3
$\begingroup$

I am all around your everyday life

But you can't see me with eyes, like a hidden knife

I am made up of some of the most important numerals in town

Just take away imagination and these irrational clowns

Name this mathematical concept

Hint 1

The first line is about computers and smartphones or any digital tech

Improve this question
$\endgroup$

7 Answers 7

Reset to default
2
$\begingroup$

Binary

Edit:

I am all around your everyday life

It's in your phone, it's in computers, it's in everything you use.

But you can't see me with eyes, like a hidden knife

You can't see the individual bits that computers use, but it is important, like a hidden knife.

I am made up of some of the most important numerals in town

Here the most important numerals are 0 and 1 (possibly i or e or pi could have claim to that position but the next line dissallows that)

Just take away imagination and these irrational clowns

We don't care about imaginary numbers and irrational numbers, thus leaving us with only 0 and 1

Name this mathematical concept

Binary is a mathematical concept

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
5
  • $\begingroup$ Correct, now you just have to explain the lines $\endgroup$
    – Xavier Stanton
    Commented Aug 13, 2018 at 22:06
  • $\begingroup$ @XavierStanton If you can I'd accept nikki's answer, they corrected it and added the solution before me. $\endgroup$
    – tox123
    Commented Aug 13, 2018 at 23:31
  • $\begingroup$ I do accept the answer, and it looks like an explanation is coming on mobile in a little bit $\endgroup$
    – Xavier Stanton
    Commented Aug 14, 2018 at 0:36
  • $\begingroup$ @tox123 This answer hasn't been sufficiently explained. You appear to have intended to update it, but never did. Can you elaborate on your answer, please? $\endgroup$
    – GentlePurpleRain
    Commented Nov 1, 2018 at 16:10
  • $\begingroup$ @GentlePurpleRain Oh wow I forgot, thanks for reminding me! $\endgroup$
    – tox123
    Commented Nov 1, 2018 at 22:57
5
$\begingroup$

Is the answer

Base system - binary?

I am all around your everyday life

In all digital works

But you can't see me with eyes, like a hidden knife

Can't really see the chips, they're too tiny

Most important numerals in town

0 and 1 are the numerals in binary town, 0... k-1 for town/system with base k

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • $\begingroup$ No. The fourth line says that imaginary numbers and complex numbers aren't present here $\endgroup$
    – Xavier Stanton
    Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 1:47
3
$\begingroup$

I think it's

The Hexadecimal Numbering system

I am all around your everyday life

Hexadecimals are used in electronics and digital memory

But you can't see me with eyes, like a hidden knife

Hexadecimal numbers are not directly visible, they're a group of 4 bits which in turn are electronic chips

I am made up of some of the most important numerals in town

Binary numbers are arguably the most important numerals and hexadecimal numbers are groups of four binary digits.

Just take away imagination and these irrational clowns

Hexadecimal numbers don't deal with irrational or imaginary numbers

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • $\begingroup$ No, but it is a number system $\endgroup$
    – Xavier Stanton
    Commented Aug 13, 2018 at 22:08
2
$\begingroup$

I was thinking along the lines of

$\mathbb{Q}$

Since

The third and fourth lines suggest the set of numbers without the complex and irrational numbers. Maybe also the second line (can't see it with eyes ($i$)).

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
2
  • $\begingroup$ Unfortunately no, the hidden knife part is just for the rhyme $\endgroup$
    – Xavier Stanton
    Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 3:15
  • $\begingroup$ @XavierStanton Could you please point to the part of the question that makes this a wrong answer? If the only part is "that's not the answer I intended", then it would be a very good idea to add some more clues that explicitly exclude this answer. $\endgroup$
    – Bass
    Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 6:53
1
$\begingroup$

Is it

sine?

I am all around your everyday life

as sound waves

But you can't see me with eyes, like a hidden knife

sound is not perceived with the eyes

Just take away imagination and these irrational clowns

Made me think of fourier transform which is applicable to sound. Remove the complex part and I guess you get the magnitude of sine waves?

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • $\begingroup$ That is incorrect $\endgroup$
    – Xavier Stanton
    Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 22:22
1
$\begingroup$

This is far-fetched, but are you maybe referring to a

derivative

It is all around because

differential equations are quite common in electronics

made up of some of the most important numerals in town

the definition of a derivative: lim, 0, f(x)... all important concepts

Not sure about the "imagination and these irrational clowns", but neither complex nor irrational numbers are closely related with the definition itself.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • $\begingroup$ Incorrect, but it is a good thought $\endgroup$
    – Xavier Stanton
    Commented Aug 13, 2018 at 22:07
-1
$\begingroup$

Is it

Euler's identity, exp(i*pi) + 1 = 0

I am all around your everyday life

Used all around us in laptops, phones etc for complex signal analysis

But you can't see me with eyes, like a hidden knife

There is the component i, which makes it imaginary

I am made up of some of the most important numerals in town

It involves e, pi, i, 1 and 0, the 5 fundamental concepts in Math

Just take away imagination and these irrational clowns

The RHS of the equation is 0, "taking away" i (imaginary) and pi (irrational)

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • $\begingroup$ That is an amazing guess, but incorrect. You have to leave out e as well. It doesn't appear in the answer $\endgroup$
    – Xavier Stanton
    Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 1:46

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.