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A businessman needed to employ a quantitative type person.
He wasn't sure if he should get a mathematician, an engineer,
or an applied mathematician. As it happened, all the
applicants were male. The businessman devised a test.
The mathematician came first. Miss How, the administrative
assistant took him into the hall. At the end of the hall,
lounging on a couch, was a beautiful woman. Miss How said,
"You may only go half the distance at a time. When you
reach the end, you may kiss our model."
The mathematician explained how he would never get there in
a finite number of iterations and politely excused himself.
Then came the engineer. He quickly bounded halfway down the
hall, then halfway again, and so on. Soon he declared he was
well within accepted error tolerance and grabbed the beautiful
woman and kissed her.
Finally it was the applied mathematician's turn. Miss How
explained the rules. The applied mathematician listened
politely, then grabbed Miss How and gave her a big smooch.
"What was that about?" she cried.
"Well, you see I'm an applied mathematician. If I can't
solve the problem, I change it!"
He wasn't sure if he should get a mathematician, an engineer,
or an applied mathematician. As it happened, all the
applicants were male. The businessman devised a test.
The mathematician came first. Miss How, the administrative
assistant took him into the hall. At the end of the hall,
lounging on a couch, was a beautiful woman. Miss How said,
"You may only go half the distance at a time. When you
reach the end, you may kiss our model."
The mathematician explained how he would never get there in
a finite number of iterations and politely excused himself.
Then came the engineer. He quickly bounded halfway down the
hall, then halfway again, and so on. Soon he declared he was
well within accepted error tolerance and grabbed the beautiful
woman and kissed her.
Finally it was the applied mathematician's turn. Miss How
explained the rules. The applied mathematician listened
politely, then grabbed Miss How and gave her a big smooch.
"What was that about?" she cried.
"Well, you see I'm an applied mathematician. If I can't
solve the problem, I change it!"
