How To: Make A Mathematically Correct Bagel

Do you know of people who think in terms of math equations all the time? I used to be that way. I’ve mentioned before that I dropped out of art class in high school so I could take an advanced calculus class instead. Now I’m just a geek, but back when I was a super geek, I used to think of everything in terms of balancing an equation. It’s kind of like the yin and yang that make the world go round.

If you are one of those people who thinks that way, you are going to love this. How would you like to know how to make a mathematically correct bagel? Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? That’s exactly what George W. Hart, the Chief of Content at The Museum of Mathematics, used to teach students how to do in his Computers and Sculpture class. In this particular breakfast exercise, he teaches how to slice a bagel into two linked halves (cream cheese is optional).

In order to do this, you must be able to visualize your bagel as having an X, Y and Z axis (are you having a geometry flashback yet?). You will need fine point red and black markers to do this (preferably Sharpies). The video below illustrates exactly how the cut should be made. When you are finished, you might even challenge yourself with a calculus question, “What is the ratio of the surface area of this linked cut to the surface area of the usual planar bagel slice?”

For the full tutorial, more pictures, and a geektastic time, visit George Hart. If making this bagel isn’t for you, maybe you would prefer making a breakfast pie. Flickr user megpi created the Pi Pie below for Pi Day on March 14th. Looks delicious!

Via: [Mental Floss] Header Image Credit: [Elena Itsenko / Shutterstock]