The beauty of mathematics eludes me, but a recent NPR radio interview about the Seven Bridges of Königsberg intrigues me. For instance, is the way we look at a problem or a the world
based on our perceptions? What if our perceptions are wrong? By the way this 1736 idea led to the study of graphs and eventually computer networks.
“In modern language, Euler shows that the possibility of a walk through a graph, traversing each edge exactly once, depends on the degrees of the nodes. The degree of a node is the number of edges touching it. Euler’s argument shows that a necessary condition for the walk of the desired form is that the graph be connected and have exactly zero or two nodes of odd degree. This condition turns out also to be sufficient—a result stated by Euler and later proved by Carl Hierholzer. Such a walk is now called an Eulerian path or Euler walk in his honor. Further, if there are nodes of odd degree, then any Eulerian path will start at one of them and end at the other. Since the graph corresponding to historical Königsberg has four nodes of odd degree, it cannot have an Eulerian path.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Bridges_of_Königsberg
Because I am a storyteller, I believe the tools of a writer’s trade, myth and so-called reality go hand in hand to create a world/book containing some universal truth; I want to share this brilliant story about the wisdom of looking beyond the obvious. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2NlioNjIlk
Any feedback you have about this blog would be appreciated.