Blogspot, dark-skinned, quick-witted Indian whose gifts are practicality and sensibleness.

Last weekend, driven by the ecstacy of St.Thankgiving, Joe baked a pumpkin pie. When it first came from the oven, sectioning it into discrete pieces was like dividing up Jello, mucus or magma. I respected The Pie, for it was a clever strategy for avoiding consumption, but now the jig is up. Having spent some time in the cryo-slammer, it has become easy to cut discrete pieces out of its cinnamon-laden body. In fact, its surface has acquired such a perfect texture that it almost fractures into flawless slices the moment the knife touches it. From the top it resembles a Powerpoint pie chart, or a textbook illustration of the fraction.

I thought about how a baked goods problem might appear on a math test:

(10 points)
It is one in the morning and Byron is hungry. He notices a partially eaten pumpkin pie in the refrigerator. 3/8 of the pie have been already been eaten by raccoons. Byron cuts a quarter slice for himself and browses Allrecipes. When he finishes, he finds that he is still hungry. Sneaking back to the refrigerator like a bandit, he cuts off 1/3 of the remaining pie and eats it while updating his blog. What fraction of the original pie is left?

Extra Credit Bonus (5 points): Prove Fermat's Last Theorem

Next weekend, God-willing, Joe will make a baked Alaska cake. It will present an opportunity to teach the classroom in my mind the dynamics of phase change as the creamy vanilla ice cream melts in my mouth.