The square-root of half the number of bees in a swarm has flown out of the Jessamine bush, 8/9 of the whole swarm has remained behind; one female bee flies about a male that is buzzing within a lotus-flower into which he has allured the night by his sweet odour, but is now imprisoned in it. Tell me the number of bees?
This is not a trick question. It’s a simple mathematical proposition, presented in verse. It’s taken from a chapter in Līlāvatī, the mathematical treatise written by the ancient Indian mathematician Bhāskara II in 1150. Many centuries ago, using bees as subjects in his theoretical construct, Bhaskara tried to teach the language of the universe – mathematics – to his students.
But what the great mathematician did not know was that the bees intuitively knew the language of the universe and efficiently use it to build geometrical honeycombs. They dance, beep, wiggle their rears, flap their wings and head-butt each other to swap information, and collectively decide where to build their new honeycomb.
Showing remarkable diligence in collecting sucrose and wax, they make smart decisions based on the principle of flexibility. Researchers who study bees regularly recommend using bee behaviour – called “Swarm Intelligence”- in making collective decisions, especially in military situations.
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