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In Euclidean space R^3, the curve that minimizes the distance between two points is clearly a straight line segment. This can be shown mathematically as follows using ...

Orthogonal circles are orthogonal curves, i.e., they cut one another at right angles. By the Pythagorean theorem, two circles of radii r_1 and r_2 whose centers are a ...

Apéry's numbers are defined by A_n = sum_(k=0)^(n)(n; k)^2(n+k; k)^2 (1) = sum_(k=0)^(n)([(n+k)!]^2)/((k!)^4[(n-k)!]^2) (2) = _4F_3(-n,-n,n+1,n+1;1,1,1;1), (3) where (n; k) ...

The Mertens function is the summary function M(n)=sum_(k=1)^nmu(k), (1) where mu(n) is the Möbius function (Mertens 1897; Havil 2003, p. 208). The first few values are 1, 0, ...

The Ulam sequence {a_i}=(u,v) is defined by a_1=u, a_2=v, with the general term a_n for n>2 given by the least integer expressible uniquely as the sum of two distinct earlier ...

The quartic curve given by the implicit equation (x^2-a^2)(x-a)^2+(y^2-a^2)^2=0, (1) so-named because of its resemblance to a tooth. The bicuspid curve has cusps at (a,-a) ...

Given two crossed ladders resting against two buildings, what is the distance between the buildings? Let the height at which they cross be h and the lengths of the ladders ...

The Lorentzian function is the singly peaked function given by L(x)=1/pi(1/2Gamma)/((x-x_0)^2+(1/2Gamma)^2), (1) where x_0 is the center and Gamma is a parameter specifying ...

A catenary of revolution. The catenoid and plane are the only surfaces of revolution which are also minimal surfaces. The catenoid can be given by the parametric equations x ...

A Sierpiński number of the first kind is a number of the form S_n=n^n+1. The first few are 2, 5, 28, 257, 3126, 46657, 823544, 16777217, ... (OEIS A014566). Sierpiński proved ...