The first one orders a beer. The second orders 1/2 a beer. The third one orders 1/4 a beer.
The bartender quickly catches on, pours two beers and says "You guys need to learn your limits."
Joke Poo: An Infinite Line of Plumbers
An infinite line of plumbers walk into a sewage treatment plant…
The first one asks for a bucket. The second asks for half a bucket. The third asks for a quarter of a bucket.
The foreman sighs, hands them one bucket and says, "Alright, split this. And please, no overflows!"
Alright, let’s break down this mathematical joke and then build on it.
Joke Dissection:
- Setup: Establishes a scenario (mathematicians in a bar) and a pattern (ordering fractions of beer).
- Key Elements:
- Mathematicians: Represents analytical and precise thinking.
- Infinite Series: The beer orders form a geometric series: 1 + 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + …
- Limit: A core concept in calculus where a function approaches a value as the input approaches some value.
- Bartender’s Wit: The punchline hinges on the bartender recognizing the series and delivering a pun.
- Humor: Relies on the double meaning of "limit" – both a mathematical term and a suggestion to moderate drinking. The surprise comes from the bartender’s unexpected understanding of higher mathematics.
Enrichment & New Humor:
Let’s use the concept of infinite series to create a new, slightly nerdy joke:
New Joke:
A physicist, an engineer, and a mathematician are standing 100 feet from a gorgeous woman. They are each told they can only walk half the remaining distance to her at each turn.
The physicist says, "I’m going to get close enough!" and starts walking.
The engineer says, "I’ll get close enough for all practical purposes!" and starts walking.The mathematician just sighs and says, "This is pointless. I know I can never actually reach her…"
The physicist then replies to the mathematician, "It’s ok. You can still get close enough to define her integral."
Explanation:
This joke plays on:
- Different professions & their attitudes toward infinity:
- The mathematician is held back by the rigor of math and the impossibility of reaching infinity.
- The physicist is concerned with getting close enough.
- The physicist delivers the witty integration punchline, which refers to approximating the area under a curve, but also is an absurd sexual innuendo.
Alternative Addition: Did You Know?
Did you know? The concept of limits, crucial to calculus and jokes about mathematicians ordering beer, wasn’t rigorously defined until the 19th century! Before that, mathematicians were essentially eyeballing it, hoping the beer tab wouldn’t become infinitely large.