Treegonometry for a merry Christmas

A UK university has found an equation to decorate a christmas tree

If you thought that mathematical equations like trigonometry and algebra have no use in real life, think again. A British university has provided an answer for those striving for the perfect Christmas tree. The maths society of Britain’s University of Sheffield was recently set the challenge of decorating a tree so that greenery and glitz are in harmonious proportion, and they came out with this formula:

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— Number of baubles: The square root of 17, divided by 20 and multiplied by the height of tree (in centimetres).

— Length of tinsel: 13 multiplied by pi (3.1415), divided by 8, then multiplied by tree height.

— Length of tree lights: Pi multiplied by tree height.

— Height (in centimetres) of star or fairy on top of tree: Tree height divided by 10.

“For example, a 180cm (six-feet) tall Christmas tree would need 37 baubles, around 919 cms of tinsel (30 feet) and 565 cms (19 feet) of lights, and an 18cm (seven-inch) star or angel is required to achieve the perfect look,” says the University.