Metrics...

[Dogtrousers]

Time was, back in the early 2000s, the £/€ exchange rate was often about the same as the mile/km conversion factor.

 

[Punkawallah]

Time was, back in the early 2000s, the £/€ exchange rate was often about the same as the mile/km conversion factor.

When the French invented the metric system, they got their sums wrong - but did not let on for years. I presume because they did not want to tarnish their aura of invincibility.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

My grandad followed the gee-gee’s ;-)

So did my GranDad

with a bucket and shovel

It was rumoured that he often had equipment in his car boot just in case he came across some "fertiliser" when he was out

 

[DaveReading]

The fibonacci sequence 30, 70 contains 100 but would give 170km as the answer.

Well I did say "approximately".

Strictly speaking, neither mine nor yours is a proper Fibonacci sequence.

 

[BrumJim]

We have a small mug supplied by Yorkshire tea. Half a Yorkshire tea mug plus two of boiling water is perfect for rice and porridge. So I propose the Yorkshire tea mug as a unit of volume.

Correct units of volume are, in increasing size, Yorkshire tea mug, olympic-sized swimming pool and Sports Direct Mug

 

[matticus]

Yes, you can use it for any value.

For example to convert 100 miles to kilometres, you just need to find a Fibonacci sequence that contains 100 - for example 5, 17, 22, ... and the term following 100 (161) will give approximately the km equivalent.

Or you could just stuff Fibonacci and multiply by 1.6.

Sorry for coming in late, which might be why I'm confused: are you saying there are multiple Fibonacci sequences? I did not know this!

 

[BrumJim]

My post was tongue in cheek reference inflating figures - and either way; I’m pretty good at head mathematics and converting both ways.

Funnily enough: both Mild Steel and Non Ferrous production is my game too. And I’m buying materials in metric and imperial every week. These days it’s usually American made stuff, specialist stuff or Aluminium that’s bought in imperial sizes. Standard Mild, Stainless steel and ‘everything else’ that’ is metric.

We’re not into offshore / nuclear etc - so the differences between 19mm and 3/4” for example rarely cause problems. Infact I’m not sure I’ve ever been caught out. Yet !

Friend almost got caught out with the difference between a metric thou' (gosh!) and an imperial thou' (looks alright).

 

[Dogtrousers]

So did my GranDad

with a bucket and shovel

It was rumoured that he often had equipment in his car boot just in case he came across some "fertiliser" when he was out

Small boy: Why are you shovelling up that 'oss muck mister?
@ebikeerwidnes grandad: To put on my rhubarb
Small boy: Oh, we have custard on ours

 

[Dogtrousers]

Sorry for coming in late, which might be why I'm confused: are you saying there are multiple Fibonacci sequences? I did not know this!

Fibonacci numbers normally start 1,1 I (like you) thought that was the definition of the F numbers and the Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences agrees with us.
https://oeis.org/A000045

You can use the same algorithm but with different starting pairs, but these have different names according to the OEIS. eg if you start with 2,1 you get. the "Lucas Numbers"

https://oeis.org/A000032

So, in short, according to the OEIS there is only one sequence called "Fibonacci Numbers" and it starts 1,1

If you disagree, take it up with this guy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Sloane

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Well I did say "approximately".

Strictly speaking, neither mine nor yours is a proper Fibonacci sequence.

There are, because F(0) and F(1) have to be defined to start the sequence. It is just usually chosen as F(0) = 0 and F(1) = 1

 

[Dogtrousers]

There are, because F(0) and F(1) have to be defined to start the sequence. It is just usually chosen as F(0) = 0 and F(1) = 1

F(0) and F(1) are 1,1 by definition for the Fibonacci numbers.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

F(0) and F(1) are 1,1 by definition for the Fibonacci numbers.

Something for you to try and answer. Are there an infinite number of Fibonacci primes?

 

[C R]

Something for you to try and answer. Are there an infinite number of Fibonacci primes?

Will you stop suggesting rabbit holes to go down into? Some of us have jobs to do.

 

[matticus]

Something for you to try and answer. Are there an infinite number of Fibonacci primes?

Tell you what: I'll count the even ones, you count the odds. We'll get together tomorrow and add them up.

(That should keep the views to this thread bubbling over ...)

 

[Profpointy]

Friend almost got caught out with the difference between a metric thou' (gosh!) and an imperial thou' (looks alright).

Apparently Americans call a thou' a mil. Whilst it does kind of make sense to refer to a milli inch, it isn't the mm us Brits might assume