Rosh Hashana Calculations
Henry Gould
gould at math.wvu.edu
Tue Sep 26 19:27:13 CEST 2006
Yes, but you fail to address the matter of MATHEMATICALLY defined
sequences, which most of these offending sequences are not. Why not just
start a separate Online Encyclopedia of _Interesting_ Sequences to
contrast with the original OEIS?
--Gould
Jonathan Post wrote:
> I am one of the "offenders" who has not only asked the question that
> sparked this discussion, but has also submitted many apparently
> "vague" sequences, such as those related to atomic weights.
>
> On the other hand, one good reason to allow such sequences is to
> include sufficient caveats in the comments as to show why the sequence
> is ill-defined under reasonable assumptions.
>
> A second good reason to include such sequences is to save people the
> effort of trying to find a formula for a sequence that they have seen
> external to OEIS, when the formula either fails to exist or has caveats.
>
> A third good reason to include such sequences as the one in question
> is that there are several calendrical sequences already in OEIS, and
> another brings us asymptotically closer to closure.
>
> A fourth good reason to include such sequences is that calenders are
> one of the oldest sources of mathematical calculation by our species.
>
> Finally, "artificially contrived" is even more vague and unyielding to
> consistent definition, both between authorities and over time.
>
> I believe that the system of God-Emperor njas atop the pyramid,
> associate editors arrayed with him, feedback from sequence submitters,
> and emails from seqfans is mature and robust enough to deal
> appropriately with such concerns. What you say is true for you, but
> combines a problem of subjectivity with an alleged institutional problem.
>
> I have seen such arguments become angry indeed, as, for instance, when
> a motion was formally voted upon (and lost) that "franchise novels"
> such as Star Trek novels, Star Wars novels, and the like, should not
> be eligible for Nebula Awards given by Active Members of Science
> Fiction Writers of America. There were many good and heated arguments
> pro and con at that formal meeting of SFWA, but one compelling
> argument was that we should trust the judgment of our professional
> membership.
>
> On 9/26/06, *Karol PENSON* <penson at lptl.jussieu.fr
> <mailto:penson at lptl.jussieu.fr>> wrote:
>
> I agree with Henry Gould's opinion.
> Karol A. Penson
>
>
>
>
>
> wrote:
>
> > Putting religious numbers sequences into OEIS troubles me. For a
> > beginning example, the precise day that Ramadan beings in subject to
> > widely different interpretations. One authoritative source
> believes it
> > is one day and others thins it is another day. Some people are very
> > strict and say it begins when the leader actually SEES the new moon.
> >
> > In short I believe these kinds of numbers are too variable to
> deserve
> > any mention in OEIS.
> >
> > Does anyone else agree?
> >
> > These matters like some other recreational sequences are just too
> > vague for my taste. Likewise the planet numbers, atomic weights,
> > binding energies, etc. and most physical constants. They just do not
> > belong in OEIS, which ought to be concerned with validly defined
> > MATHEMATICAL sequences, not artificially contrived and religious
> > numbers. I do not even believe the ushango numbers from the African
> > bone constitute a validly defined sequence so I think OEIS is
> getting
> > toltally wild and unpleasing if you let these thing in. They
> belong in
> > an amusement category on another website.
> >
> > Henry Gould
> >
> > Hans Havermann wrote:
> >
> >> Brendan McKay:
> >>
> >>> A Jewish calendar on the web that has been thoroughly tested
> is here:
> >>>
> >>> http://www.jewishgen.org/jos/
> >>>
> >>
> >> That's great. Thank you so much. I was able to tabulate the data
> >> available there and confirm that my formula agrees with it for the
> >> years 1753-2238. And using those dates, I can now revisit the
> >> original "Years when Ramadan and Rosh Hashana coincide" table:
> >>
> >> Year Ramadan Rosh Hashana
> >>
> >> 1777 10/3 10/2
> >> 1778 9/23 9/22
> >> 1779 9/12 9/11
> >>
> >> 1810 9/30 9/29
> >> 1811 = 9/19 9/19
> >> 1812 9/8 9/7
> >>
> >> 1843 = 9/25 9/25
> >> 1844 = 9/14 9/14
> >>
> >> 1875 10/1 9/30
> >> 1876 9/20 9/19
> >> 1877 9/9 9/8
> >>
> >> 1908 9/27 9/26
> >> 1909 = 9/16 9/16
> >>
> >> 1940 = 10/3 10/3*
> >> 1941 = 9/22 9/22*
> >> 1942 = 9/12 9/12
> >>
> >> 1973 9/28 9/27
> >> 1974 9/18 9/17*
> >> 1975 9/7 9/6
> >>
> >> 2005 = 10/4 10/4
> >> 2006 9/24 9/23
> >> 2007 = 9/13 9/13
> >>
> >> 2038 = 9/30 9/30*
> >> 2039 = 9/19 9/19*
> >> 2040 = 9/8 9/8
> >>
> >> 2071 9/25 9/24
> >> 2072 9/14 9/13*
> >>
> >> 2103 10/3 10/2
> >> 2104 9/21 9/20
> >> 2105 = 9/10 9/10
> >>
> >> 2136 = 9/27 9/27
> >> 2137 = 9/16 9/16
> >>
> >> 2168 = 10/3 10/3
> >> 2169 9/22 9/21
> >> 2170 9/12 9/11
> >>
> >> 2201 9/30 9/29
> >> 2202 9/19 9/18
> >> 2203 = 9/8 9/8
> >>
> >> 2233 10/6 10/5
> >> 2234 = 9/25 9/25
> >> 2235 = 9/14 9/14
> >>
> >> *'s are corrected Rosh Hashana dates. Three consecutive
> coincidental
> >> years are rather special, appearing only twice: 1940-1942 and
> 2038-2040.
> >>
> >>
> >
>
>
> --
> _________________________________________________________________________
>
> Karol A. PENSON
>
> Universite Paris 6 | Email :
> penson at lptl.jussieu.fr <mailto:penson at lptl.jussieu.fr>.
> Laboratoire de Physique Theorique |
> de la Matiere Condensee (LPTMC) | Tel. : (33 1) 44 27 72 33
> Boite courrier 121 | Mobile : (33 6) 07 27 51 56
> 4, place Jussieu, Tour 24, Et.2 | Fax : (33 1) 44 27 51 00
> F 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France |
>
>
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