kelly <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> Initially I would say that it was going perpendicularly to the track >>>>>> >>>>>>> but >>>>>>> as it is also in the process of reversing direction at this instant- >>>>>>> it is >>>>>>> indeterminate >>>>>>> as well terminal for the fly >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Don Kelly >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On 03/04/2014 2:53 PM, Jose Mario Quintana wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Bonus question: Alright, the fly was flying at the constant speed >>>>>>> of >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 100 >>>>>>>> mph the whole time; in which direction was it heading at exact the >>>>>>>> time >>>>>>>> when it was crushed? See below if you give up... >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> ,.@|.@i. 11 >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 10 >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 9 >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 8 >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 7 >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 6 >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 5 >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 4 >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 3 >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 2 >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 1 >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 0 >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> In all directions perpendicular to the line in which it was flying >>>>>>>> before >>>>>>>> the crash? >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Alright, alright, let us change the question to make it less messy, >>>>>>>> for >>>>>>>> example: the trains are running in still in opposite directions but >>>>>>>> in >>>>>>>> parallel tracks next to each other, the fly is flying in between the >>>>>>>> tracks >>>>>>>> in the same pattern as before ... (and with all the other necessary >>>>>>>> modifications). In which direction was the fly heading at exact the >>>>>>>> time >>>>>>>> when the two trains crossed each other? >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On Tue, Apr 1, 2014 at 12:59 PM, Roger Hui < >>>>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>>>> wrote: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> There is a somewhat related anecdote. Two trains are 100 miles >>>>>>>> apart on >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> a >>>>>>>>> straight track, facing each other and travel at 25 miles per hour >>>>>>>>> toward >>>>>>>>> the other. At the same time, a fly flies at 100 miles an hour from >>>>>>>>> one >>>>>>>>> train to the other and, when it reaches the other train, turns >>>>>>>>> around >>>>>>>>> instantaneously and flies toward the other train, and so on. When >>>>>>>>> the >>>>>>>>> trains crash, what is the total distance the fly flew? >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> There is an easy way and a harder way to compute the answer. >>>>>>>>> Someone >>>>>>>>> posed >>>>>>>>> the question to John von Neumann. After a moment, he answered, 200 >>>>>>>>> miles. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Correct. Now, Johnny, how did you figure it out? >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> I summed the series. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------ >>>>>>>>> ---------- >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/ >>>>>>>> forums.htm >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------ >>>>>>>> >>>>>>> ---------- >>>>>>> For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/ >>>>>>> forums.htm >>>>>>> >>>>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------ >>>>>>> >>>>>> ---------- >>>>>> For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/ >>>>>> forums.htm >>>>>> >>>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------ >>>>>> ---------- >>>>>> >>>>> For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------ >>>>> ---------- >>>>> >>>> For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm >>>> >>>> >>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm >>> >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm >> >> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
