Leigh Mercer

Leigh Mercer (1893–1977) was a noted British wordplay and recreational mathematics expert. He is best known for devising the celebrated palindrome "A man, a plan, a canal — Panama!".[1]

The following mathematical limerick is attributed to him:[2]

\frac{12 + 144 + 20 + 3 \sqrt{4}}{7} + (5 \times 11) = 9^2+0

This is read as follows:

A dozen, a gross, and a score
Plus three times the square root of four
Divided by seven
Plus five times eleven
Is nine squared and not a bit more.

References

  1. ↑ Published in Notes and Queries, 13 Nov. 1948, according to The Yale Book of Quotations, F. R. Shapiro, ed. (2006, ISBN 0-300-10798-6).
  2. ↑ "Math Mayhem". Lhup.edu. Retrieved 2011-06-29.