Blog #3 Hayley Pawloff

Hayley Pawloff

Goldilocks and the Three Bears
By: Robert Southey

 a) The story "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" is about a little girl who stumbles upon a house which she enters.  When she's inside the house she finds three bowls of soup- one of three is just right.  She then tries to find which chair is perfect for her of the three at the table.  Lastly, she tries out the beds in the home and tries to find the one that fulfills her needs.  To her surprise the three bears come home and see the all of the damage that Goldilock's has done.

b) I choose the short story Goldilocks because of the obvious repetition of the mathematical concept of probability. Goldilock's has found multiple sets, each with their own object in those subsets.  The concept of probability works out here because by the knowledge of knowing the first bowl of porridge is too hot, and the second too cold, it is easy to make an assumption that the third one may be in between.  Once she goes through the chairs, and ends at the choosing of the proper bed, there is enough information Goldilock's has gathered to know theres a probability that one of the things in ever subset she observes, will be just right for her.

c) I find literature to be the most effective way of me learning and remembering information.  In mathematics I've found my whole life its always easy to understand a fraction if you have six apples in front of you, and the teacher takes three (physically) away, it's easier to grasp the concept of fractions and simplification, because you could be teaching how to get to 3/6 to 1/2.