These examples show our cleverness at inventing unlikely scenerios for
extending the application of integer arithmetic to the multiplication of
negative numbers. The original question remains: is there any "real world"
(of whichever kind) problem for which that operation is really useful?
John M. Flanigan <johnf@hawaii.edu> The equation is the final arbiter.
Assistant Professor, Mathematics --Werner Heisenberg
Kapi'olani Community College The scoreboard is the final arbiter.
4303 Diamond Head Road --Bill Walton
Honolulu HI 96816 History is the final arbiter.
(808) 734-9371 --Edward Gibbon
On Tue, 9 Nov 1999, Al Roy wrote:
> Hi ,
> I read an example about multiplying signed numbers a long time ago. I
> beleive it went like this.
>
> There was an old mailman who had not missed a day of work in thirty years.
> He had worked the same route and knew where to deliver the mail eventhough
> most houses on his route had no addresses. One day he called in sick and
> was replaced by a new mail carrier. The replacement delivered letters to
> the wrong houses due to the lack of addresses.
>
> The next day the veteran mailman returned to work and corrected the errors
> made by the substitute. As luck would have it only checks and bills for
> three dollars had been delivered by the substitute. A check is a +. A bill
> is a -. The veteran mailman either gave a letter that should have been
> delivered but was not + or he took a letter that was delivered but should
> not have been -.
> At the first house he gave two checks of three dollars each that should
> have been delivered there but were not. That household gained six
> dollars(+6).
> At the second house he took two checks of three dollars each that had been
> delivered there by mistake. That household loss six dollars(-6).
> At the third house he gave two bills of three dollars each that should have
> been delivered there but were not. That household loss six dollars.(-6).
> At the fourth house he took two bills of three dollars each that had been
> delivered there by mistake. That household gained six dollars(+6).
> Keep the Faith
> ****************************************************************************
> **************
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> Al Roy "We shall not cease from exploration
> Bristol Comm. Coll. And the end of our exploration
> Fall River, MA 02720 Will be to arrive where we started
> 508-678-2811 x2246 And know the place for the first time." Eliot
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