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A mathematical fable

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When two triangles are similar, the reduced ratio of any two corresponding sides is called the scale factor of the similar triangles. What does that mean? Perhaps the story of this king's decision to partition his land will clarify a few things about scaling and similarity.

Additional Resources for you to Explore

Barry Mazur (Harvard University) is the story teller in this video. Here's his book.
Don't forget to check out the moral of the scale fable.
For a pretty complex explanation of the Pythagorean Theorem, check this out.
For lots of other interesting videos about how math can apply to real life situations, check out TED-Ed's series, Math in Real Life.
To find the scale factor in similar figures, check out this video.
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Animation: Pete McPartlan --- http://www.petemcpartlan.co.uk
Music: Alan Stewart --- http://bit.ly/1sdwTHF
Website: http://www.numberphile.com/

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