[Avodah] The Chanukah Musings of a Mathematician

[Yitzchok Levine]

Ask someone how many candles are lit in total on Chanukah (excluding 
the Shamash), and some people will immediately reply 36. Some may 
take a minute to actually add the number of candles lit each night.

Ask them how many candles would be lit if Chanukah were 15 days long, 
or 20 or 30, etc. and many people would have to pause to figure out 
the answers. Of course, those who know the formula that 
1+2+3+.....+n=n(n+1)/2 will be able to give you the answer very quickly.

Now why not use this little exercise to interest our Orthodox youth 
in finite sums at this time of year? Would this not be a nice way to 
tie Torah and mathematics together? One could take material from a 
source like http://www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/UG/JM/MATH1011/r/7a_Finite_Sums.pdf

Just the musings of a mathematician who set up his menorah a few 
minutes ago so it would be ready for tomorrow evening. :-)

A Freilichen Chanukah to all!

Yitzchok Levine