Triangulation

From: Hibbs, Philip <philip.hibbs_at_tnt.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 1998 19:49:40 -0000


Allen Wallace:
>I realize this probably classifies as an uninformed question, but here
>goes anyway. How high is the skydome over Genertela? How high is it
>altogether? Assuming it isn't RW lunar orbital distances, is there any
>reason why a navigator couldnt use triangulation to find his position?

>From Owen Jones' Mathematical Notes From Notchet Page:
[2001] This is a story I usualy relate to students, that they might take care not to have too much pride in a knowledge of geometry, and that they might know that the gods are unknowable.

    A young man from the provinces, having studied the properties of congruent triangles, sought to measure the height of the red moon above the earth. To this end he built a tall tower, and compared its height to that of the moon. This he was able to do as he possessed a good map showing the distance from the base of his tower to Glamour, which as we know lies directly beneath the goddess.

    Pleased with his achievement, he travelled to Glamour, intent on revealing his knowledge to the Red Emperor himself. However, rather than rewarding him, the Red Emperor commanded that he justify his pride by repeating his calculation, this time using a tower somewhat closer at hand.

    To his dispair, his second calculation produced a very different answer, and the young geometer threw himself off the tower in shame, for he had realised that only a fool could believe that the gods would let themselves be bound by mathematics. [Jude of Holay, also called Jude of the Tower or Limping Jude]

I believe a mariner can triangulate his position if he has two geographic compasses, and can see the Red Moon. This was heatedly discussed on the Digest some time ago, and I think most people (including Owen Jones, a maths professor) eventually agreed that three accurate directional references will pinpoint you on a map.

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/phibbs +--------------+

| Philip Hibbs +---------------------------------------------+
| What immortal hand or eye dare frame thy perfect symmetry? |
+------------------------------------------------------------+

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End of The Glorantha Digest V5 #459


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