Jules Verne Forum

<jvf@Gilead.org.il>

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010

Re: Pons Asinorum

From: Ralf Tauchmann <ralf.tauchmann~at~t-online.de>
Date: 18 Mar 2010 15:12 GMT
To: "Jules Verne Forum" <jvf~at~gilead.org.il>

"Christian Sánchez" <chvsanchez~at~arnet.com.ar> schrieb:
> From "De la Terre à la Lune":
> Là, sur de vastes plaines, on devait établir d'immenses
> figures géométriques, dessinées au moyen de réflecteurs
> lumineux, entre autres le carré de l'hypoténuse,
> vulgairement appelé le «Pont aux ânes» par les Français.
[...]
> However, according to Wikipedia:Pons asinorum (Latin for
> "bridge of asses") is the name given to Euclid's fifth
> proposition in Book 1 of his Elements of geometry, also
> known as the theorem on isosceles triangles. It states that
> the angles opposite the equal sides of an isosceles triangle
> are equal.
> So Verne seems to have mixed up two different theorems.

Dear Christian,

However, in French, this is absolutelty correct,
linguistically speaking.

Here is the extract from the GRAND ROBERT:

"C'est le pont aux ânes : une difficulté qui ne peut
arrêter que les ignorants; spécialt, le théorème de
Pythagore."

There is yet a different meaning in German, where
"Eselsbrücke", has entirely lost its relation to maths,
but is a very common word (in schools) for "aide-memoire".

Best regards,
 
Ralf Tauchmann
Gerhart-Hauptmann-Str. 23
01445 RADEBEUL

Tel: +49-351-8336141
Fax: +49-351-8336142
Mobil: 0178-4320374

eMail: ralf.tauchmann~at~t-online.de
Internet: http://tauchmann.ratau.de
Received on Thu 18 Mar 2010 - 17:12:57 IST

JV.Gilead.org.il
Copyright © Zvi Har’El
$Date: 2010/03/18 19:00:04 $$