Comments on: Center of Population http://blog.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/ The blag of the webcomic Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:54:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: blogmafia http://blog.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/comment-page-5/#comment-29415 blogmafia Thu, 11 Aug 2011 06:58:10 +0000 http://blag.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/#comment-29415 In just a few days, we spoke with people from all over the world which is best to share out in the blog while there are better opportunities to share. In just a few days, we spoke with people from all over the world which is best to share out in the blog while there are better opportunities to share.

]]> By: Kenneth Serda http://blog.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/comment-page-5/#comment-24231 Kenneth Serda Fri, 19 Nov 2010 18:43:02 +0000 http://blag.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/#comment-24231 I simply identified your blog, I actually book marked it and i 'm looking through the actual blogposts. I already like it. Useful issue either way you look on this. I come by way of this view which discover reviews as akin of attentive. I simply identified your blog, I actually book marked it and i ‘m looking through the actual blogposts. I already like it. Useful issue either way you look on this. I come by way of this view which discover reviews as akin of attentive.

]]> By: Gun Blobber http://blog.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/comment-page-5/#comment-23352 Gun Blobber Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:40:04 +0000 http://blag.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/#comment-23352 I've not read any of the comments, so my apologies if this has been suggested before. Why not do it the old-fashioned 3-dimensional way, find the CM_humanity point which, as noted, lies within the interior of the Earth, and then project a line from the center of the earth through that point, to a point on the surface? I’ve not read any of the comments, so my apologies if this has been suggested before.

Why not do it the old-fashioned 3-dimensional way, find the CM_humanity point which, as noted, lies within the interior of the Earth, and then project a line from the center of the earth through that point, to a point on the surface?

]]> By: Weber Genesis Series http://blog.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/comment-page-5/#comment-23061 Weber Genesis Series Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:04:20 +0000 http://blag.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/#comment-23061 In just a few days, we spoke with people from all over the world which is best to share out in the blog while there are better opportunities to share. In just a few days, we spoke with people from all over the world which is best to share out in the blog while there are better opportunities to share.

]]> By: cbwealthformula http://blog.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/comment-page-5/#comment-22916 cbwealthformula Sat, 14 Aug 2010 19:36:44 +0000 http://blag.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/#comment-22916 good points by all. I like the banter back n forth lol. good points by all. I like the banter back n forth lol.

]]> By: noone http://blog.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/comment-page-5/#comment-8153 noone Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:52:47 +0000 http://blag.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/#comment-8153 I think it's the average deviation from the average length of the path from each person to the center that's being minimized i.e. if the school is at the center of population then every pupil will have roughly the same distance to travel to school. Example in a one-dimensional world: There are two people at point A and one person at point B, 30 km away. The best place for the school to optimize for distance would obviously be point A. The two persons there would be living inside the school and the person at B would have to travel 30 km, thus the average would be (0km+0km+30km)/3=10km. The average deviation from that would be ((10+10+20)/3)km = 13,3km. If the school is at the center of population C, between A and B, 10km away from A, then the average way would be ((10+10+20)/3)km = 13,3km > 10km, but the average deviation would only be ((3,3+3,3+6,7)/3)km = 4,43 km < 13,3km. So this would be the <i>fairest</i> point to build a school, but not the best. I think it’s the average deviation from the average length of the path from each person to the center that’s being minimized i.e. if the school is at the center of population then every pupil will have roughly the same distance to travel to school.

Example in a one-dimensional world: There are two people at point A and one person at point B, 30 km away. The best place for the school to optimize for distance would obviously be point A. The two persons there would be living inside the school and the person at B would have to travel 30 km, thus the average would be (0km+0km+30km)/3=10km. The average deviation from that would be ((10+10+20)/3)km = 13,3km.

If the school is at the center of population C, between A and B, 10km away from A, then the average way would be ((10+10+20)/3)km = 13,3km > 10km, but the average deviation would only be ((3,3+3,3+6,7)/3)km = 4,43 km < 13,3km.

So this would be the fairest point to build a school, but not the best.

]]> By: radyo dinle http://blog.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/comment-page-5/#comment-8152 radyo dinle Sun, 19 Jul 2009 14:57:04 +0000 http://blag.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/#comment-8152 I don’t think the center of mass is the correct stuff to use for the location of school problem. Simple reason being that all the heavier kids would get more weight in the equation. other reason being that I wasn’t particularly weighty as a kid. of course that equation might help in reducing the sum of work done to get to school by the kids. I don’t think the center of mass is the correct stuff to use for the location of school problem.
Simple reason being that all the heavier kids would get more weight in the equation.
other reason being that I wasn’t particularly weighty as a kid.
of course that equation might help in reducing the sum of work done to get to school by the kids.

]]> By: Filim izle http://blog.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/comment-page-5/#comment-8151 Filim izle Sat, 11 Jul 2009 21:01:14 +0000 http://blag.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/#comment-8151 Fillim.net sitemiz full online film seyretmeniz için haz?rlanm??t?r.. Fillim.net sitemiz full online film seyretmeniz için haz?rlanm??t?r..

]]> By: Alexx http://blog.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/comment-page-5/#comment-8150 Alexx Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:12:15 +0000 http://blag.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/#comment-8150 nice post <a href="http://megaplus.com.ua" title="??????? karcher, ???????? karcher ????, ?????? karcher ds 5500 ds 5600 ?????? sv 1802" rel="nofollow"></a> nice post

]]> By: Ben W http://blog.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/comment-page-5/#comment-8149 Ben W Mon, 16 Feb 2009 07:42:42 +0000 http://blag.xkcd.com/2008/05/01/center-of-population/#comment-8149 I think Johan is right! I've thought of a number of tricky scenarios to try and fool it, but it succeeds every time. This is of course assuming that you want to find a point on the surface of the Earth which minimises distance across the surface to every person. The way to solve it would be to minimise the sum of all the (mgh)s. Or just plain (mh)s, given that g is just a constant. And come to think of it, since we're assigning equal value to each person, we could just minimise h. Granted, h is still a function of both theta and phi. I think Johan is right! I’ve thought of a number of tricky scenarios to try and fool it, but it succeeds every time. This is of course assuming that you want to find a point on the surface of the Earth which minimises distance across the surface to every person. The way to solve it would be to minimise the sum of all the (mgh)s. Or just plain (mh)s, given that g is just a constant. And come to think of it, since we’re assigning equal value to each person, we could just minimise h. Granted, h is still a function of both theta and phi.

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