most recent 30 from http://mathoverflow.net 2013-05-21T23:01:22Z http://mathoverflow.net/feeds/question/5954 http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/rdf http://mathoverflow.net/questions/5954/is-it-best-to-run-or-walk-in-the-rain Andrew Stacey 2009-11-18T12:37:28Z 2010-09-03T23:07:40Z

<p>According to the <a href="http://www.yr.no/nyheter/1.6870525" rel="nofollow">Norwegian meterological institute</a>, the answer is that it is best to run. According to Mythbusters (quoted in the comments to that article), the answer is that it is best to walk.</p> <p>My guess would be that this is something that can be properly modelled mathematically and solved. I suspect that I'm not alone in making a start on this, but as it's usually during a rainstorm that I think of it, I don't get far before deciding that the best strategy is to call a taxi!</p> <p>I would also guess that someone has already done this and figured out the answer. If I'm right about that, I would like to read about it and learn what the real answer is. Thus my question is most likely: can someone provide a reference for this?</p> <p>(If I'm wrong that it's already been solved, then some pointers as to how to solve it or even an explanation of what the main issues are, would be most interesting.)</p> <p>As well as simply satisfying my curiosity, this is also one of those questions that non-mathematicians often ask (or at least, that non-mathematicians can easily understand the motivation for the question) so if there's a reasonable answer then it would be a good way to show off some mathematics.</p> <hr> <p><strong>Update</strong> This question has a long and curious history. There's a discussion about it at the meta site: <a href="http://meta.mathoverflow.net/discussion/90/question-about-walking-in-the-rain" rel="nofollow">http://meta.mathoverflow.net/discussion/90/question-about-walking-in-the-rain</a></p>

http://mathoverflow.net/questions/5954/is-it-best-to-run-or-walk-in-the-rain/5962#5962 Gerald Edgar 2009-11-18T13:09:38Z 2009-11-18T13:09:38Z

<p>try this, the latest in a long line of recreational mathematics on the topic</p> <p>"Keeping Dry: The Mathematics of Running in the Rain" Dan Kalman and Bruce Torrence, Mathematics Magazine, Volume 82, Number 4 (2009) 266-277</p>

http://mathoverflow.net/questions/5954/is-it-best-to-run-or-walk-in-the-rain/37605#37605 Andrew Stacey 2010-09-03T11:48:16Z 2010-09-03T23:07:40Z

<p>This is a completely spurious answer designed purely to test a bug.</p>