The Mathematics of
Evan Glazer
eglazer@coe.uga.edu
http://www.arches.uga.edu/~eglazer/starwars.html
Everything I've ever learned, I've
learned from Star Wars
Pay your debts on time, you can't always kill the
bill collector.
 No matter how deeply one falls into darkness,
there is always hope for redemption.
 Always let a Wookie win.
 "Try not. Do or do not. There is no try."

Everything I've ever learned, I've
learned from Star Wars
There isn't always time to discuss things in a
committee.
 Never judge anything by its size.
 Beware of judging someone else's beliefs as just a
"hokey religion." You just may end up eating those
words.
 Always check the background of people you want
to get intimately involved with, they may be your
relatives.

The Mathematics of Star Wars
 The
Impact and Influence of Star Wars
 Mathematics in the four Star Wars movies
from arithmetic to precalculus
 A “preview” of the next Star Wars movie,
Episode II
“Star Wars does more for
the civilized development
of the human race than
any other piece of art in
the world.
Star Wars has a profound
effect on children in their
evolution, their vision, in
their imagination.”
Luke Skywalker
“…was my beacon of hope
during a troubled adolescence.
He taught me that I could
overcome adversity and
create the meaningful,
challenging life I yearned for
if I persevered with courage
and faith.”
Han Solo
“I have come to lean,
through him, that in
life’s little games, it
is best to remain
relaxed and confident.”
“He has the right looks to make any woman
wish they were Princess Leia.”
Princess Leia
“…if it weren’t for Leia,
Xena would be
unemployed, Janeway
would be fetching coffee
for Captain Kirk in a
micromini skirt, and
Scully’s job would be
waiting for Mulder to
rescue her every week.”
Jabba
the
Hutt
“He’s lazy, sits around all day, hires people to do his
dirty work, has all the entertainment he wants, and he’s
rich. Jabba is living the American dream.”
NOTE THAT JABBA DOES NOT SURVIVE!
Find the missing
values in the
table at the right
that belong in
each box.
Boba Fett
Find the missing
values in the
table at the right
that belong in
each box.
Boba Fett
Find the missing
values in the
table at the right
that belong in
each box.
Boba Fett
Find the missing
values in the
table at the right
that belong in
each box.
Boba Fett
Find the missing
values in the
table at the right
that belong in
each box.
Boba Fett
R2D2 is 94 cm
tall. How tall is
Chewbacca?
A. about 120 cm
B. about 190 cm
C. about 230 cm
D. As tall as a
Tyrannosaurus
Solution
We can measure the
heights of the characters
with a ruler, and then set
up a ratio to find the
missing height.
Paper
Actual
24.8cm = c cm Chewie
10.2 cm 94 cm R2D2
c= 228.5 cm
What is the approximate average speed of the
Millennium Falcon during its escape from the
second Death Star? The diameter of the second
Death Star is 800 km and it took the ship 37
seconds to escape.
What is the approximate average speed of the
Millennium Falcon during its escape from the
second Death Star? The diameter of the second
Death Star is 800 km and it took the ship 37
seconds to escape.
A. As fast as a
speeding bullet
B. As fast as a jet
plane
C. 40,000 km/hr
D. 3 x 10^8 m/sec
Solution
The ship flies out of
the center of the
death star, traveling
a distance of 400 km
in 37 seconds.
This means that the
ship traveled at an average rate of
400 km * 60 sec * 60 min = 38,919 km
37 sec 1 min 1 hr
hr
How high off the ground is the hangar bay? Assume
that the acceleration due to gravity on Naboo is the
same as Earth (-9.8 m/sec2).
How high off the ground is the hangar bay? Assume
that the acceleration due to gravity on Naboo is the
same as Earth (-9.8 m/sec2).
Approximately:
A. 100 m
B. 1000 m
C. 10,000 m
D. As high as
a class of 100
students
standing on
each others’
heads.
Solution
The ship
does not
have any
initial
velocity,vo, in the vertical direction when it gets hit.
The equation h = ho + vot + -1/2gt2 can be used to
predict the initial height (of the hangar), ho. Since vo
= 0, the equation simplifies to h = ho + -1/2gt2
The ship takes t = 6 seconds to reach the ground where
h = 0. Substituting this information and g = -9.8 m/s2
into the equation, you will find that ho = 176.4 m,
about 100 times the length of a student.
How many
chairs are in
the senate
council?
A. About 2500
B. About 1000
C. About 250
D. About 25
Solution
There are 11 chairs within
79 degrees of a circle.
Therefore, each circle has
360/79 * 11 = 50 chairs
There are 20 concentric
circles, each with 50 chairs.
Total number of chairs:
= 50 * 20 = 1000
Bonus:
What famous
aliens occupy
a seat in the
senate?
A. E.T.
B. Close
Encounters
C. Aliens
D. Superman
Bonus:
What famous
aliens occupy
a seat in the
senate?
A. E.T.
B. Close
Encounters
C. Aliens
D. Superman
Worldwide
Top
Grossing
Films
SHOW ME THE MONEY!
An estimated 2 million people
skipped their work to watch
opening day of Episode I,
resulting in a $300 million
loss in business that day.
 Episode I merchandise sales
exceeded over $2 billion.
 Episode I promotional
advertisement campaigns
exceeded $2 billion.

In what year
will Star Wars
be ranked 1st
for the highest
gross, adjusted
for inflation?
A. Some time later
this year
B. Around 2005
C. Around 2036
D. Never, unless it
is released in the
movie theaters again
In what year
will Star Wars
be ranked 1st
for the highest
gross, adjusted
for inflation?
A. Some time later
this year
B. Around 2005
C. Around 2036
D. Never, unless it
is released in the
movie theaters again
Top Ten Reasons Why Star Wars
is Better than Titanic
 Star
Wars has way cooler action figure
potential.
 Titanic’s big, but it didn’t have hyperdrive!
 Yoda could use the Force to lift the Titanic
out of the water.
Top Ten Reasons Why Star Wars
is Better than Titanic
 Titanic
is egalitarian by portraying poor
people as sympathetic characters. Star
Wars is egalitarian by promoting bug-eyed
amphibians to admiral.
 Said bug-eyed amphibious admiral manages
NOT to lose his ship.
 Han Solo would have missed the dang
iceberg!
Top Ten Reasons Why Star Wars
is Better than Titanic
 There
are always enough escape pods in
Star Wars
 Leia is a princess, a senator, a freedom
fighter, and Jedi material; Rose is just
marriage bait.
 Han is frozen in carbonite and turned into a
wall ornament. Leo simply freezes.
Top Ten Reasons Why Star Wars
is Better than Titanic
 Rose
braves icy water to rescue her man.
Leia braves Jabba the Hut.
 We knew the boat was
gonna sink. But who
could’ve anticipated
“Luke….I am your
father.” ???
DARTH TRIVIA
When filming The Empire
Strikes Back, speculation
about a leak amongst cast
and crew centered on
David Prowse [Darth Vader],
who was not too pleased that
James Earl Jones spoke his
part in Star Wars (Jones was
only paid $7000 for the part).
Instead of “I am your father,” Prowse was given the line
Obi-Wan Kenobi is your father.”
Breathing Patterns
“Lightsaber”
Intensity
R2D2 is standing 6 meters vertically higher than and
8 meters horizontally away from Luke Skywalker. At
what angle of elevation did R2D2 release the light
saber in order to reach Luke Skywalker? Assume that
the acceleration due to gravity on Tatooine is the
same as on Earth (-9.8 m/sec2).
A. 30 degrees
B. 70 degrees
C. 85 degrees
D. 375 degrees
R2D2 is standing 6 meters vertically higher than and
8 meters horizontally away from Luke Skywalker. At
what angle of elevation did R2D2 release the light
saber in order to reach Luke Skywalker? Assume that
the acceleration due to gravity on Tatooine is the
same as on Earth (-9.8 m/sec2).
A. 30 degrees
B. 70 degrees
C. 85 degrees
D. 375 degrees
Solution
Two parametric functions can
describe the motion of the
lightsaber.
Y = ho + vo*sinw*t - 4.9t2
and X = vo*cosw*t
Where X = horizontal distance, Y = vertical distance,
vo = initial velocity, w = angle of elevation, t = time,
and ho = initial height
Substitute X = 8 m, t = 4.4 sec, ho = 6 m, and
Y = 0 m into both of the equations.
0 = 20 + vosinw(4.4) - 4.9(4.4)2 and
25 = vocosw(4.4)
Write each equation in terms of vosinw and
vocosw in order to cancel vo.
vosinw/vocosw = 74.864/5.682 = tanw = 13.176
w = tan-1(13.176) = 85.7 degrees
Suppose mitichlorian counts are approximately normally
distributed among a population with a standard deviation
of 3000 mitichlorians. Everyone in the population has some
mitichlorians in their bodies, but just at different amounts.
If Anakin’s mitichlorian count of over 20,000 is “off the
chart,” then what is a reasonable mean mitichlorian count
in the population?
Suppose mitichlorian counts are approximately normally
distributed among a population with a standard deviation
of 3000 mitichlorians. Everyone in the population has some
mitichlorians in their bodies, but just at different amounts.
If Anakin’s mitichlorian count of over 20,000 is “off the
chart,” then what is a reasonable mean mitichlorian count
in the population?
A. 0
B. 5000
C. 10000
D. 15000
Solution
In a normal distribution, 99% of the data are within
three standard deviations from the mean. “Off the
chart” probably implies that Anakin’s mitichlorian
count is greater than three standard deviations from the
mean.
The mean must be less than
20,000 - 3(3000) = 11,000
but greater than 9,000,
because everyone has at least
some mitichlorians in their
bodies -> 10,000.
If Yoda uses the transitive
property, how should he conclude
his chain reasoning to Anakin if
his message is: “Fear is the path
to the dark side.”
A. Do or do not, there is no try.
B. Suffering leads to the dark
side.
C. Fear leads to dropping
calculus.
D. Anger leads to the dark side.
If Yoda uses the transitive
property, how should he conclude
his chain reasoning to Anakin if
his message is: “Fear is the path
to the dark side.”
A. Do or do not, there is no try.
B. Suffering leads to the dark
side.
C. Fear leads to dropping
calculus.
D. Anger leads to the dark side.
Solution:
Fear -> Anger
Anger -> Hate
Hate -> Suffering
???? -> ????
Conclusion: Fear -> Dark side
Therefore, Suffering -> Dark side
is necessary to complete the chain
reasoning.
In your classroom and with
your students,
MAY THE FORCE BE
WITH YOU!
The Mathematics of
Evan Glazer
eglazer@coe.uga.edu
http://www.arches.uga.edu/~eglazer/starwars.html