# Mundane Pointless Algebra Problem

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-pointless-algebra-problem/832472>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 13, 2019, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-pointless-algebra-problem/832472 "2019-04-13T00:49:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-pointless-algebra-problem/832472/41 "2019-04-17T17:15:35Z")

</div>

While I applaud the OP and the responses given in the spirit I assume it was intended, I’m not clever enough to add to them, so I had to settle for solving for the answer that I assume is in the book. I can’t be the only one to get that Jim biked at 8km/h and Pam biked at 15km/h, can I?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ynnad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4491bb/32.png) [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2019, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-pointless-algebra-problem/832472/42 "2019-04-17T23:36:34Z")

</div>

I was thinking about this algebra problem again today and I realized it may be a little bit more complicated than I first thought. My Americo-centric world view led me to only consider a campsite in the northern hemisphere. But the problem only states that Jim is biking due North and not necessarily in the direction of the closest pole. If the earth were a perfect sphere I don’t think this would make any difference. But the earth is approximately an oblate spheroid. I think the solution would be different if the campsite was in the southern hemisphere. We must also consider the special case if the campsite is greater than 0 km but less than **approximately** 32 km (exact distance to be determined) south of the equator.

Does this make me a bad person?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-pointless-algebra-problem/832472/43 "2019-04-18T02:54:52Z")

</div>

> [@Ynnad](#):
>
> Does this make me a bad person?

_This thread_ makes you a bad person. You were never at a “library book sale”, were you? There is no algebra book, is there, **Jim**? And this thing is personal for you, Jim, isn’t it, because you’ve come here looking for absolution for what you tried to do to Pam, casting the whole sordid situation in the flimsy pretext of an implausible algebra problem that nobody believed for a moment. Now we all know why Pam pedaled alone in a panic for four hours in the direction of the nearest town. And yes, Jim, in case you’re interested, Pam and the girls had a good laugh at your ridiculous and obviously falsified expense reports. You may as well know this, gramps: Pam has never liked you.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-pointless-algebra-problem/832472/44 "2019-04-18T07:06:07Z")

</div>

> [@Dead\_Cat](#):
>
> I can’t be the only one to get that Jim biked at 8km/h and Pam biked at 15km/h, can I?

We cannot comment on pending litigation.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-pointless-algebra-problem/832472.md?page=2)