Abstract

Citation

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

• Winkel, B. (2023). 1979-Brian_Winkel-Elementary_My_Dear_Watson_Differential_Equation. SIMIODE, QUBES Educational Resources. doi:10.25334/MXAQ-8883

  BibTex | EndNote

Article Context

Description

Winkel,  B. 1979. Elementary (My Dear Watson) Differential Equation. Mathematics Magazine. 52(5): 315.

All articles which appear in this journal are FREEly available to members of the Mathematical Association of America at the member portal www.maa.org .

We post the entire article here:

It was hot for this London fall day-70°F. Holmes arrived at Barker Street Annex to find the inspector hunched over the body. "It is important that we determine the exact time of death, sir, for in that way we may immediately determine the motive," said the inspector. Not wishing to pursue the unpursuable non sequitur, Holmes took out his r-----           thermometer and after a few moments of discrete (!) investigation, announced, "I say! 94.6°F. (What, no metric system?) And it is presently noon." With that he departed into the London fog, to return to the body at the same spot in one hour. After performing another investigation Holmes declared, "93.4°F at I o'clock." And then silence....

"Inspector, the murder occurred at exactly 8:58.51204 o'clock a.m. Good day to you, sir!"

Later in their chambers Watson asked, "I say! (The British always say by saying, unlike the Hsitirb's who say by not saying.) How did you do that, Holmes?" "Elementary, my dear Watson. A simple application of a law of Newton," said Holmes.

"Here, here Holmes, you don't mean to say he fell out of a window?" snapped Watson, sensing the gravity of the issue. Remaining cool Holmes began at the beginning, where he always began with Watson, "You see...