h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I find your use of the square root in your derivation of 42 inelegant. Might I suggest (2+1)*(9/9)*14 instead?

Revered and respected Gnomon, upon whose wise head may the blessings of Allah never cease to shower in golden cascades, I alas, am a mere humble, abjectly grovelling craftsman and chaiwallah, not a mathematician, so I don't even understand the elegant formula you so kindly offered. My friend Recumbentman provided me with the present severely square and deeply rooted derivation. But if you can explain to me how yours works to produce the requisite 42, I shall be delighted to substitute it for the present inept sprawl.

I remain,
Sir,
Yr. Excellency's Mft h'mbl, obl'gd and ob't ferv't,

Chaiwallah

It's quite simple.

(2+1) is 3
(9/9) is 1

so what I have suggested is 3 times 1 times 14 which if I am not mistaken is 42.

Aaaaaaaaaah. Well, you see. I am incredibly thick when it comes to maths, and it didn't occur to me that your asterisk thingies were supposed to be multiplication signs . I"d have got there quicker had you used x's. Sorry.

Sorry! That's an old programmer habit of mine, using stars instead of x signs. Because I'm an old programmer.

Well, thank you anyway, dear old programmer. Speaking as a dense and boring old pedant, you won't mind if I do the edit on my page using x's instead of *'s.

Not at all!