Measures

Here are some petty annoying things that an Indian finds as soon as he or she lands in America. It is not only Indians but most of Europeans are also frustrated having to cope up with sudden change in small things. Most of them have become a habit for us. But...

The one that irritates me the most is Office Paper Size. I dont know why the Americans came up with a Letter size with such awkward dimensions. Take A4, the universally used dimension paper - it is aesthetically and mathematically pleasing. Wanna know how? Well didnt I tell you that you will find interesting tidbits and trivia about everything under the sun in these pages? Here is one, which your high school maths teacher or grad school engineering drawing professor may have forgotten to tell you:

 The A4 dimension is 297x210mm. The dimensions are related by the following mathematical formula:

L{^}2^ = 2B{^}2^ =» L/B = sqrt(2) \[297/210 = 1.414\]

What does this mean? Fold the paper into half bisecting the length. Now B is length and L is the breadth. What is the ratio of the new dimensions? 

B/(L/2) = 2B/L = 2/sqrt(2) = sqrt(2)

The ratio is retained!

If you continue this the ratio is again retained! And so on. On the face of it, the Letter size looks simply awkward.