The Issue with the Problem

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 134 views

Introduction

The world of circus arts is a thrilling spectacle that combines death-defying stunts, mesmerizing acrobatics, and awe-inspiring performances. Among the many talented performers, trapeze artists are some of the most skilled and daring individuals in the circus. In this article, we will delve into a mathematical problem that arises from a trapeze act, where two performers, Aaron and Jason, are practicing their routine in the biggest circus in the world.

The Problem

Aaron and Jason are 900 ft apart, with Jason positioned 30 ft below Aaron. We are asked to find the angle separating the two performers from Aaron's viewpoint, rounded to one decimal place.

Visualizing the Problem

To better understand the problem, let's visualize the scenario. We can represent Aaron and Jason as two points in a 3D coordinate system, with Aaron at the origin (0, 0, 0) and Jason at a point (x, y, z) that is 900 ft away from Aaron. Since Jason is 30 ft below Aaron, we can represent this vertical distance as the z-coordinate of Jason's position.

Mathematical Formulation

To find the angle separating Aaron and Jason, we can use the concept of trigonometry. Specifically, we can use the law of cosines to relate the lengths of the sides of the triangle formed by Aaron, Jason, and the point directly below Jason.

Let's denote the angle between Aaron and Jason as θ (theta). We can use the law of cosines to write:

c² = a² + b² - 2ab * cos(θ)

where c is the length of the side opposite the angle θ, a is the length of the side adjacent to the angle θ, and b is the length of the side opposite the angle θ.

In this case, we have:

c = 900 ft (distance between Aaron and Jason) a = 30 ft (vertical distance between Aaron and Jason) b = 900 ft (distance between Aaron and Jason)

We can plug these values into the law of cosines equation to get:

900² = 30² + 900² - 2 * 30 * 900 * cos(θ)

Simplifying the equation, we get:

810000 = 900 + 810000 - 54000 * cos(θ)

Combine like terms:

0 = 810000 - 54000 * cos(θ)

Subtract 810000 from both sides:

-810000 = -54000 * cos(θ)

Divide both sides by -54000:

1.5 = cos(θ)

Finding the Angle

Now that we have the value of cos(θ), we can find the angle θ using the inverse cosine function:

θ = arccos(1.5)

However, the value of cos(θ) is not within the range of the arccos function, which is [-1, 1]. This is because the value of cos(θ) is greater than 1, which is not possible in the real world.

The Issue with the Problem

The problem as stated is not well-defined, as the value of cos(θ) is not within the range of the arccos function. This means that the angle θ does not exist in the real world.

However, if we assume that the problem is asking for the angle between Aaron and Jason, we can use the law of cosines to find the angle. In this case, we can use the following equation:

cos(θ) = (a² + b² - c²) / (2ab)

where a, b, and c are the lengths of the sides of the triangle.

Plugging in the values, we get:

cos(θ) = (30² + 900² - 900²) / (2 * 30 * 900)

Simplifying the equation, we get:

cos(θ) = 30² / (2 * 30 * 900)

cos(θ) = 900 / 54000

cos(θ) = 0.0167

Finding the Angle

Now that we have the value of cos(θ), we can find the angle θ using the inverse cosine function:

θ = arccos(0.0167)

θ ≈ 89.9°

Conclusion

In conclusion, the problem of finding the angle separating Aaron and Jason from Aaron's viewpoint is not well-defined, as the value of cos(θ) is not within the range of the arccos function. However, if we assume that the problem is asking for the angle between Aaron and Jason, we can use the law of cosines to find the angle. The angle θ is approximately 89.9°.

References

"Law of Cosines." Math Open Reference, mathopenref.com/lawcosines.html.
"Inverse Cosine Function." Wolfram MathWorld, mathworld.wolfram.com/InverseCosine.html.