Why are Brussel Sprouts so called and what has this to do with the game of
sprouts? Well the first part of the question seems the easiets to answer –
Brussel sprouts were a popular vegetable in Belgium during the sixteenth
century from which they were spread to surrounding countries throughout
Europe. So what has this to do with the game of sprouts? Well nothing as
far as I am aware!
But the game of sprouts has lots to do with mathematics so let’s start
there. The magazine this month contains an article on the game of sprouts,
which involves joining spots according to some particular rules. Is it
possible to guarantee that you will always win when you play?
With the start of the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece just a few weeks away,
the Olympic torch is currently being carried around the world visiting
every country that will be participating this summer. I wonder whether the
Olympic torch has made a journey that visits every country just once and
never goes over the same ground twice?
The mathematics of making journeys where you visit each place just once (a
Hamilton Path) is one of the ideas we investigate in this month's edition,
for example in the The Travelling Salesman. We also consider journeys with
a slightly different focus, that go over every path exactly once (Euler
Paths). There are also articles for you to investigate more of the
mathematics that uses these ideas.
This and much more in our theme of Routes and Networks.
Jenny and Liz
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