Some numbers are large. Some numbers are small. Some numbers are positive. Some numbers are negative. Some number is even zero. Some numbers are countably infinite. Some numbers are uncountably infinite. Some numbers are rational. Some numbers are irrational. Some numbers are imaginary. Some numbers are real. Some real numbers grow in gardens. Some garden numbers are BIG and TALL.
Welcome to the Garden of Constants!
Here on the campus of The Ohio State University, you might feel like a mathematical Lilliputian among gargantuan numbers. This installation is the inspiration of artist Barbara Grygutis. The members of the Garden of Constants have become favorites among students and tourists alike.
Can you find the answers to the following numeric questions? Don't worry, you don't need to be a mathematician to complete this virtual cache, but there might be a test at the end of class!
Earn your Bachelor's Degree to log the cache. Want to get an advanced degree? Answer additional questions to snag a Master's Degree and even a Doctorate. Note: only the first set of questions are required to log the cache. I'll keep a record of all the advanced achievements you acquire at the bottom of the cache page.
Although it's not required to log the cache, we'd love to see photos of you standing inside the zero! Please do not post photos of any other numbers or information, though!
To claim credit for this virtual cache, answer the following questions:
1. Find the small 0s and 1s. What do they mean? [you can use this tool to make your life easier] [hint: they're on the ground]
2. Follow these directions to get a long number. Put them together!
Take the number flat on the ground that is closest to 1. Then take the golden number; put it on the end of your first number. Now you have a two-digit number. Look at the standing teal numbers. Take the three closest to the building - in that order; closest to the building first, then next closest, then farthest - and put them on the end of your number. You should have a five-digit number. Next, append the big, circular number. That's six digits! Finally, throw on the number lying on the ground that isn't black. You should have a 7-digit answer. (NOTE: no adding, subtracting, division, multiplication, or any fancy math gobbledygook is necessary here. Just put the numbers together)
3. OPTIONAL: post a picture of you and/or your party standing in the zero. O-H!
Congratulations! Now you have a Geocaching Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics!
There are two methods you can use to claim a find on this virtual cache:
1. The first is the traditional way: message me via the website with your answers. I might not respond super quickly if you are wrong.
2. Use this Google form to get instant confirmation about your answers. If you are correct, you can log the cache knowing you were right! If you're wrong, you can keep hunting for answers. Please include your geocaching name in the form so I can see what answers go with which person. Link to form: https://forms.gle/25yyW4AKT9d5eeUt5
MASTER'S DEGREE:
1. Find a number that is catty-cornered to RLC. What color would this number be?
2. The non-tiled teal numbers are what type of numbers?
Ph.D
1. Stand in the zero, facing the Enarson Classroom Building. Look down. You should see a block of four dark squares at your feet. Use the two tiles that are not adjacent to a light fixture. Their corners touch. Record a mathematical item from each square. Next, look to the left and you will see a grid of nine dark squares. Go to the square farthest from the zero. Record a mathematical item from that square. Finally, look for the two tiled numbers in the garden. You should now have five individual mathematical things. Put them together somehow to construct a well-known (in the math world, at least) equation. What is the name of the equation?
2. The numbers that are lying down and the golden number are all what type of number? Remember, six isn't a square number!
Message me your answers to the Master's and Doctorate sections. If you're right, I'll add you to the hall of fame below. If you're not, I'll gently let you know you need to take another year of advanced studies!
IMPORTANT: There is NO parking next to the garden. Visitors can pay to park at a variety of locations on campus (surface lots and garages) or you can walk into campus free of charge.
Distinguished Students Earning Geocaching Mathematics Master's Degree:
MOST DISTINGUISHED STUDENTS EARNING GEOCACHING MATHEMATICS DOCTORATE:
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.