Smart Dog Can Solve Calculus Problems

Smart Dog Can Solve Calculus Problems (Added: September 25, 2008)

We all know the excuse "the dog ate my homework," but what if your dog could actually do your homework? A college professor says his pooch is a lot smarter than he thought. In fact, the canine is ... (more)

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By CNN
Published: September 25, 2008

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Beloit, WI -- Elvis' priorities are clear. He has to find the minimal amount of time it takes him to get to a ball.

On the beach, Dr. Tim Pennings would throw the ball into the lake. He then watched how far Elvis would run along the shore before deciding to swim for it.

Dr. Tim Pennings, Hope College professor: "When he did that, it reminded me of problems I would always do in calculus when I had a similar situation, and when I found the solution it was exactly the same path that he took."

Leave it to a college professor to ruin a perfectly good game of fetch, with something like calculus. Still, Dr. Pennings was convinced he was on to something. He started taking measurements and making calculations based on Elvis' path.

Dr. Pennings: "When I realized how close he was coming to the optimal solution, that was quite a surprise. I wasn't expecting that."

Apparently, no one else was, either. That discovery made the name Elvis famous...again. You can find this Elvis in newspapers, magazines, and academic journals around the world.

Dr. Pennings: "He's a great ambassador for mathematics, and that's why it's fun to do it. It sometimes seems like a boring subject, but when you have a dog like Elvis, it can only bring some light to it."

And, lure unsuspecting children and college students, alike.

Carl Anderson, Beloit College senior: "I'm actually going to have to do my calculus, now.

And, Elvis proves calculus isn't always about numbers on a board.

Dr. Pennings: "Obviously, he's not doing the calculus in his head. He just has some innate ability to find the optimal solution."

No matter how he does it, Elvis brings hope for many calculus students.

Marissa Berrier, Beloit College freshman: "If the little guy can do it, I can probably get through it."

A couple of years ago, a team of French mathematicians tried to prove Elvis wasn't really thinking things through as he chased after his ball. It turned out they were wrong, and so Hope College, where Dr. Pennings teaches, awarded Elvis an honorary degree.