HN Explorer

44 comments

[ 2.1 ms ] story [ 109 ms ] thread
iwwr
Another formula for love:

(NSFW)

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=pi%5Epi%2A%28exp%28-x%5...

bajsejohannes
A graph of a penis with 9 upvotes. I hope this isn't where HN is going.
catshirt
what precisely differentiates this graph from the original post? i feel like they're equally [relevant/irrelevant].
[deleted]
(comment deleted)
bajsejohannes
The original is relevant because 1) it is valentine's day and 2) most people here appreciate a good math formula.

On it's own the original post was perhaps not too original, but it spurred some interesting discussion, like where the heart shape originated.

The penis graph on the other hand, only comes of as childish. Sure, it would have been really funny when I was 15. And to be sure, there are plenty of clever penis jokes out there ("The hammer is my penis" comes to mind), but this is not one of them.

sfphotoarts
Well, I can't agree, I thought it was clever and witty and I'm hanging on to the 15 year old inside me that still thinks this is pretty funny.
catshirt
doesn't the comment you addressed suit both your listed criteria for "relevant"?
Groxx
I can see your reasons, but to play devil's advocate (because it's more fun):

1) via Wikipedia, the heart shape itself is likely based off the shape of the silphium seed, which was used as a contraceptive, or of course various naughty bits of anatomy. And condom sales spike around V-day. Relevancy #1: check.

2) It's an equation. And it even contains pi raised to the pith power. Relevancy #2: check.

Groxx
I think it's actually a "πnus"

edit: wow, crappy pi character. "pinus"

nailer
Isn't the square root of x squared just x?
cj
When you square root things they become + or -
tintin
And ofcourse: 1 + 1 = 1 ;)
[deleted]
(comment deleted)
jacobolus
Mathworld has some better ones: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/HeartCurve.html
scott_s
But the URL gives away the punchline.
cristoperb
The equation in the submitted link gave away the punchline too.
scott_s
The text for the URL on HN gives it away, but the URL itself does not. Which is why I was able to pleasantly surprise a friend of mine with it.
ck2
Since the human heart looks nothing like the "heart shape" we all know and use, I wonder where that originated...

Dang, wikipedia knows it all:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_%28symbol%29

The seed of the silphium plant, used in ancient times as an herbal contraceptive, has been suggested as the source of the heart symbol.

Oh, also http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=%28x^2%2By^2-1%29^3-x^2...

philh
3d version: (x^2+(9/4)y^2+z^2-1)^3 - x^2z^3-(9/80)y^2z^3 = 0

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=ContourPlot3D[%28x^2%2B...]

maddalab
Who does sqrt(x^2) for abs(x) ? Speak about accidental complexity in love
GanjaHacker
1 * (x^2+(y-sqrt(x^2))^2=1) would be a Bob Marley song.
hoag
This whole thread is way too cool, loved it!
ehsanul
With bezier curves (it's prettier) in Canvas/Coffeescript (assuming an existing global canvas context 'ctx'):

    heart = (scale,x,y)->
      ctx.beginPath()
      ctx.moveTo(x,y)
      p1 = [x-75*scale,y+20*scale]
      ctx.bezierCurveTo(x-20*scale,y-55*scale,p1[0]-50*scale,p1[1]-55*scale,p1...)
      p2 = [x,p1[1]+60*scale]
      ctx.bezierCurveTo(p1[0]+25*scale,p1[1]+22.5*scale,p2[0]-35*scale,p2[1]-40*scale,p2...)

      ctx.moveTo(x,y)
      p1 = [x+75*scale,y+20*scale]
      ctx.bezierCurveTo(x+20*scale,y-55*scale,p1[0]+50*scale,p1[1]-55*scale,p1...)
      p2 = [x,p1[1]+60*scale]
      ctx.bezierCurveTo(p1[0]-25*scale,p1[1]+22.5*scale,p2[0]+35*scale,p2[1]-40*scale,p2...)

      ctx.strokeStyle = 'rgba(255,40,20,0.7)'
      ctx.stroke()
    
    heart(1.0, 450, 250)