where ho is the number of hosts to be brought up, ht is the number of consecrated hosts in the tabernacle, and n the number of people over 4' 5". The funky brackets
represent the ceiling function (not to be confused with ceiling cats!), which means take the nearest integer larger than the value inside the brackets. (So for x = 17.4, the result would be 18.)
There were 179 people at the 11:15 Mass, so Crash set out 160 hosts.
[Math in translation: Take the number of people who look old enough to go to communion, round it up to the next highest 10 (so if there are 197 people at Mass, round up to 180). Subtract the number of consecrated hosts reserved in the tabernacle (in our example 20) to get the number of hosts to send up to the altar to be consecrated at this Mass.]
If Nike+ used the ceiling function on my mileage, I'd be at 900 miles now. As it is, I must take another walk.
I don't understand a word of this except for the part about needing a walk!
ReplyDeleteI added a translation ;). It's easier than Hebrew, I think!
ReplyDeleteI'm amused.
ReplyDeleteEverything, it turns out, can be understood through math.
Crash was amused, too, and pointed out that the more compact you get with the notation, the harder it is to figure out! So much for simplicity?
ReplyDeleteAlas for me, I am a math incompetent.
ReplyDelete;-)
Wow. I think we just count and add some extry.
ReplyDeleteI have to show this to Ms. Math. Too good.
ReplyDeleteAnd ohmigoodness, it's been forever since I heard that parish referred to OLO the Railroad Tracks! (And that's exactly how we would refer to it when giving people directions.) Thanks for the laugh!
HUH??? I didn't get it in translation either.
ReplyDeleteStasa, my parish could be called the same thing. Our "parking lot" is the dirt (and puddles) along the tracks.