Comments on: All hail Leibniz

By: foobar

foobar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:31:10 +0000

1) Dr. Tim Penning
2) His dog “Elvis”
3) Their theory based on experiments “Do dogs know bifurcations?”

By: byslexia

byslexia — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:44:07 +0000

Edward Pennings measured that his dog, Elvis, used the optimal path when fetching balls thrown out to sea.

By: superbrat

superbrat — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:39:41 +0000

Time Pennings with his dog Elvis. He took his dog out on the shores of Lake Michigan to play ‘fetch’. And he found his dog appears to be solving a calculus problem to find the fastest way to get to the ball.

By: Mo

Mo — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:48:16 +0000

Dr. Roland Minton, professor of math, physics and computer science at Roanoke, found an article in The College Mathematics Journal by Pennings, a professor at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, about the dog whom Pennings claimed could do calculus. Elvis is a 6-year-old Welsh-Corgie mix and has been the inspiration for much of Pennings’ calculus observations.

The article stemmed from a trip to Lake Michigan when Pennings tossed a tennis ball into the water and watched as Elvis raced to grab it. Pennings noticed that Elvis’ process of retrieving the ball could be transferred into a mathematical equation. He set up an experiment with his students to determine whether Elvis would instinctively choose the optimal path – that is, the most efficient route to the ball. The optimal path allows the person (or dog) to minimize its time of travel over different rates of speed and different mediums. Pennings found that if he threw the ball a certain distance, Elvis would swim directly to the ball if it was close to the shore. However, if the ball was further out in the lake, Elvis would run along the beach until he reached the burification point, or the point in time when he changed his mind about when to leap into the lake, and then scamper into the water.

By: Deepthi JS

Deepthi JS — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:09:56 +0000

Prof.Tim Pennings and his experiment with his dog Elvis.His work involved the optimisation of path dogs use in fetching a ball.

By: dheeraj

dheeraj — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:37:41 +0000

timothy J.penning and his dog elvis.
elvis follows the path that takes the least time.The path more or less matched the theoretical solution(got using calculus)

By: BASAB

BASAB — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:13:13 +0000

Dr Tim Pennings and his dog Elvis, who knows Calculus. Pennings proved that dogs chose the optimal mix of running and swimming to get to the ball in the water in the shortest time

By: Ananth

Ananth — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:06:07 +0000

Tim Pennings
His publication ‘Do Dogs Know Calculus’. He used to throw a ball into Lake Michigan. His dog would run down the beach and then jump into the water, rather than diving into the water immediately.

By: madhur

madhur — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:47:54 +0000

1. Tim Pennings

2. From his experiments, he revealed to the world that his Welsh corgi, Elvis, appears to be solving a calculus problem when finding the optimal path (minimizing travel time) to fetch a ball

By: varuns88

varuns88 — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:38:04 +0000

Tim Pennings found that dogs are able to calculate the optimal path to a ball thrown in the water.