Abstracts to the papers that appeared in Journal of Recreational Mathematics 38(2)

Abstracts to the papers that appeared in Journal of Recreational Mathematics 38(2)

Restaurant Customer Satisfaction in Manhattan

Julianna G. Gardner, Peter J. DiPrinzio, and Paul M. Sommers

Middlebury College

psommers@middlebury.edu

Abstract

 The authors examine OpenTable^® restaurant ratings in November 2012 at 980 Manhattan restaurants by cuisine (America, European, Asian, and Latin American) and by price (low ─ $30 and under per person; middle ─ $31 to $49 per person; and high ─ $50 and over per person).  For each of the three different price categories, patrons rated all four types of cuisine about the same, with one exception: the lowest-priced European restaurants are rated higher than all comparably priced other restaurants.  The authors also find that for each of the four different cuisine types, spending more at a restaurant in Manhattan leads to greater customer satisfaction.

Which NHL Team Wins in Overtime?  These CHIS Know

Nicholas W. BonDurant, Alexandra L. DeMarco, Derek Pimentel, and Paul M. Sommers

Middlebury College

psommers@middlebury.edu

Abstract

 The authors use chi-square (χ²) tests to determine whether there is any relationship between National Hockey League teams that score the tying goal late in the third (and final) period of regulation and winning in overtime (OT).  All regular-season and playoff games are examined over eight seasons,    2005-06 through 2012-13.  When teams are tied after three periods in regular season (playoff) games, the authors show that the home team wins in OT about 54 (66) percent of the time no matter which team ─ the home team or the visiting team ─ scores in the last three minutes of regulation.

Evaluating Agreement and Disagreement between the U.S. and Middle East Countries in the UN General Assembly

Paul M. Sommers

Middlebury College

psommers@middlebury.edu

Abstract

 The author examines the voting records of the United States, Israel, Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan for each of twenty sessions of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly from 1991 through 2010.  For each of 1435 UN General Assembly resolutions adopted by vote, the author uses alternative measures of agreement or disagreement between pairs of nations (the agreement rate in square contingency tables, Cohen’s kappa, and Spearman rank correlation) for each of four five-year periods.  While Israel’s alignment with the United States has been strong over the last fifteen years, disagreement between the U.S. and Iran became progressively more intense for each of the last three five-year periods.        

Generalized Palindromes with Leading Zeroes

John J. J. Matulis Jr.

john.matulis@villanova.edu

Abstract

  A palindrome is a character string that reads the same forwards and backwards. For example,  527725 and POTSTOP are palindromes. The generalized palindrome is a character string where a proper grouping of the characters can create a palindrome. For example, 73653657 is not a palindrome, but if it is grouped in the following way (7)(365)(365)(7) it is. This paper is an extension of that idea by allowing for leading zeroes. 

A Convergent Sequence of Circles

Henry Ibstedt
henry.ibstedt@gmail.com

Abstract

 The coordinates and radii of the infinite sequence of circles shown in the figure are all rational numbers.  An in depth study of the equation x = y + 4 + 4*sqrt(y - 8) reveals some interesting properties among which a sequence of 8 prime numbers occurring in a regular fashion.

Should Investors Fear Friday the 13^th?

Paul M. Sommers

Middlebury College

psommers@middlebury.edu

Abstract

 The author examines the daily performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DOW) reported on the New York Stock Exchange on all Friday the 13^ths between 1950 and 2014, by decade and by month.  Apart from a significant upside on June Friday the 13^ths, there were no discernable differences by month.  And, while Friday the 13^ths in the 1970s were bad news for investors, there have been no differences between decades since then.  In both the 1950s and 1960s, the DOW on Friday the 13^ths outperformed the DOW the day before as well as the DOW the Monday that followed the 13^th.  No such pattern emerges after the 1960s.   

The Influence of Free Agency on NHL Player Performance

Paul M. Sommers

Middlebury College

psommers@middlebury.edu

Abstract

 The author examines the performance of all non-goalie free agents in the National Hockey League in the years 2012 and 2013 one season before and after free agency.  The free agents in each season are divided into two age groups: players younger than 30 years of age and players 30 years of age or older.  The free agents 30 years of age or older had uniformly lower (and in most cases significantly lower) average points per game in the year following free agency, although the lower performance appears to be no different if they re-signed with their previous team or signed with a new team.

Review of "Hark! A Vagrant," by Kate Beaton

Review of

Hark! A Vagrant, by Kate Beaton ISBN 9781770460607

Five out of five stars

 These comics are amusing as many things in the human experience and many that have helped create those experiences are lampooned. Saints, writers, explorers and political figures are some of the major targets, including their works. For example, there is a set of 12 three caption pieces satirizing the Nancy Drew mystery series.

 Some of the comics will require some background knowledge if the reader is to understand them. For example, four pages are devoted to a subject called “Raskolnikov.” If the reader is unfamiliar with the novel “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, then most of it will not be understood. Another section features a dispute between Jules Verne and H. G. Wells. Fortunately, most of the comics that have a more complex meaning have a paragraph of text at the bottom, explaining the context of the comic.

 These cartoons are often silly and sometimes profound, requiring a bit of background thinking. Beaton demonstrates that her artistic and textual pens are both sharp as in combination they skewer many people.

Review of "Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush," by Jon Meacham

Review of

Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush, by Jon Meacham ISBN 9781400067657

Five out of five stars

 Over time, the presidency of George H. W. Bush has been viewed increasingly favorably. There is no question that his was in many ways a third term for Ronald Reagan. As the dutiful soldier he was, Bush subverted his positions and ambitions to serve as Vice-president under President Reagan. Nowhere near his equal as a speaker or politician, Bush spent four years living in the long shadow of his predecessor. Despite his incredible success in managing the first gulf war, when the campaign for his re-election came about, he was a victim of the changing political landscape.

 Despite a few forays into the dark side of negative campaigning, Bush was essentially a man that kept things away from the nastiness of campaigning and his was a “steady as she goes” approach. Bush understood that it is foolish to make enemies on one issue as you may need them on your side on the next one.

 As Meacham points out, the Republican Party was changing with the arrival of neopartisans such as Newt Gingrich and Vin Weber. People that felt the need to consider their political opponents to be enemies rather than just opponents. It was also the beginning of partisan talk radio and cable, where audiences are acquired and held by vilification of others, often within your own party.

 Although I was aware of George H. W. Bush’s stellar record of public service starting in World War II, I was never impressed by him. He never seemed to have any real fire or passion for anything. When he tried to project some passion, his rhetoric always seemed to sound hollow. It is ironic that one of the few times he did sound genuine, it was his “Read my lips, no new taxes” pledge that he was forced to break.

 Yet, as I read through this book I came away impressed by what he did and how he acted. In the 2016 campaign for president, the major candidates on the Republican side often remind you of three middle school boys on a playground trying to out lowball insult each other. Bush’s low-key approach to disagreements is sorely missed. This book is a reminder that the ability to spout harsh rhetoric is not evidence of governing capability. Bush was very much a “little talk, big do” person.

 There is one area where George H. W. Bush was truly outstanding and that is how he handled the American side of the breakup of the Soviet Union. As Meacham points out, there were a lot of voices in the Republican party that wanted him to gloat and pressure Mikhail Gorbachov in order to press an advantage. Bush’s low-key rhetoric did a great deal to ensure something that no one thought possible, a collapse of the Soviet empire with hardly a shot being fired. Short of the Allied victories in World War II, this event altered the course of history more than anything else. It is hard to believe that events such as the ongoing civil war in Syria could have ever started if the bipolar world of two superpowers still existed. Bush may not have won the Cold War, but he guaranteed that the United States did not achieve a hollow victory.

 With much more to come, there is not enough evidence to proclaim this the definitive biography of the life and actions of George H. W. Bush. However, it is clear that right now it is, this is a great book. He is very much underappreciated as a president. 

This book was made available for free for review purposes.