In order to better understand a space we often impose a coordinate system on it. This allows us to study the characteristics of that space in particularly mathematical ways, like through distance, area, and curvature.
Looking at the city through this rectangular mesh put me in mind of this process of coordinatization, and highlights how the coordinate system is indeed an abstraction from reality and an active choice we make.
Through Math for America, I am part of an ongoing collaboration with the New York Times Learning Network. My latest contribution, a Test Yourself quiz-question, can be found here
Test Yourself Math — July 31, 2013
Eike Batista, a Brazilian businessman, has seen his personal fortune drop from $34.5 billion to $4.8 billion in the past year. Approximately how many average Brazilian households is his current fortune equivalent to?