Leigh Mercer Explained

Leigh Mercer (1893–1977) was a British wordplay and recreational mathematics expert.^[1]

Career

Palindrome

Mercer is best known for devising the palindrome "A man, a plan, a canal: Panama!".^[2]

Mathematical limerick

The following mathematical limerick is attributed to him:^[3]

(12+144+20+3 ⋅ \sqrt{ 4)/() } + (5 \times 11) = 9^2+0This 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.

Notes and References

1. A. Ross Eckler: Leigh Mercer, Palindromist. In: Word Ways. Volume 24, Issue 3, 1991, Article 2, p. 131–138 https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/wordways/vol24/iss3/2/
2. Published in Notes and Queries, 13 Nov. 1948, according to The Yale Book of Quotations, F. R. Shapiro, ed. (2006,).
3. Web site: Math Mayhem . https://web.archive.org/web/20171008070848/http://www.lhup.edu/~DSIMANEK/mayhem.htm . 2017-10-08 . Lhup.edu . 2011-06-29 . live .