Combinatorics of Khadaffi

 Given Libya's current political turmoil, and as a student studying Combinatorics (the study of counting), I must ask:  In how many different ways can you spell the name of Libya's ruthless leader?  Perhaps there is no formal construction for such a thing, but the Library of Congress and various press have used the following spellings for him*:

1. Qaddafi, Muammar
2. Al-Gathafi, Muammar
3. Al-Qadhafi, Muammar
4. Al Qathafi, Mu'ammar
5. Al Qathafi, Muammar
6. El Gaddafi, Moamar
7. El Kadhafi, Moammar
8. El Kazzafi, Moamer
9. El Qathafi, Mu'Ammar
10. Gadafi, Muammar
11. Gaddafi, Moamar
12. Gadhafi, Mo'ammar
13. Gathafi, Muammar
14. Ghadafi, Muammar
15. Ghaddafi, Muammar
16. Ghaddafy, Muammar
17. Gheddafi, Muammar
18. Gheddafi, Muhammar
19. Kadaffi, Momar
20. Kad'afi, Mu`amar al- 20
21. Kaddafi, Muamar
22. Kaddafi, Muammar
23. Kadhafi, Moammar
24. Kadhafi, Mouammar
25. Kazzafi, Moammar
26. Khadafy, Moammar
27. Khaddafi, Muammar
28. Moamar al-Gaddafi
29. Moamar el Gaddafi
30. Moamar El Kadhafi
31. Moamar Gaddafi
32. Moamer El Kazzafi
33. Mo'ammar el-Gadhafi
34. Moammar El Kadhafi
35. Mo'ammar Gadhafi
36. Moammar Kadhafi
37. Moammar Khadafy
38. Moammar Qudhafi
39. Mu`amar al-Kad'afi
40. Mu'amar al-Kadafi
41. Muamar Al-Kaddafi
42. Muamar Kaddafi
43. Muamer Gadafi
44. Muammar Al-Gathafi
45. Muammar al-Khaddafi
46. Mu'ammar al-Qadafi
47. Mu'ammar al-Qaddafi
48. Muammar al-Qadhafi
49. Mu'ammar al-Qadhdhafi
50. Mu`ammar al-Qadhdhāfī 50
51. Mu'ammar Al Qathafi
52. Muammar Al Qathafi
53. Muammar Gadafi
54. Muammar Gaddafi
55. Muammar Ghadafi
56. Muammar Ghaddafi
57. Muammar Ghaddafy
58. Muammar Gheddafi
59. Muammar Kaddafi
60. Muammar Khaddafi
61. Mu'ammar Qadafi
62. Muammar Qaddafi
63. Muammar Qadhafi
64. Mu'ammar Qadhdhafi
65. Muammar Quathafi
66. Mulazim Awwal Mu'ammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi
67. Qadafi, Mu'ammar
68. Qadhafi, Muammar
69. Qadhdhāfī, Mu`ammar
70. Qathafi, Mu'Ammar el 70
71. Quathafi, Muammar
72. Qudhafi, Moammar
73. Moamar AI Kadafi
74. Maummar Gaddafi
75. Moamar Gadhafi
76. Moamer Gaddafi
77. Moamer Kadhafi
78. Moamma Gaddafi
79. Moammar Gaddafi
80. Moammar Gadhafi
81. Moammar Ghadafi
82. Moammar Khadaffy
83. Moammar Khaddafi
84. Moammar el Gadhafi
85. Moammer Gaddafi
86. Mouammer al Gaddafi
87. Muamar Gaddafi
88. Muammar Al Ghaddafi
89. Muammar Al Qaddafi
90. Muammar Al Qaddafi
91. Muammar El Qaddafi
92. Muammar Gadaffi
93. Muammar Gadafy
94. Muammar Gaddhafi
95. Muammar Gadhafi
96. Muammar Ghadaffi
97. Muammar Qadthafi
98. Muammar al Gaddafi
99. Muammar el Gaddafy
100. Muammar el Gaddafi
101. Muammar el Qaddafi
102. Muammer Gadaffi
103. Muammer Gaddafi
104. Mummar Gaddafi
105. Omar Al Qathafi
106. Omar Mouammer Al Gaddafi
107. Omar Muammar Al Ghaddafi
108. Omar Muammar Al Qaddafi
109. Omar Muammar Al Qathafi
110. Omar Muammar Gaddafi
111. Omar Muammar Ghaddafi
112. Omar al Ghaddafi

I suppose the issue here is that there is no generally accepted methodology to romanize Arabic names.  Further, his name contains several sounds that may not have an exact equivalence in English. 

Can you think of any other ways to spell his name?  How about R-U-T-H-L-E-S-S?!

*List from http://www.abcnews.com/

Pi Day 2011

Guess what next Monday, 3/14 is?  Pi Day! 

March 14th is the official day that this irrational number representing the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter is celebrated around the world.  Traditional celebrations include eating pie and contests as to who can recite the most digits of pi.  In 2009, National Pi Day was recognized by Congress and today, it continues to be celebrated in Math classrooms and by Math enthusiasts around the nation. 

How will you celebrate?  I'm planning to run the Pi Mile foot race hosted by Georgia Tech.  For more celebration ideas and events, please visit Pi Across America.  Don't forget to have your pi and eat it too!

Mathematics and Hollywood

My husband and I missed Oscar night this year.  My husband was fast asleep after waking up at 3:30am to watch the legendary 10+ hour World Cup cricket match that resulted in a tie between India and England, while I was busy studying.  In fact, I didn't even know I was missing anything until the next morning when my husband woke up, didn't know if it was day or night and read the award headlines on CNN.com. 

In honor of the 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, I was reminded of a few films awarded in the past that had a Mathematics theme:

• A Beautiful Mind, 2001 Best Picture winner
• The Matrix, 1999 Best Visual Effects (I was a little disappointed when I found out this movie was not about Linear Algebra)
• Goodwill Hunting, 1997 Best Original Screenplay

 Other Mathematics themed films that were not as fortunate to receive an award:

• Suspect X, 2008
• π, 1998
• 12 Monkeys, 1995

Who said Mathematics is not glamourous?  Now, off to see The King's Speech!