Interview with a civil engineer.

Interview of a civil engineer

First of all, thanks for your time, I know that you don’t have much time so I appreciate this a lot.

1.     What’s your name?

My name is Pedro González.

2.      Why you decided to study Civil engineering?

It is a career that requires effort and dedication, but one of my passions is building, so it wasn´t an effort as big as it could be.

3.      Could you define the Civil Engineering?

Engineering that uses: knowledge of calculus, mechanics, hydraulics and chemistry to develop the design, construction and maintenance of infrastructure deployed in the environment, including roads, railways, bridges…

4.      Have you study a master? Related to?

Yes, I have studied a master of International Business Administration in Boston.

5.      What characteristics or skills define a civil engineer?

Extensive knowledge in the administration of mechanics, calculus and also hydraulics, it depends in the project you are involved.

6.      How many time after finishing your degree were you waiting until you start working?

None, I started working two days after I finish studying my degree. Very fast in my opinión.

7.      Is the workplace a civil engineer turned their expectations?

Not yet.

8.      What contributions to society gives a civil engineer?

Create roads, building, bridges and dams.

9.      Would you have been interested in some other career? Why?

I am always looking to expand my knowledge and be more prepared for everything.

The Fibonacci series

The Fibonacci series.

The spiral, Fibonacci series and golden sequence is well known in the mathematical scene. At the end of s. XII, the Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa (1170-1240), who was better known as Fibonacci, described this formula as a solution to a problem of raising rabbits. The formula had been described earlier by Hindu mathematicians Gopala and Hemachandra, who investigated the rhythmic patterns that formed syllables with one or two pulses. The number of such rhythms (keeping together a number n of pulses) was F (n +1), which is like sed n +1 represents the term of the Fibonacci sequence. Kepler also wrote of such succession.

In 1202, Fibonacci published his book Liber Abaci, which included several problems and algebraic methods. The famous spiral, called "Fibonacci sequence" appears constantly in nature. The can see for example:

- Counting the scales of a pineapple. After watching her, you'd be surprised that appear spirally around the corner in equal numbers to the terms specified in the Fibonacci sequence.

- Also in pineapples sunflower. In them, a network of spirals are formed, some that go in the direction of clockwise and others to the contrary, but in any case always, quantities of ones and others are consecutive terms of the Fibonacci sequence.

This sequence so beloved by fans of mathematics, is formed by adding the previous two series elements, 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144 Apparently ... it could be either a mathematical series, with no relevance, but no. Besides being very important in the application of various theories (computer science, mathematics, biological settings and game theory), is very curious and does not fail to call attention, as this series appears in nature in an optical way.

The sequence of this series starts with 0 and 1 and thereafter every element is the sum of the previous two. 

Each element forming this sequence is called the Fibonacci number.

And it all started with a problem of raising rabbits. It was the following:

A certain man had one pair of rabbits together in a closed room and one wishes to know how many are created from this pair in a year when nature bear another pair in a single month, and in the second month also born calve.

So  we see that:

 

As you can see in the picture, the number of partners over the months coincide with the terms set out in succession. Simplified: the sequence is used to determine the number of couples who have rabbits in twelve months and also to know if these are played continuously, and if each pair of rabbits produces a new pair of rabbits (one male and one female). Each rabbit you can cross to the age of one month, and its gestation period one month.

The gold number

The gold number:

The gold number is the ratio or proportion there is between two segments of lines. It was discovered in antiquity, and can be found not only in geometrical figures, but also in nature. You may find this relationship in various works of art or architecture. For example, the Vitruvian Man, drawn by Leonardo Da Vinci and considered a beauty ideal, is provided as the gold number. What is the origin and significance of this mathematical value?

There are numbers that have intrigued us for centuries. Values ​​such as PI-mathematical ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter-usually occur as a result of most diverse equations or proportions of various natural objects. The golden ratio also has many interesting properties and appears hidden and enigmatic, in the most diverse places.

The first to make a formal study on the golden ratio was Euclid, about three centuries before Christ, in his Elements. Euclid defined its value by saying that "a straight line is divided at the end and proportional when the whole line is to the greater segment as the greater the younger." The value of this ratio is a number, as Euclid proved, can’t be described as the ratio of two whole numbers (is irrational and owns infinite decimal) whose approximate value is 1.6180339887498 ...

Math time

Mathematic rule

Calculus video-exercise

Funny things: The Elevator.

Here I have one of the funny photos I have told you in the presentation of the blog.

In this picture, we can see two papers; the first one says (El ascensor sube solo al segundo piso sin pasar por el primero) "the elevator goes only to the second floor without going through the first floor".

And in the second paper we can see (Eso es imposible, firmado Bolzano) "that is impossible, sign Bolzano".

The number 1089

If you write a number with 3 digits without being palindrome, and if then you change the order of the digits (ABC → CBA). Now we have the number ABC and CBA, so we make a subtract of the smallest to the biggest one, having a result (DEF).  And now if we make the same thing changing the order we will get FED, and if then we make a sum of DEF and FED you will get always the same result.

1089

This could sound strange and also impossible, but it’s mathematics. Try it. You will always get 1089.

Now I will explain you why is this possible.

When we take the first number (ABC) we are taking 100A + 10B + C.

(A is the cents, B is the tens and C is the units)

Then we have to change the order, ABC → CBA, and then we have 2 numbers, so we have to make a subtraction of the smallest to the biggest one, subtracting these two numbers we get 100 (AC) +10 (BB) + CA = 100 (AC) + CA. Having assumed that A> C, obviously must be C <A,0 we have to add and subtract 100 units so the result won’t change: 100(A-C-1) +90+(10+C-A).

We can verify that this number always has the 9 in the tens position and also the sum of the first and the third number (AC-1 +10 + C + A) is also 9.

And also if we now change between them the first row and the third one and we make an addition we have this result:

100(A-C-1)+90+(10+C-A)+100(10+C-A)+90+(A-C-1)= 100A-100C-100+90+10+C-A+1000+100C-100A+90+A-C-1=1089

The number 153

The number 153 has very peculiar properties :

It is the smallest number that can be expressed as the sum of the cubes of its digits :

153 = 13 + 53 + 33

It is equal to the sum of the factorials of the numbers from 1 to 5 :

153 = 1! + 2! + 3 ! + 4! +5 !

The sum of its digits is a perfect square :

1 + 5 + 3 = 9 = 32

The sum of its divisors (excluding the number itself ) is also a perfect square :

1 + 3 + 9 + 17 + 51 = 81 = 92

Moreover, as can be seen , is the square of the sum of the digits.

Can be expressed as the sum of all integers from 1 to 17 :

153 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ... + 15 + 16 + 17

This means that 153 is the seventeenth triangular number .

Is divisible by the sum of its digits :

153 / (1 + 5 + 3) = 17

Can be expressed as the product of two numbers formed by the digits :

153 = 3 · 51

It can also be expressed in this curious way :

135 = 11 + 32 + 53

The sums of powers 0, 1 and 2 of its digits is equal to the product of them :

10 + 51 + 32 = 1 · 5 · 3

                      MY LIFE AND MATHEMATICS

My life and mathematics have always gone together. Since I was young, I have had the facility to solve math easily. It is obvious that when we are young it is not the same as when we grow up. When we are young the king of the classroom was the one who was able to solve a sum of more than two digits, such as 43 + 67. I was "advanced" because my father was concerned with teaching an advanced course always higher than mine, he always told me, “You’ll thank me in the future" and I finally understood when I got to 1st of “bachillerato” that he was right, the doubts of the integrals and other advance operations were already answered. To have an advance level in maths against my others classmates was not a hard thing for me. That facility makes me love the subject and also other subjects related to maths like physics or chemistry.

This made my life, short for now, were directed to consider a career in science technology (like my father). Although my dream was to be a fighter pilot , at the end I opted to study a related engineering engines , machines and try to get to devote myself to what my father was engaged ; engineering.

Installing and removing things has always been one of my passions from small toys that I bought to remove and fix the engines that fell into my hands.

Another of my obsessions shared with my family to study abroad as much as possible of the race and that made me opt for EMU and finally here I am ... Studying a career directly related to mathematics and a future projection attached to study and work abroad.

Since it is the first post not sure what subject to do, so I liked the idea that will lift base have to look at other blogs as I get to study something as related to mathematics and joined from very small to my life thanks to my father.

In return I have to say that in every post put a phrase or image gracious, most of not all in Spanish but explain them in English, but with the funny miss translation.

                          PRESENTATION OF THE BLOG

The blog is going to be written for the spreading of mathematics and others sciences likeness to maths.

This blog is being writing by a first year engineer, that studies at the UEM ( Universidad Europea de Madrid ). And the purpose is to contribute with the mathematics divulgation by uploading several posts which some of them will include special contents like videos, photos and also an interview.