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OK, I’m not going for cheap outrage points. I’ve read the Wikipedia article. I am honestly curious if there is a reason we still present the problem this way, o

OK, I’m not going for cheap outrage points. I’ve read the Wikipedia article. I am honestly curious if there is a reason we still present the problem this way, or if we could just change it up a bit in its presentation.

Taywee 4y ago
Can you come up with one? Given the specific problem, I find it challenging to come up with a different analogy for the same concept.
- williamscales 4y ago
  Sure. I’ll quote from Wikipedia and modify it. “In combinatorial mathematics, the ménage problem or problème des ménages asks for the number of different ways in which it is possible to seat a set of couples, labeled “A_n” and “B_n” accordingly, at a round dining table so that the A and B alternate and no two couples are sat next to each other such that A_n = B_m”.
  - hobo_mark 4y ago
    And this improves the problem statement how exactly? You are just doing the "parent 1" "parent 2" gymnastics that get (deservedly) mocked and (unfortunately) weaponized at any possible occasion.
- waqf 4y ago
  You're organising the office dinner party and each employee has brought exactly one spouse (who is not an employee). You wish to seat the attendees alternating employees and spouses, perhaps so that the spouses feel maximally included and nobody starts a work-related conversation.
  - Taywee 4y ago
    Pretty corporate for my tastes. Maybe it's just coming from Advent of Code, but a whimsical framing with elves and dwarves sounds nice.
- gavagai691 4y ago
  Sure. Seating Pokemon trainers and Pokemon, where each trainer brings their Pokemon. Idea stolen from this video on Gale-Shapley, which is also typically presented in a "gendered / heteronormative" way (but doesn't have to be): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fudb8DuzQlM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fudb8DuzQlM. I mean there are so many possible examples, right? Anything where you have pairs of partners.. bridge, tennis doubles, etc.
version_five 4y ago
Regardless of intent, it pointlessly and unconstructively derails the conversation into an uninteresting and well trod aside that has nothing to do with the topic
- CoastalCoder 4y ago
  I think it's okay here because we have threaded conversations. You can just collapse a thread that annoys you to tune it out.
  - version_five 4y ago
    I hate to be that guy, but it's a site guideline: Please don't pick the most provocative thing in an article or post to complain about in the thread. Find something interesting to respond to instead. For a reader clicking on the post thinking there's going to be a good discussion, they get the first post forcing gender politics irrelevantly into the discussion, then a bunch of stupid follow-up meta discussion. Even if they can collapse it, it's already ruined the thread
    - CoastalCoder 4y ago
      You make a good point about the site guidelines. Although in this particular case, I think you're in the minority in believing that the original comment was provocative.
- whygender 4y ago
  I think you are the only one of the few people that perceives it as hostile. The rest of us are legitimately curious. If it's a big problem for you, you could collapse the comment thread or report it and see if Dang will take action.
- sebastialonso 4y ago
  Now it's not uninteresting. I advise you to contact a mod if this thought police role-playing is not enough for your needs.
- 4y ago

Taywee 4y ago

Can you come up with one? Given the specific problem, I find it challenging to come up with a different analogy for the same concept.

williamscales 4y ago
Sure. I’ll quote from Wikipedia and modify it. “In combinatorial mathematics, the ménage problem or problème des ménages asks for the number of different ways in which it is possible to seat a set of couples, labeled “A_n” and “B_n” accordingly, at a round dining table so that the A and B alternate and no two couples are sat next to each other such that A_n = B_m”.
- hobo_mark 4y ago
  And this improves the problem statement how exactly? You are just doing the "parent 1" "parent 2" gymnastics that get (deservedly) mocked and (unfortunately) weaponized at any possible occasion.
waqf 4y ago
You're organising the office dinner party and each employee has brought exactly one spouse (who is not an employee). You wish to seat the attendees alternating employees and spouses, perhaps so that the spouses feel maximally included and nobody starts a work-related conversation.
- Taywee 4y ago
  Pretty corporate for my tastes. Maybe it's just coming from Advent of Code, but a whimsical framing with elves and dwarves sounds nice.
gavagai691 4y ago
Sure. Seating Pokemon trainers and Pokemon, where each trainer brings their Pokemon. Idea stolen from this video on Gale-Shapley, which is also typically presented in a "gendered / heteronormative" way (but doesn't have to be): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fudb8DuzQlM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fudb8DuzQlM. I mean there are so many possible examples, right? Anything where you have pairs of partners.. bridge, tennis doubles, etc.

version_five 4y ago

Regardless of intent, it pointlessly and unconstructively derails the conversation into an uninteresting and well trod aside that has nothing to do with the topic

CoastalCoder 4y ago
I think it's okay here because we have threaded conversations. You can just collapse a thread that annoys you to tune it out.
- version_five 4y ago
  I hate to be that guy, but it's a site guideline: Please don't pick the most provocative thing in an article or post to complain about in the thread. Find something interesting to respond to instead. For a reader clicking on the post thinking there's going to be a good discussion, they get the first post forcing gender politics irrelevantly into the discussion, then a bunch of stupid follow-up meta discussion. Even if they can collapse it, it's already ruined the thread
  - CoastalCoder 4y ago
    You make a good point about the site guidelines. Although in this particular case, I think you're in the minority in believing that the original comment was provocative.
whygender 4y ago
I think you are the only one of the few people that perceives it as hostile. The rest of us are legitimately curious. If it's a big problem for you, you could collapse the comment thread or report it and see if Dang will take action.
sebastialonso 4y ago
Now it's not uninteresting. I advise you to contact a mod if this thought police role-playing is not enough for your needs.
4y ago