Now on: Numbers, meet palindrome
pal-in-drome: A word or series of symbols that reads the same backward or forward.
PORTLAND, Ore. – The word palindrome is putting numbers on the "radar" today. Today is Jan. 2, 2010, or 01-02-2010.
Today's date marks only the third palindrome date in 620 years. Take 08-31-1380 in the 1300s, followed by 10-02-2001 in 2001.
The significance of the Jan. 2, 2010, numerical palindrome was pointed out by Aziz Inan, a professor in the University of Portland's Electrical Engineering Department. He is an electrical engineer, with a Ph.D. degree from Stanford University. Inan points out that, though palindrome dates have been rare for the past seven centuries, a total of 12 will occur in the 21st Century.
In today's edition of The Columbian newspaper, Columbian staff writer Tom Vogt interviewed Professor Inan – reportedly a math puzzle enthusiast who was featured last week on the puzzle corner of the New York Times' Web site.
Vogt reports that Inan's fascination with palindromes began as a hobby: "My hobby is playing with ages and numbers and historical dates," he said. "That's how I stumbled on this," he said. A couple of years ago, Inan reportedly fueled his numbers addiction with a Powell's Books purchase of used tome listing squares and cubes of all numbers from 1 to 10,000.
The next palindrome date in the U.S. is Nov. 2, 2011 or 11-02-2011. The 36th and last palindrome date of this millennium will occur on Sept. 22, 2290. The next one will be Oct. 3, 3001.
"We have 12 palindrome dates this century; the rest of the world has 29," Inan told Vogt. "Our 12 all will occur on the second day of the month. Theirs all occur in February."
In the end, "Are we not drawn onward, we few, drawn onward to new era?"
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A photo to illustrate today’s palindrome date, created by (and showcasing) University of Portland Engineering Professor Aziz Inan.